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Crossing Faiths

Crossing Faiths

John Pinna and Elliot Toman

Crossing Faiths is a podcast where people from diverse religious backgrounds openly discuss everything you're NOT supposed to discuss at the dinner table. Join hosts Jt Pinna, a career national security, international affairs, and D.C. insider, and Elliot Toman, a former media director in the Evangelical church, as they engage in lively conversations about the impact of faith on current events. Crossing Faiths also welcomes guests from various religious and experiential backgrounds to share their insights. The podcast was initially developed in collaboration with Matt Hawkins, a former policy director for the Southern Baptist Convention. Their conversations are built on a decade of collaboration, advocating in Washington, D.C., for religious freedom domestically and globally. The two developed the podcast to share conversations that model friendship and cooperation despite profound differences in religion and background. The podcast has reached almost 3 million multi-faith listeners, 83% millennials.
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Top 10 Crossing Faiths Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Crossing Faiths episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Crossing Faiths for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Crossing Faiths episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Robert Nicholson, president of The Philos Project, joins the show to talk about his article, "Islam is Different—and That’s Okay." Excerpts:

Islam is not Christianity; the Middle East is not the West. We share some things, yes, but there is no obvious reason why we should want to be the same. There is, in fact, a strong argument that pretended similarities will only frustrate real coexistence.

The argument is simple: Islam is not Hebraic because it makes no place for the Hebrew Bible. The three religions also lack a common discourse because they do not share a common text. The degree to which America was inspired by Hebraic sources is directly proportional to America’s cultural disconnect from the Islamic world.

As a Muslim, John both appreciated the article and wanted to challenge some of the points. Listen in and tell us what you think!

Special Guest: Robert Nicholson.

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Crossing Faiths - 131: Jack Jewell - Part 3
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08/26/24 • 78 min

In this podcast interview, John Pinna and Jack Jewell discuss several controversial topics related to gender, sexuality, and religion. They begin by analyzing the opening ceremony of the Olympics, which they view as promoting a "woke agenda" and queer aesthetics. The conversation then shifts to the issue of transgender athletes competing in women's sports, focusing on a specific boxing match that raised concerns about fairness and safety. Jewell provides insights into the complexities of intersex conditions and critiques what he sees as the overreach of transgender activism. The discussion also touches on religious freedom, particularly in Muslim-majority countries, with Pinna sharing his experiences in advocating for minority rights within Islamic contexts. Throughout the interview, both speakers express skepticism towards certain progressive ideologies and policies, while attempting to navigate complex cultural and religious issues.

Jack Jewell is an Irish man living in London and an independent political commentator on YouTube. He creates entertaining video essays, reaction videos, and also hosts his own podcast - The Jack Jewell Podcast - where he discusses current issues as well as interviewing guests in long form. Jack primarily focuses on social and cultural issues. He regularly promotes freedom of speech, condemns cancel culture, and critiques the rise of ‘wokeism,’ - sharing his opinions on how these issues are impacting Western society, particularly gay people.

Special Guest: Jack Jewell.

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Crossing Faiths - 131: Jack Jewell - Part 1
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08/26/24 • 70 min

In this interview, John Pinna and Jack Jewell discuss the complex and often contentious issues surrounding queer theory, LGBTQ+ identity, and the politicization of sexuality. Jewell, a gay man, critiques what he sees as the ideological capture of LGBTQ+ activism by queer theory and gender identity politics. He argues that these movements have strayed from earlier goals of equality and acceptance, instead promoting divisive ideas that alienate many gay people. The conversation touches on the parallels between queer theory and religious ideologies, the medicalization of transgender identities, and the challenges faced by those who dissent from mainstream LGBTQ+ narratives. Jewell expresses concern about the impact of these ideologies on children and the erosion of women's spaces. Throughout, Pinna draws comparisons to his experiences with religious extremism and identity politics in Islam, highlighting the similarities in how ideologies can co-opt and divide communities.

Jack Jewell is an Irish man living in London and an independent political commentator on YouTube. He creates entertaining video essays, reaction videos, and also hosts his own podcast - The Jack Jewell Podcast - where he discusses current issues as well as interviewing guests in long form. Jack primarily focuses on social and cultural issues. He regularly promotes freedom of speech, condemns cancel culture, and critiques the rise of ‘wokeism,’ - sharing his opinions on how these issues are impacting Western society, particularly gay people.

Special Guest: Jack Jewell.

