Religion and Spirituality (Audio)

Political philosopher and Harvard professor Michael Sandel talks about his latest book, "The Tyranny of Merit: Can We Find the Common Good?" Sandel reflects deeply on the fundamental moral principles behind our political institutions and democratic society. His books on justice, democracy, ethics, and markets have been translated into more than 30 languages. He has been described as “a rock star moralist” and “the world’s most influential living philosopher.” Series: "Burke Lectureship on Religion and Society" [Humanities] [Show ID: 38718]

Cornel West, Ph.D., is a prominent and provocative intellectual. He is Dietrich Bonhoeffer Chair at Union Theological Seminary and has written 20 books and edited 13. He's best known for his classics, "Race Matters and Democracy Matters," and for his memoir, "Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud." His most recent book, "Black Prophetic Fire," offers an unflinching look at nineteenth- and twentieth-century African American leaders and their visionary legacies. As part of the annual Writer's Symposium by the Sea, director of Point Loma Nazarene University's journalism program Dean Nelson has an engaging and inspiring conversation with West about his lifelong work as a theologian, civil rights activist and author. Series: "Writer's Symposium By The Sea" [Humanities] [Show ID: 37097]

Jesuit priest and editor at large of America Magazine, Father James Martin, SJ, talks about his personal journey ministering to the LGBTQ community. For Martin, working with people on the margins, walking with the excluded, has always been part of his Jesuit life. Early in his career, he began writing about the LGBTQ community because he felt these were people in the church who had very few people to advocate for them. Then, after the 2016 nightclub massacre in Florida, he was deeply concerned about the lack of public support from Catholic bishops which inspired him to write a book, “Building a Bridge,” emphasizing the simple but life-changing tenets of respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Martin is the best-selling author of “Jesus: A Pilgrimage, The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything” and “Learning to Pray.” He has written for many publications, including the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, and he is a regular commentator in the national and international media. Series: "Burke Lectureship on Religion and Society" [Humanities] [Show ID: 37861]

David Beckmann reviews what we've learned from the Poverty, God & Politics series, talks about the students in his UC Berkeley class, and thanks the people—about 3,000 a week—who have watched webcasts and read the companion blog posts. He stresses the importance of advocacy with Congress this year and active participation in next year's elections. Series: "The Goldman School - Berkeley Public Policy" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 36998]

Eugene Cho, president of Bread for the World, explains how this nationwide Christian citizens' movement repeatedly wins large-scale change for people struggling with hunger in this country and around the world. He concludes with Bread's current campaign to strengthen U.S. support for progress against child malnutrition worldwide.  Eugene is introduced by David Beckmann, who served as president until a year ago. These two leaders are different in many ways and Eugene is leading Bread for the World in new directions. But they are clearly united in faith and in deep appreciation for the people and congregations across the country who persistently urge their members of Congress to help hungry people. Eugene spoke to David's class in March 2021, an intense period of anti-Asian hate crimes. Series: "The Goldman School - Berkeley Public Policy" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 36997]

John Carr provides a witty and incisive assessment of the liabilities and strengths of the Catholic community and its role in the politics of poverty. Its strengths include the leadership of Pope Francis and the rich tradition of Catholic social teaching. Carr is director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Teaching and Public Life at Georgetown University. Their educational programs are influential among Catholics in the United States and extend to thousands of people around the world. John previously served for more than two decades as director of the department that works on issues of peace, justice, and international development for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. John and David Beckmann have worked together for many years and are close friends. Series: "The Goldman School - Berkeley Public Policy" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 36996]

Many faith bodies and faith-related groups organize legislative advocacy. Amy Reumann, director of Witness and Society for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), explains how the ELCA's legislative advocacy is rooted in faith and theology, collective study of policy concerns, and ELCA ministries at the local, national, and international levels. The ELCA, its churches, and people are active in advocacy with state governments, the United Nations, and corporations as well as with the federal government. Whenever possible, they bring powerful decision-makers into conversations with the people and organizations that the ELCA and its people know through their on-the-ground ministries—homeless people, for example, or local churches in Central America. ELCA congregations bring people from all across the political spectrum together in worship, fellowship, and study. Series: "The Goldman School - Berkeley Public Policy" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 36994]

