Common Threads: An Interfaith Dialogue
by Fred Stella, Kaufman Interfaith Institute, WGVU-FM, Interfaith Dialogue Association, Grand Valley State University
Rated as the #1 podcast on all matters interfaith by Feedspot (https://blog.feedspot.com/interfaith_podcasts/), this is a weekly program that airs on Michigan NPR affiliates WGVU and WGVK. These 2 stations cover the entire western portion of the state. The show is hosted by Fred Stella, President of Interfaith Dialogue Association, an affiliate of Kaufman Interfaith Institute, which operates out of Grand Valley State University, the license holder of both stations.Each week Fred invites clerics, authors, activists and the occasional mystic into conversation about the role of spirituality and religion in politics, world affairs, societies and individuals. The parameters are quite wide.Besides his passion for all things transcendent, Fred Stella has an extensive resume in the world of media. Since his graduation from college Fred has worked in multiple radio formats, including news/talk, where he developed his skills in the art of the interview. He also has extensive experience in TV,
Episodes
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No Compulsion in Religion, No Exceptions! Parts 1 & 2
The Qur’an famously declares, “There is no compulsion in religion.” But there is much compulsion today in the name of Islam — from apostasy laws to enforced veils — from Iran to Afghanistan. In his groundbreaking book, "No Compulsion in Religion, No Exceptions"" Mustafa Akyol elucidates the…
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y Everyone Wants To Think They're Open-Minded. Here's Why Most People Aren't Parts 1 & 2
Most people think they are open-minded and would like others to perceive them as such. But for the things that matter most – religious beliefs, for example, or the meaning of life – few of us are genuinely willing to consider that we might be wrong, let alone do the hard work of revising beliefs....
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Oracle's Daughter Parts 1 & 2
On a cool fall night in 1999, twenty-six-year-old Sarah Green crept out of her house, retrieved a backpack from its hiding place, and ran for her life. She was escaping not just the Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps, a paramilitary religious cult based in the New Mexico desert, but...
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Christian Zionism Parts 1 & 2
Christian Zionism is a movement dedicated to reconstituting the Israel of antiquity. To be clear, the purpose of this effort has little to do with love or sympathy for Jews, but to hasten the return of Jesus. The social and political challenges this presents to world stability are manifold. And...
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God Bless the Pill Parts 1 & 2
Most people today understand contraception as central to women’s liberation, and when the birth control pill arrived in 1960, the media thought it would usher in a sexual revolution. But a surprising number of religious Americans in the mid-twentieth century also saw contraception as part of…
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Mediating God Parts 1 & 2
On this episode of Common Threads, Fred Stella interviews author Arthur Zarate about his biography of the Egyptian Muslim theologian, scholar, and activist, Muhammad al-Ghazali (1917–1996), which provides the most comprehensive study to date of one of the most influential Sunni Muslim writers of...
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Girl in a Box parts 1 & 2
In these episodes, Fred Stella speaks with Paldrom Catherine Collins, the author of ‘Girl in a Box: Seeking Enlightenment as a Tibetan Buddhist Nun.’ It’s a memoir of spiritual longing and the search for an end to suffering. As a wide-eyed spiritual seeker from Oklahoma, Paldrom believed...
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The Bhagavad Gita with Guest (not host!) Fred Stella
This is very fun. We have here an episode from 1996, when I was not host, but guest. I didn't take over the hosting duties until the following year, but I was still active in other ways supporting Common Threads. Featured here is host Marc Evan Jackson, who has made quite a name for himself in...
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Oasis of Peace Parts 1 & 2
I can hardly believe that I am STILL finding cassette tapes with old episodes on them These 2 were recorded, I believe, in 2001. Oasis of Peace is a community in Israel where Jews & Palestinians live and thrive together. I can only imagine the heartbreak they must be feeling now after a…
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Palmistry: Science? Pseudo-Science? You Decide Parts 1 & 2
OK Kids, I'm really hesitant to share this with you, but I do want to upload as many episodes as I can. If you've been around for a while you know that every once in a while I find an old cassette tape or CD of shows we did decades ago. And the sound quality is not always great. Well, this is an...
