Religion For Life

Religion scholars, Linda Schearing (Gonzaga) and Valarie Ziegler (DePauw) take us back to the garden to show how American culture is obsessed with Eden. In their popular and enticing book, Enticed By Eden: How Western Culture Uses, Confuses, (and Sometimes Abuses) Adam and Eve, they introduce us to the world of evangelical manhood and womanhood, the sex toy industry, Christian wife spanking, on-line Christian dating, and more.   Join us for a fascinating (and a little scary) conversation about gender, power, and Adam and Eve.

Thursday, May 23rd at 8 pm on WETS, 89.5.
Sunday, May 26th at noon on WEHC, 90.7.
Sunday, May 26th at 11 am on WHAN, 1430 AM/102.9 FM
Sunday, May 26th at 2 pm on WETS, 89.5.
Monday, May 27th 1 pm on WEHC, 90.7.
Wednesday, May 29th at 6:30 pm on WEHC, 90.7.
Via podcast

I first heard about Mo Sabri when I saw this article in the Johnson City Press.  I invited him to speak with me on Religion For Life.  Mo Sabri is an ETSU student, a hip-hop artist, and a Muslim who believes in Jesus.   Recently he produced a video, “I Believe in Jesus” that seeks to bridge understanding between Christians and Muslims and show that the teachings and deeds of Jesus is such a bridge.  He speaks to me about that song, about growing up Muslim in Johnson City, and other music he has written and produced that touch on matters of faith.   You can find him on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, and iTunes.

Thursday, May 16th at 8 pm on WETS, 89.5.
Sunday, May 19th at noon on WEHC, 90.7.
Sunday, May 19th at 11 am on WHAN, 1430 AM/102.9 FM
Sunday, May 19th at 2 pm on WETS, 89.5.
Monday, May 20th 1 pm on WEHC, 90.7.
Wednesday, May 22nd at 6:30 pm on WEHC, 90.7.
Via podcast beginning May 21st.

Robert Cornwall is a Disciples of Christ minister and church historian.  He is the pastor of the Central Woodward Christian Church in Troy, Michigan and he blogs at Ponderings on a Faith Journey.   He is the author of Ultimate Allegiance:  The Subversive Nature of the Lord’s Prayer and Faith in the Public Square:  Living Faithfully in 21st Century America. Dr. Cornwall’s Faith in the Public Square is a collection of newspaper columns addressing issues of faith and politics.   Join us for this insightful conversation about faith and public life.

Thursday, May 9th at 8 pm on WETS, 89.5.
Sunday, May 12th at noon on WEHC, 90.7.
Sunday, May 12th at 11 am on WHAN, 1430 AM/102.9 FM
Sunday, May 12th at 2 pm on WETS, 89.5.
Monday, May 13th 1 pm on WEHC, 90.7.
Wednesday, May 15th at 6:30 pm on WEHC, 90.7.
Via podcast beginning May 14th.

Ted Olson is a Professor of Appalachian Studies at East Tennessee State University.  He has published a collection of poems called Revelations.  This is a magnificent collection of poetry that touches on spirituality, nature, family, and music.  Maurice Manning writes that Revelations “…sweeps broadly, gathering family history, displaced people, the natural world, religion, small towns, solitude, and love into a single tide washing into shore.”   Dr. Olson brought his banjo and his poetry.  Join us!

Thursday, May 2nd at 8 pm on WETS, 89.5.
Sunday, May 5th at noon on WEHC, 90.7.
Sunday, May 5th at 2 pm on WETS, 89.5.
Monday, May 6th 1 pm on WEHC, 90.7.
Wednesday, May 8th at 6:30 pm on WEHC, 90.7.
Via podcast beginning May 7th.

Ted Olson teaches Appalachian Studies at East Tennessee State University.   He has been nominated for three Grammy Awards.  Two nominations in 2012 for The Bristol Sessions 1927-1928 – The Big Bang of Country Music and another nomination in 2013 for Old-Time Smoky Mountain Music: 34 Historic Songs, Ballads and Instrumentals Recorded in the Great Smoky Mountains by ‘Song Catcher’ Joseph S. Hall.   He just produced The Johnson City Sessions, rare recordings made in Johnson City in 1928.    Dr. Olson talks to me about these recordings and he brought his banjo to share some of this great Appalachian music!

Thursday, April 25th at 8 pm on WETS, 89.5.
Sunday, April 28th at noon on WEHC, 90.7.
Sunday, April 28th at 2 pm on WETS, 89.5.
Monday, April 29th 1 pm on WEHC, 90.7.
Wednesday, May 1st at 6:30 pm on WEHC, 90.7.
Via podcast beginning April 30th.

The Christian religion is changing. Everything is on the table including the Bible. My guest, Dr. Hal Taussig, professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York City and pastor at Chestnut Hill United Methodist Church in Philadelphia is the editor of A New New Testament:  A Bible for the 21st Century Combining Traditional and Newly Discovered Texts. This document includes as sacred scripture ten texts from antiquity that some early Christians used but never made it into the canon.  These include The Gospel of Thomas, The Gospel of Truth, The Acts of Paul and Thecla and seven others. I speak with Dr. Taussig about the process of selecting these texts, their significance, and what they mean for spiritual seekers in the 21st century.

Thursday, April 18th at 8 pm on WETS, 89.5.
Sunday, April 21st at noon on WEHC, 90.7.
Sunday, April 21st at 2 pm on WETS, 89.5.
Monday, April 22nd 1 pm on WEHC, 90.7.
Wednesday, April 24th at 6:30 pm on WEHC, 90.7.
Via podcast

One of the great teachers in my life has been Marcus Borg. His book Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time introduced me to a way of understanding the Christian faith that not only made sense but was worth living. He introduced me to a Christianity for both mind and heart. So I was honored to speak with Marcus Borg about two books, The Evolution of the Word: The New Testament in the Order the Books Were Written and Speaking Christian: Why Christian Words Have Lost Their Meaning and Power–and How They Can Be Restored. This first conversation is about The Evolution of the Word. An upcoming interview will be about Speaking Christian.  In The Evolution of the Word, Marcus Borg puts the books of the New Testament in chronological order and offers an extended introduction to each book describing its content and historical setting.  In so doing he shows how views of Jesus evolved within the New Testament itself.

Thursday, April 11th at 8 pm on WETS, 89.5.
Sunday, April 14th at noon on WEHC, 90.7.
Sunday, April 14th at 2 pm on WETS, 89.5.
Monday, April 15th 1 pm on WEHC, 90.7.
Wednesday, April 17th at 6:30 pm on WEHC, 90.7.
Via podcast April 16th.