State of Belief - Religion and radio done differently.

There are desperate needs in this world that religion and interfaith coalitions can address in uniquely effective ways. And a leading expert on the intersection of religion, development and peace joins host Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush on this week’s State of Belief, Interfaith Alliance’s weekly radio program and podcast.

Dr. Katherine Marshall is Senior Fellow at Georgetown University’s Berkeley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, and leads the center’s work on religion and global development. She’s also a professor of the practice of development, conflict, and religion in the Walsh School of Foreign Service. Katherine serves as executive director of the World’s Faith Development Dialogue, and is a member of the Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid at the U.S. Agency for International Development. She was a World Bank officer from 1971 to 2006 where she led the Faith and Ethics Initiative between 2000 and 2006.

To say that Katherine’s five decades of leadership equips her with unique insights is an understatement. From pioneering work to include women’s voices, to addressing the sensitive topic of development dollars influencing NGOs, to what’s the same and what’s different about the challenges faced by communities in far-flung parts of the world, her conversation with Paul offers both food for thought, and inspiration for getting involved.

State of Belief has a new home and is being distributed via the Religion News Service family of podcasts. Be sure to subscribe to the next generation of State of Belief today via Apple, Spotify, Amazon, or at http://www.stateofbelief.com/newpodcast.

The post September 2, 2023 – What Good Religion Can Do With Katherine Marshall first appeared on State of Belief.

What insights essential for today’s divided America can be found in the timeless writing of the great James Baldwin? And what recent developments in religion news are likely to resonate throughout our culture, in faith and secular areas alike? On this week’s State of Belief, the weekly radio program and podcast from Interfaith Alliance, host Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush addresses both of these topics.

The great American writer James Baldwin passed away 36 years ago. But his seminal works – as well as his unvarnished social commentary – continue to inspire readers and admirers today. And his message of an unlikely but possible true bridging of racial divides in this country is but one of the prophetic calls included in Prof. Greg Garrett‘s new book, The Gospel According to James Baldwin. A longtime professor at Baylor University, Greg has spent years following Baldwin – metaphorically and physically – to discover some of the reasons he sees his subject as “A prophet of humanity.”

Religion News Service is the leading nonprofit, nonsectarian journalistic enterprise in the United States focusing on religion, and the ways faith influences every part of our society and culture. Award-winning journalists Adelle Banks, projects editor and national reporter, and Jack Jenkins, national reporter and author of the book American Prophets: The Religious Roots of Progressive Politics and the Ongoing Fight for the Soul of the Country, are back on State of Belief to review some stories from the summer some of us may have missed, and preview what they expect will hold the spotlight in the coming few months.

To expand our reach, State of Belief is now being distributed via the Religion News Service family of podcasts. Be sure to subscribe to the next generation of State of Belief today via Apple, Spotify, Amazon, or at http://www.stateofbelief.com/newpodcast.

The post September 23, 2023 – The Gospel According to James Baldwin with author Greg Garrett first appeared on State of Belief.

Religion and politics often collide in unpredictable ways, and the common view that these issues are black and white could not be further from the truth. Behind every headline is a story that sheds light on the diversity, contradictions, and complexities of faith in America today. This week on State of Belief, Interfaith Alliance’s weekly radio show and podcast, we’ll dive into the forces shaping religion in public life at the macro and micro level.

When the Religious Right wages the culture war in public, the narrative often overlooks the very real impact these attacks have on vulnerable people across the nation. For families – even conservative families – these issues are deeply personal and painful. Hillary Whittington, an advocate for supporting transgender children in a faithful Christian context – will join Rabbi Jack Moline, filling in for State of Belief host Rev. Welton Gaddy, to discuss their family’s story as shared in the book, Raising Ryland: Our Story of Parenting a Transgender Child with No Strings Attached.

As we mark five years since the deadly neo-Nazi march in Charlottesville, we continue to see antisemitism rearing its ugly head in America. But increasingly – and alarmingly – white nationalists are collaborating across borders. Megan Black from the Western States Center, an organization at the forefront of combating hate and bigotry, will sit down with Jack to discuss the international nature of antisemitic and white nationalist movements.

Listeners of State of Belief have undoubtedly felt Welton’s absence on the airwaves over the past weeks, and the outpouring of concern from many of you has been touching. This week, we’re so glad to have Welton back on the show alongside Jack to provide an update.

State of Belief is made possible in great part by the generous support of our listeners. Please consider making a donation to help keep us on the air at this critical time. Details can be found at our donations page here.

The post August 20, 2022 – The Intricacies of Faith in America first appeared on State of Belief.

It’s a historic week in our nation’s capital, with Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson poised to be the first Black woman to serve as a Supreme Court justice. While many have enthusiastically embraced her nomination, some on the right continue to launch bad-faith attacks – including questioning her faith as a matter of judicial fitness. This week on State of Belief, Interfaith Alliance’s weekly radio show and podcast, we will discuss those manipulating religion for political gain – and those fighting back against this movement.

Every person deserves the right to make decisions about their health in accordance with their beliefs and values – not those of their legislature. So in a place like Texas that prides itself on rugged individualism, why are legislators forcing their religious beliefs on families across the state? The Rev. Dr. Daniel Kanter, senior minister and CEO of First Unitarian Church of Dallas, will join Rev. Welton Gaddy, host of State of Belief, to discuss the faithful opposition to anti-choice laws in Texas – including physically accompanying women across state lines for necessary heath care.

Amid the chaos of a pandemic and the fracturing of our democracy, it is difficult not to long for strong, moral leadership – something that often seems in short supply. Welton will sit down with award-winning documentary filmmaker Martin Doblmeier to discuss his new series Prophetic Voices, which highlights five icons whose leadership continues to guide us today.

The season of Lent and Easter is the holiest time on the Christian calendar. Rev. Marian Edmonds-Allen, executive director of Parity, a nonprofit healing divisions at the intersection of religion and LGBTQ+ identity, works to effectively bridge divides and draw attention to the unique struggles of queer Christians. Rev. Edmonds-Allen will join Welton to discuss this work, including the Glitter Ash Wednesday movement, and more.

State of Belief is made possible in great part by the generous support of our listeners. Please consider making a donation to help keep us on the air at this critical time. Details can be found at our donations page here.

The post March 26, 2022 – Searching for Prophetic Voices first appeared on State of Belief.