Anna Eng, a senior organizer for the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF), explains from experience how faith-based community organizing works. David Beckmann argues that the faith-based community organizing movement has contributed to increasing political participation among low-income Americans. He also talks about the Poor People's Campaign and the positive impact of social media. Series: "The Goldman School - Berkeley Public Policy" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 36993]

Galen Carey, Vice President for Government Relations for the National Association of Evangelicals, explains the Evangelical movement, its ministries to people in poverty, and its relationship to politics. Then David Beckmann probes how it's possible that most White Christians, including a large majority of White Evangelicals, voted repeatedly for Donald Trump. Series: "The Goldman School - Berkeley Public Policy" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 36992]

Eric Sapp, a pioneer in the use of digital communications for good purposes, explains uses of digital technology to repair the divide between the Democratic Party and many faith-based voters, to communicate with vaccine-hesitant people, and to counter Russian digital propaganda. He stresses the importance of really listening to people. Series: "The Goldman School - Berkeley Public Policy" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 36991]

A gene drive is a targeted contagion intended to spread within species, forever altering the offspring. Gene drive enthusiasts say they could wipe out malaria, saving more than half a million lives each year. As yet, no CRISPR gene drive has been released in the wild — few have even been built. Laurie Zoloth of the University of Chicago explores the ethical questions about genes designed to spread through populations and alter ecosystems, and their unforeseen consequences. Series: "Burke Lectureship on Religion and Society" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 34183]

Author, Tova Mirvis reads from her memoir, The Book of Separation, which describes a woman who leaves her Orthodox Jewish faith and her marriage and sets out to navigate the terrifying, liberating terrain of a newly mapless world. She is the author of three novels and her essays have appeared in various anthologies and newspapers. Series: "Taubman Symposia in Jewish Studies" [Humanities] [Show ID: 34065]

Bashar Matti Warda, a Chaldean Catholic cleric and the current Archbishop of Erbil, speaks on the role that the Christians of northern Iraq are playing in removing ISIS and fostering peace and forgiveness in this long-troubled region. Archbishop Warda is presented by the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice at the University of San Diego. Series: "Peace exChange -- Kroc School of Peace Studies, University of San Diego" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 31463]

One of the few constants throughout Jewish history is that Jewish identity has never been simple, and the answer to the question of “Who is a Jew?” – far from clear-cut. Rabbi Donniel Hartman, President of the Shalom Hartman Institute in Israel, says that at key moments over the last 3,000 years, Jews have reinvented or reimagined themselves in the context of their unique reality. Due to the cultural, historical, and psychological transformations that have taken place in the 20th and 21st centuries, this identity is once again at a crossroads. He explores how individual and collective identities throughout the millennia have been understood; how these earlier conceptions shape our understanding of who we are now and who we ought to be in the 21st century. Series: "Taubman Symposia in Jewish Studies" [Humanities] [Show ID: 31308]

Back in 2005, Thomas J. Reese -- who is both a distinguished journalist and a Roman Catholic priest -- lost his job as the editor-in-chief of a leading Jesuit magazine after the Vatican concluded that under his leadership the publication was too often running afoul of official Church doctrine. But that, of course, was before Pope Francis came along who over the last three years has inspired a whole new generation of reform-minded Catholics. In this edition of "Up Next," Reese ponders both the future of his church and the challenges that this 79-year-old pope now faces. Series: "Up Next: Perspectives on the Future of Everything" [Humanities] [Show ID: 31478]

Twenty years after the tragic death of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Yoram Peri reflects upon his life as politician, statesman and general, his dedication to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, his leadership in signing the Oslo Accords, and his assassination by a right-wing Jewish extremist. Rabin’s deeply contested legacy – hero versus traitor – reflects the mounting cultural war between liberal, secular Israelis who place great emphasis on Western, democratic values and religious Israelis who believe the Torah and traditional values should guide everyday life. Series: "Taubman Symposia in Jewish Studies" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 30268]

