Understanding Boko Haram, The Beer Drinker’s Guide to God, and More

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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:

Looking for Answers After the Boko Haram Kidnapping

In the 14 years since Boko Haram was formed, the Nigerian terrorist group has kidnapped and killed hundreds of people, hoping to stamp out Western influence and create an Islamic state, ruled by Shariah law. They’ve done all kinds of things to get attention, but on April 14th they pulled off one of their most notorious feats, kidnapping more than 200 Nigerian school girls in the middle of the night. As the world calls for their safe return, we ask: How can Boko Haram claim any religious grounds for such cruelty?

Buddhism and Science

Western religions have long had an uneasy relationship with science, but the story is different in Buddhism. In recent years there’s been a growing dialogue between Buddhism and science–especially neuroscience. We can see it in the burst of research into mindfulness meditation. And we can see it in the passions of the Dalai Lama, who’s lately been intrigued by quantum theory. Today, we’re going behind that trend–both its roots, and its potential problems for modern Buddhism.
So a Priest Walks into a Bar…
When Father Bill Miller refers to a “potent sacramental beverage,” he might be talking about Communion wine. Or, he could be talking about the beer he serves at Padres, the bar he co-owns in west Texas. Father Bill says that running a church and running a bar are actually pretty similar, and that sharing a frothy lager can open people up to frank conversations about faith.

Featured speakers/guests:

Moses Ochonu, associate professor of African history at Vanderbilt University


Darren Kew, executive director of the Center for Peace, Democracy, and Development at the University of Massachusetts at Boston

Linda Heuman, contributor to the Buddhist magazine Tricycle


David McMahan, professor of religious studies at Franklin & Marshall College

Father Bill Miller, author of The Beer Drinker’s Guide to God

 

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