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Inspired
Inspired is the nation's leading public radio show about faith, ethics and spirituality. Each week we offer you analyses of the big headlines alongside lesser-told stories – those of Orthodox Jewish artists and African-American atheists, Muslim feminists and spiritual seekers. Through these stories, a rough sketch of our country’s religious landscape begins to emerge. It’s a marketplace of beliefs and ideas too complex for sound bites, and too important to ignore.
This week on Interfaith Voices:
Leonard Nimoy On Judaism, Spock and Spirituality
From 1966 to 1969, Leonard Nimoy played Mr. Spock on the original Star Trek series. Those three years as a half-human, half-Vulcan science fiction character would change his life, making him the public face of one of the most popular franchises in television history.
But there is an intensely private, spiritual side of Leonard Nimoy that isn’t as well known. The son of a barber, Nimoy grew up in an Orthodox Jewish family in Boston, where he became captivated by the mystery and poetry of Jewish rituals. His interest in Judaism has stayed with him, informing his work as a poet, photographer, and even his portrayal of Mr. Spock.
He spoke to Nadine Epstein, editor of Moment Magazine, the national independent Jewish publication co-founded by Elie Wiesel. Our interview first aired in January 2012.
Would Alien Contact Change Religion on Earth?
There will be a moment – perhaps as soon as twenty years from now – when humans make contact with intelligent alien life. And when we do, a host of theologians, scientists and religious leaders will be prepared with questions. Will knowing we’re not alone in the universe change the way we understand humanity? Will it change the way we understand God? Our interview first aired in January 2012.
Brian Greene: Understanding Science, and Ourselves
Brian Greene is a cosmologist who studies string theory, a ‘theory of everything’ that attempts to explain all the forces of matter within the cosmos. For him, studying the laws of time and space can lead to a deeper knowledge. “The better we understand the universe’s rules,” he says, “the more deeply we can appreciate our lives within it.” Our interview first aired in January 2012.
Produced by Jay Allison and Dan Gediman, with John Gregory and Viki Merrick.
Featured speakers/guests:
Leonard Nimoy, photographer, film director, poet and actor
Douglas Vakoch, director of Interstellar Message Composition at the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute
Ted Peters, professor of theology at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary
Brian Greene, professor of physics and mathematics at Columbia University and author of “The Hidden Reality: Parallel Universes and The Deep Laws of the Cosmos“