Dr. Carter is Associate Professor of Systematic Theology and Black Church Studies at Duke Divinity School. Prof. Carter teaches courses in both theology and black church studies. His research focuses on issues of race and religion in modern American life. Dr. Carter’s book is entitled Race: A Theological Account, published by Oxford University Press in 2008. Series: "Burke Lectureship on Religion and Society" [Humanities] [Show ID: 29972]

Robert Pogue Harrison is the chairman of the Department of French and Italian at Stanford University, and the author of several critically acclaimed books, including "The Dominion of the Dead," which examines the complicated ways that the living relate to the dead. In this edition of "Up Next," Harrison discusses the declining fortunes of the dead in modern society and what that decline says about our future. Series: "Up Next: Perspectives on the Future of Everything" [Humanities] [Show ID: 30068]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Jan Assmann, Honorary Professor of Cultural and Religious Studies at the University of Constance, for a discussion of his career as a Egyptologist and scholar of comparative religions. After reflections on his formative years in a German medieval town suffering from the ravages of World War II and its aftermath, Assmann describes the community of Egyptologists and the intellectual influences that shaped his scholarship. He also characterizes the intellectual joys and hardships of field research in ancient tombs. Finally, he touches on some of the themes of his scholarship including the evolution of ideas that characterize religious change; comparison of Moses and Akhenaten; and the importance of writing, canonization, and exegesis to cultural memory and the resilience and survival of religions. Series: "Conversations with History" [Humanities] [Show ID: 30173]

Leon Wieseltier discusses the remarks he made at an international conference on “Zionism in the 21st Century: Contemporary Perspectives From and About Israel” that had brought together many scholars to discuss the topic. Series: "Taubman Symposia in Jewish Studies" [Humanities] [Show ID: 30024]

Out of all the figures in the Bible, David is one of the most perplexing and enigmatic. Rabbi David Wolpe takes a fresh look at the biblical David in an attempt to find coherence in his seemingly contradictory actions and impulses. David Wolpe, Rabbi of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, California is the author of national best-sellers such as “Why Faith Matters” and “Making Loss Matter: Creating Meaning in Difficult Times.” Series: "Taubman Symposia in Jewish Studies" [Humanities] [Show ID: 29249]

Richard Gaillardetz is an American theologian specializing in questions relating to Catholic ecclesiology and the structures of authority in the Roman Catholic Church. In 2000 Dr. Gaillardetz received the Sophia Award from the faculty of the Washington Theological Union in recognition of “theological excellence in service to ministry,” and he has received numerous awards from the Catholic Press Association for his occasional pieces. He is currently the Joseph Professor of Catholic Systematic Theology at Boston College. Series: "Burke Lectureship on Religion and Society" [Humanities] [Show ID: 28828]

Peter Brown is the Rollins Professor of History Emeritus at Princeton and the leading historian of the early history of Christianity in late antiquity. His Burke Lecture, "Constantine, Eusebius, and the Future of Christianity," delves, with surprising results, into the thinking of the first Christian Roman emperor and his theological advisor on how church and state should relate. Series: "Burke Lectureship on Religion and Society" [Humanities] [Show ID: 28510]

How can Jewish ideals of the prophetic tradition be applied through tikkun olam, “perfecting the world,” to the active pursuit of peace and justice? Rabbi David Saperstein discusses the origin of the prophetic tradition in Jewish thought and its role in Jewish history. Series: "Taubman Symposia in Jewish Studies" [Humanities] [Show ID: 18190]

David Makovsky, Senior Fellow and Director of the Washington Institute’s Project on Middle East Peace and Ghaith al-Omari, previously Senior Advisor to former Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas and currently Advocacy Director for the American Task Force on Palestine discuss path to Middle East peace. Series: "Taubman Symposia in Jewish Studies" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 17555]