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Beyond Wellness Parts 1 & 2
In the chaos of today’s world, we’re all searching for meaning. The wellness industry has sold us a promise that we can find it if we just buy the right products, attend the right retreats, and follow the right celebrity gurus. But is this true? Or are we picking and choosing from a self-care…
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Coptic Christianity: The Challenges in Both Egypt and the USA Parts 1 & 2
Coptic Christians, the largest Christian minority in Egypt, have maintained a distinct religious and cultural identity for centuries, but they often face challenges living as a minority in a predominantly Muslim society. They frequently encounter social discrimination, periodic outbreaks of...
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Longing: Your Quiet Power Within Parts 1 & 2
What if your deepest longing wasn’t a problem to solve, but an invitation? Many of us move through life carrying an unnameable ache - an irrepressible void we try to fill with achievement, admiration, or distraction. Yet beneath this yearning lies something far greater: an invitation to awaken,...
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Soul Medicine For a Fractured World Parts 1 & 2
In a time of ecological, political, and social upheaval, Dr. Liza J. Rankow locates a path to healing at the intersection of mystic spirituality and social action. In her new book Soul Medicine for a Fractured World: Healing, Justice, and the Path of Wholeness, the longtime grassroots activist...
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Nurturing Happiness Parts 1 & 2
In these episodes Fred speaks with Professor Robert Wuthnow about his book, ‘Nurturing Happiness: How Religion Shapes Emotional Practice.’ His research explores how religious institutions in America have historically managed and shaped their followers' experiences of happiness, viewing it not…
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The Future of God Parts 1 & 2
Host Fred Stella discusses the new book ‘The Future of God’ with its author Steve Schwalbe. Together they explore the Abrahamic faiths (Judaism, Islam, and Christianity) to determine how adherents will accommodate God in the future. While there are many publications about the future of God or the...
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Invading the Sacred: Academia's Bias Against Hinduism Parts 1 & 2
Another classic from our radio archives that we recently discovered, these 2009 episodes involve a conversation with Ravi Joshi of Medha Journal. While most often our interviews are with the actual authors, this time we analyze a book that was written by someone else. Invading the Sacred is the...
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A Case For the Existence of God Parts 1 & 2
Well, we are getting close to the bottom of the pile. By that I mean the pile of CDs that I discovered in my basement of old CT episodes I'd forgotten about. This one, if I am correct, is from 2008. It's an interview with Dean Overman, who wrote the book A Case for the Existence of God. There is…
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The Plight of the Bhutanese Refugees Parts 1 & 2
There are so many vulnerable populations around the world, and it's hard to keep up with them all. One group that sustained very serious abuse is the Hindu community in the Asian nation of Bhutan. Oddly, for centuries there existed a comity between Hindus and Buddhists that was inspiring to see.…
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Contemplate: Toward an Expansive Heart Parts 1 & 2
In recent weeks we've been uploading some episodes from about 15 years ago that were recently discovered. This, however, is not one of those. It aired in early 2026. Stay tuned though. More oldies are on their way! When comparing the world's religions on the subject of contemplation/meditation,...
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If It Were Not For Buddha I Could Not be a Christian Parts 1 & 2
Without Buddha I Could not be a Christian narrates how esteemed theologian, Paul F. Knitter, overcame a crisis of faith by looking to One more from the newly found archive! So let's set the Wayback Machine for 2009 again. This time we spoke to Dr. Paul Knitter, the author of "If It Were Not for...
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Religion & Modernity:The 2009 Kaufman Conference Parts 1 & 2
OK Kids, here's another classic Common Threads that was misplaced ages ago and is now available. The Kaufman Interfaith Institute (of which Interfaith Dialogue Association is an affiliate) holds conferences each year. In 2009 we hosted 3 thought leaders from the Abrahamic traditions to discuss…
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No Enemy Left to Conquer: Forgiveness in an Unforgiving World Parts 1 & 2
Dipping into our newly discovered tranche of old episodes once more, we have another 2009 pair that explores a very power book about the power of forgiveness. Michael Henderson is a British freelance journalist and author of numerous books including Forgiveness: Breaking the Chain of Hate and All...
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In Living Color: Calvinism Explained Parts 1 & 2
Another one from the newly discovered batch of old recordings. I'm assuming this is from 2009 as most of them are. This 2-parter is a conversation with Daniel Hyde, a pastor in the United Reformed Church. We invited him to discuss his book on Christian images "In Living Color," but also delved…
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Islam: The Basic Tenets Parts 1 & 2
Once again we delve into the vault of recently discovered recordings that never made it to the podcast universe. These come from 2009. So please disregard any information about the conference on Islam that is being promoted. I've thought about these conversations over the years. I'll tell you…
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The Halakhah of Jesus According to the Gospel of Matthew Parts 1 & 2
Here we go again! As mentioned recently, I discovered a trove of old recordings on CD and cassette tape that I was not aware of. So now I'm posting these here. These episodes of Common Threads originally aired in 2007. They have to do with the very "Jewishness" of Jesus. The book in question is...