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Crossing Faiths - 112: 112: Lou Ann Sabatier
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03/25/24 • 53 min

In this interview, John Pinna and Lou Ann Sabatier discuss the importance of effective storytelling, particularly in the context of advocating for international religious freedom and persecuted communities. They explore the challenges facing journalists and content creators in an evolving media landscape, emphasizing the need for strategic, intentional storytelling that resonates with audiences and drives change. Sabatier shares her "F.R.A.M.E.S." framework for crafting compelling narratives, highlighting the importance of framing issues, reframing for common ground, understanding the audience, crafting a clear message, and evoking emotion respectfully. They also delve into the role of data, verification, and trust in storytelling, as well as the need for collaboration among advocates to amplify marginalized voices effectively.

https://sabatierconsulting.com
https://forbwomen.org/

Special Guest: Lou Ann Sabatier.

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Crossing Faiths - Minhdao Le: Vietnam and the Cao Dai Religion
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03/19/24 • 88 min

Minhdao Le is a third-generation practitioner of Cao Dai, a religious belief system from Vietnam. In this interview, Minhdao provides some insight into the beliefs of Cao Dai, and brings attention to what he describes as a communist government-led usurping of the religion that took place when the government officially "recognized" Cao Dai in 1997.

"THE CAO DAI RELIGION VS. ITS IMPOSTOR"
https://vnforb.org/the-real-cao-dai-1/

Special Guest: Minhdao Le.

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Crossing Faiths - 104: Adjudicating Islamic Law for Muslim Americans
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01/29/24 • 55 min

John Pinna interviews Sayyid M.B. Kashmiri, who represents the Grand Ayatollah Sistani in America. They discuss Sayyid's family lineage tracing back to Prophet Muhammad; his experience migrating from Iraq to Iran, Lebanon, and finally the U.S.; and his role leading the Imam Mahdi Association, which serves as Sistani's representative entity in North America. Sayyid explains key aspects of Shi'a Islamic law and practice such as the concept of jurists who interpret religious rulings. He highlights projects the Association is currently implementing to meet the needs of Shi'a Muslim Americans across different domains. Sayyid also shares perspectives on the dignity and value of human life in Islam, grounded in Qur'anic principles about honoring the children of Adam and bearing the attributes of God through one's character and conduct in the world.

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Crossing Faiths - 98: 98: The Technology of Religion
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01/01/24 • 81 min

John and Elliot have a wide-ranging conversation touching on technology, cultural change, politics, education, immigration, religion, and more. They discuss how modern cars and devices constantly "ping" people with notifications and alerts, creating a sense of anxiety, versus the simplicity yet risk of vintage vehicles. This leads into a dialogue about rapid technological advances, like AI, transforming societies and economies faster than institutions and mindsets can adapt. They debate controversial political issues like immigration and cultural integration in Europe. Looking through a historical lens, they conclude that change is inevitable, but healthy cultures openly negotiate to balance preserving identity with pragmatically incorporating outsiders. Ultimately, they see religion and technology as parallel tools for bringing order and meaning to human lives amidst chaos.

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Crossing Faiths - 96: The Candy Cane Conspiracy
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12/18/23 • 65 min

The conversation starts with John finding some Christian pamphlets called "The Candy Cane Story" that were left at his business. He asks Elliot if he's familiar with the religious symbolism ascribed to candy canes. Elliot says he is, so John has him read through the pamphlet, which suggests candy canes were invented by a candy maker to be a Christian symbol. They look up the actual history and determine this story is likely false propaganda.

This leads to a broader discussion about religious persecution and evangelism. John shares his expertise in evaluating data on global religious persecution. He critiques common anecdotal claims of persecution. Elliot discusses patterns in Christian evangelism. They talk about how some religious groups assert cultural ownership over traditions and symbols.

The conversation explores Christian nationalism, secularization of Christmas, Muslim views on celebrating Christmas, living as a religious minority, and more. They poke fun at some religious ideas but also seek nuance regarding respecting different faiths.

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Crossing Faiths - 84: Double Standards for Muslims?
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09/15/23 • 65 min

In this episode, John Pina and Elliot Toman discuss the nuances of cultural integration for Muslims in the Western World.

Support this podcast via Patreon.

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FAQ

How many episodes does Crossing Faiths have?

Crossing Faiths currently has 149 episodes available.

What topics does Crossing Faiths cover?

The podcast is about News, Islam, Christianity, Politics Podcast, Faith, Inclusion, Evangelical, Religion & Spirituality, News Commentary, Podcasts, Muslim, Religion, Christian Podcast, Diversity, Bible, Politics and Life.

What is the most popular episode on Crossing Faiths?

The episode title '118: Breaking Cycles of Genocide: Rachel Miner, Bellwether International' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Crossing Faiths?

The average episode length on Crossing Faiths is 53 minutes.

How often are episodes of Crossing Faiths released?

Episodes of Crossing Faiths are typically released every 7 days.

When was the first episode of Crossing Faiths?

The first episode of Crossing Faiths was released on Jun 5, 2019.

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