In the period between 1150 and 1550 a number of Christians in western Europe made pilgrimage to places where material objects - among them paintings, statues, relics, pieces of wood, earth, stones, and Eucharistic wafers - allegedly erupted into life by such activities as bleeding, weeping, and walking about. Carole Walker Bynum, Professor of Western European Middle Ages at the Institute for Advanced Studies, describes the miracles themselves and probes the basic philosophical and scientific assumptions about nature and matter that lay behind them. Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures" [Humanities] [Show ID: 17620]

Harry Kreisler welcomes Rich Cohen, contributing editor at Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone, to discuss his book “Israel is Real.” Cohen explores the changing conception of a homeland for Jews in the Diaspora, the theme of his new book, and explains how Jews turned the loss of the real Zion to a focus on an ideal Zion that would be realized in an unknown future. He traces the rise of the Zionist movement and the ways in which the establishment of the State of Israel created tension between Jews for whom Zion was a virtual vision and Jews in Israel for whom Zion had become a real state with concerns for security and land. Series: "Conversations with History" [Humanities] [Show ID: 17870]

San Diego Deputy District Attorney Jane Via returns to Osher UCSD to recount what has happened to her in the three years since she was ordained as a Roman Catholic woman priest. Series: "Osher UC San Diego Distinguished Lecture Series" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 16595]

Who is most beloved by God? Monotheists have often advanced the idea that their relationship with God is unique and superior to all others. Rabbi Reuven Firestone explores the idea of "chosenness" as articulated through the scriptures of the three major monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Series: "Taubman Symposia in Jewish Studies" [Humanities] [Show ID: 16030]

Conversations with History host Harry Kreisler welcomes the Carnegie Endowment's Karim Sadjadpour for a discussion of U.S.-Iran relations. Topics covered include: the recent Iranian elections, the divisions with the clerical power structure shaping the domestic political conflict, the Iranian nuclear program, the role of the Revolutionary Guards, Iran's strategic goals, its aims in negotiations with the U.S., the implications of the new U.S. policy of engagement, the role of Israel in shaping U.S. Iranian relations, and the dilemmas the Obama administration faces as it shapes a new U.S. foreign policy. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 17429]

What are the most salient and significant features of the current offensive directed against the State of Israel and Jewish communities around the world? Robert Wistrich, Director of the Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, examined key facets of the challenge and danger that emanates from the new anti-Semitism, including its connections with the global Jihad. He also explored some possible responses and strategies in dealing with this threat. Series: "Taubman Symposia in Jewish Studies" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 16029]

Authors Robert Thurman and Pico Iyer reflect on the Dalai Lama's ideas and work as a religious leader, politician, scientist, and philosopher. Series: "Voices" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 16536]

Brian McLaren, author of the groundbreaking “Everything Must Change,” again shows his penchant for challenging conventional thinking about faith and religion in this interview with host Dean Nelson as part of the 2009 Writer’s Symposium by the Sea, sponsored by Point Loma Nazarene University. Series: "Writer's Symposium By The Sea" [Humanities] [Show ID: 15700]

Gregory Schopen, chair of the UCLA Department of Asian Languages and Cultures and an authority on ancient Indian Buddhism has been separating Buddhist fact from fiction for the past 30 years. In this UCLA Faculty Research Lecture, Schopen explores the Buddha as an astute businessman, economist and lawyer Series: "UCLA Faculty Research Lectures" [Humanities] [Business] [Show ID: 16444]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Harvard's Jocelyn Cesari for a discussion of the subtle and complex changes transforming Islam practice and thinking as Muslims live and work in the West. Topics covered include: Muslim women, the changes in religious practices, sharia and Western courts, the emergence of moderate voices, and political factors affecting Western perceptions of Islam. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 15783]