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Crimes Against India Parts 1 & 2
Hey All, we've got ourselves a blast from the past! For those of you who have been following us for a few years you might recall that not long after we started podcasting we decided to go into The Vault and grab as many old analog recordings that survived over the decades, digitize them and add…
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The Fox Hunt: Trapped in Yemen Parts 1 & 2
Born in the Old City of Sana’a, Yemen, to a pair of middle-class doctors, Mohammed Al Samawi was a devout Muslim raised to think of Christians and Jews as his enemy. But then he started connecting with Jews and Christians on social media, and at various international interfaith conferences,...
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Hebrew Orientalism Parts 1, 2 & 3
This is a conversation between Dr. Hussein and GVSU Professor Eric Covey, facilitated by Frankel Center's Interim Director for 2025-26, Deborah Dash Moore. Their discussion will be followed by a dessert reception. Drawing from his upcoming book, Hebrew Orientalism: Jewish Engagement with...
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Karmic Relief Parts 1 & 2
Just about everyone knows the word "karma." It's so popular that products and companies are using it. But to simply say "what goes around comes around" is a bit too simplistic to describe a doctrine that has influenced civilizations for millennia. In his new book ‘Karmic Relief’ author Phil...
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The Comparative Gospels Parts 1 & 2
The Gospel COMPARATIVE is an innovative new book that enables anyone to read all 4 gospels simultaneously as one story. This is done in a clear, easy-to-read design that presents all four of the canonical gospels at the same time. Additionally, it provides a side-by-side, line-by-line comparative...
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Mother Emanuel Church Parts 1 & 2
10 years ago the nation experienced a powerful tragedy when a radicalized racist opened fire in the sanctuary of Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Located in Charleston, South Carolina, Mother Emanuel is often considered the jewel in the crown of historical Black churches. In his...
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Interfaith PhotoVoice Parts 1 & 2
The Kaufman Interfaith Institute has several affiliates. The Interfaith Dialogue Association, which produces Common Threads, is certainly one. Another newer addition to our family of multi-faith engagement is Interfaith Photovoice, an organized effort that encourages people of different faith...
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Ancient Christianities Parts 1 & 2
The ancient Mediterranean teemed with gods. For centuries, a practical religious pluralism prevailed. How, then, did one Deity come to dominate the politics and piety of the late Roman Empire? In ‘Ancient Christianities,’ Paula Fredriksen traces the evolution of early Christianity, or rather, of...
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Introduction to Jainism Parts 1 & 2
As Christianity began as a sect of Judaism, Jainism was once considered a branch of Hinduism. These religions continue to share a great deal of theology, history and ritual. Yet, Jains do most often claim an identity separate from Hindus. In this episode Fred speaks with Monica Shah, Director of...
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The Worldwide Pew Research Survey on Religions Parts 1 & 2
n 2024 Programs Podcast Topics Schedule Community Calendar Contact Common Threads Pew Research Center Religious survey By Fred Stella Published June 30, 2025 at 8:54 AM EDT Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Print Jonathan Evans David Hills / Courtesy Pew Research Center Jonathan Evans Fred Stella...
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Defending Democracy from Its Christian Enemies Parts 1, 2 & 3
American democracy is in danger. How do we protect it from authoritarian reactionary Christianity? On January 6, 2021, hundreds of Americans stormed the Capitol to prevent the certification of their political opponent’s election. At the forefront were Christians claiming to act in the name of…
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Yogalands Parts 1 & 2
Millions of people practice yoga, attracted to the mat by its promise of physical and mental benefits, social connection, and spiritual nourishment. Promoted as a way of healing the body and mind from wounds inflicted by the world, modern yoga may be a critique of the social order – an…
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Creating Jesus: The Earliest Record of Yeshua of Nazareth Parts 1 & 2
Creating Jesus is a book for general readers on the Gospel of Mark as the earliest surviving witness of the life of Yeshua ("Jesus" in Aramaic) of Nazareth. Dennis Kennedy applies his expertise in literary and performance studies to examining Mark as a literary and historical document and…
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Life With Ghosts Parts 1 & 2
Science is studying ghosts? Really? In Life with Ghosts, a documentary film festival winner, a widow suffering prolonged grief agrees to participate in a research study that aims to reconnect bereaved survivors with their departed loved ones. The process is known as Induced After-Death...