Talal Asad is a socio-cultural anthropologist, renowned for his contributions and research on the phenomenon of religion and secularism, and the religious revival in the Middle East. He discusses the attempts to define religion, the shifting place of "belief" in that endeavor, and some of its implications for politics. Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 15122]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Professor Talal Asad who reflects on his life and work as an anthropologist focusing on religion, modernity, and the complex relationships between Islam and the West. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 15444]

In partnership with several Italian scholars, UCSB’s department of religious studies gathered experts to discuss the way religious thought intersects with political legislation and action, particularly in the realm of sexuality. On this installment of “Church, Sex, and the Public Sphere: Italy and the United States,” Elizabeth Oldmixon, Assistant Professor of Political Science, North Texas University, explores the policy of sexual ethics. Series: "Voices" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 15376]

Bart Ehrman is renowned for his contributions to the field of religious studies, focusing on New Testament interpretation and the history of ancient Christianity in the first three centuries AD. Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures" [Humanities] [Show ID: 14693]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes biblical scholar Bart Ehrman for a discussion of his intellectual odyssey with a focus on how the Bible explains the problem of human suffering. The conversation includes a discussion of the challenges of biblical interpretation when confronting this age old problem of the human condition. Included are topics such as the contribution of the prophets, a comparison of the old and new testaments, the book of Job, and the emergence of apocalyptic writers. Series: "Conversations with History" [Humanities] [Show ID: 14669]

UCLA Professor Abou El Fadl is a major contemporary Islamic thinker, a strong supporter of human rights, and America’s leading authority on Islamic law, who works to bring about constructive transformations in Muslim political theology. Series: "Burke Lectureship on Religion and Society" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 14332]

A distinguished scholar of Buddhism, Lewis Lancaster founded the Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative to use the latest computer technology to map the spread of various strands of Buddhism from the distant past to the present. Series: "Burke Lectureship on Religion and Society" [Humanities] [Show ID: 14331]

Experiences in which the senses are intermingled in usual ways are a common motif in the descriptions that mystics provide of their unordinary sensory experiences. The panelists discuss the role that such experiences have played in the thought and practice of selected figures in the Jewish, Islamic, and Christian mystical traditions. Series: "Humanitas" [Humanities] [Show ID: 13192]

Author Philip Yancey explores the influence of faith and spirit on his writing in this interview with Dean Nelson of Point Loma Nazarene University. Series: "Writer's Symposium By The Sea" [Humanities] [Show ID: 13985]

Dr. Rosemary Reuther approaches religious and ethical questions as an historian of ideas in their social context, but also as a practitioner of what she calls “advocacy scholarship.” In this Burke Lecture, Dr. Reuther examines how the idea that the US is an elect and messianic nation has encouraged abuses against the rights of others, both foreign and domestic. Series: "Burke Lectureship on Religion and Society" [Humanities] [Show ID: 14225]

Conversations with History host Harry Kreisler welcomes Professor Fawaz A. Gerges for a discussion on the origins, evolution and future direction of Islamic militancy. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 13466]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Berkeley Professor Yuri Slezkine for a discussion of the Jewish odyssey in the 20th century. His comparative analysis focuses on the similarity of the Jews to other "Mercurians" and provides new insight into understanding the paths the Jews took amidst the chaos of the last century. Series: "Conversations with History" [Humanities] [Show ID: 13297]

Join Tom Levy, UCSD Professor of Archaeology on a journey from the largest pre-biblical copper factory in the Middle East, to present-day India where the lost-wax process is still practiced by hereditary bronze casters. [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 13190]

Afif Safieh, scholar, diplomat and head of the Palestine Liberation Organization's mission to the United States, is joined by a panel consisting of Rabbi Arthur Gross-Schaefer, Hilal Elver and Stanley Roden for a discussion involving the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestine. Series: "Voices" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 13168]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes writer/critic Mark Steyn, the 2007 Nimitz Lecturer at Berkeley. Focusing on his new book, "America Alone: The End of the World As We Know It," they discuss Europe and America's relations with the Islamic world. In the interview, their conversation also focuses on the craft of writing in a multi media globalized world. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 12599]