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Terran Judaism: A 21st Century Version of Ancient Wisdom Parts 1 & 2
Alex Duensing, founder of Terran Judaism, joins us Most non-Jews who have any familiarity with Judaism will tell you there are 3 specific movements within the religion: Orthodox, Conservative & Reform. But there are several more. And now a new one has entered the arena: Terran Judaism. The word...
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Weird Catholic Handbook Parts 1 & 2
If they only taught this in Religion classes! I promise students would be way more engaged. In these episodes we dive into the fascinating and overlooked aspects of the Catholic faith with Michael Lichens, the author of The Weird Catholic Handbook. We’ll examine peculiar and intriguing elements…
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Ghosted: A Story of Excommunication Parts 1 & 2
No matter how some people try to deny it, we humans are very tribal. And for the most part, that can be a good thing if we will forego any sense of tribal superiority. So if one is excommunicated from a tribe the mental and spiritual toll can be significant. In her book ‘Ghosted’ Nancy French...
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Who Are the Alawites? Parts 1 & 2
With the exile of Syria's Bashar Al-Assad recently, much interest has been focused on the sect of Islam of which he was a member. However, there are some who claim that the denomination known as Alawite is not Islam at all, but a heretical break-off sect. To understand this somewhat intricate...
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Job in Wonderland Parts 1 & 2
Our guest is Ryan Armstrong, author of The Book of Job in Wonderland Of all of the great works of literature that might be compared, the idea of setting the text of the Book of Job next to the 19th century classic Alice in Wonderland probably doesn't come to mind. But Religious Studies professor...
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The Midrash Tradition Parts 1 & 2
One of the most imaginative traditions in Judaism is called "Midrash." While the word is used in a few different ways, in this episode we are referring to that practice of taking biblical stories and "filling in the blanks" with imagined conversations, prequels and sequels. For instance, what…
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Pierre Teilhard de Chardin Parts 1 & 2
In this episode we discuss a new film biography of Fr. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin with its producer/director Frank Frost. This remarkable man was a paleontologist and visionary French Jesuit priest. His lifelong effort to reframe his beliefs in the light of evolution led to a paradigm shift in…
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Hindu Catholic Scholar Priest: A Love Story Parts 1 & 2
Today we discuss the autobiography that traces Francis X. Clooney's intellectual and spiritual journey from middle-class American Catholicism to a lifelong study of Hinduism. It explains how he came to fashion comparative theology as a way of learning interreligiously that is boldly intellectual...
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Honest to God Parts 1 & 2
In his new book Honest to God, Rev. John Hamilton provides us with an intimate look at the spiritual journey of an individual who has experienced life from many corners. From the carefree life of a rock n' roll musician, to a "Madmen" style of life on Madison Avenue to being ordained in the…
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Trad Catholics and Christian Nationalism
Dr. Lauren Horn Griffin discusses White Christian Nationalism and so-called "Trad Catholic Men" With the current election in the rear-view mirror now, the pundits are now piecing together what worked for one candidate and didn't for the other. One element that played large in the campaign is the...
About this show
Rated as the #1 podcast on all matters interfaith by Feedspot (https://blog.feedspot.com/interfaith_podcasts/), this is a weekly program that airs on Michigan NPR affiliates WGVU and WGVK. These 2 stations cover the entire western portion of the state. The show is hosted by Fred Stella, President of Interfaith Dialogue Association, an affiliate of Kaufman Interfaith Institute, which operates out of Grand Valley State University, the license holder of both stations.Each week Fred invites clerics, authors, activists and the occasional mystic into conversation about the role of spirituality and religion in politics, world affairs, societies and individuals. The parameters are quite wide.Besides his passion for all things transcendent, Fred Stella has an extensive resume in the world of media. Since his graduation from college Fred has worked in multiple radio formats, including news/talk, where he developed his skills in the art of the interview. He also has extensive experience in TV,
Hosted by
Fred Stella, Kaufman Interfaith Institute, WGVU-FM, Interfaith Dialogue Association, Grand Valley State University
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