This week on Interfaith Voices:
Growing Up in the Big Tent Revival Circuit
In the 1960s and 70s, thousands of people gathered under vast white tents to see Pentecostal preacher Brother David Terrell speak in tongues and perform faith healings. The crowd would dance and stamp their feet until the sawdust beneath them filled the air. All that three-year-old Donna Johnson could see through the haziness was a sea of hands, clapping to the beat. Donna recounts what it was like to grow up a “Terrellite,” following the charismatic pastor from town to town. From November 2011.
The Spiritual Meaning of Old Age
Most of us have, at one time or another, worried about growing old. But Dr. Marc Agronin tells us to fear not. He’s spent nearly 15 years as the staff psychiatrist for the largest nursing home in Florida, and says old age often brings a new sense of purpose, peace and spirituality. From May 2011.
Religious Ritual: Memory That Endures
For people living with dementia, lighting Hanukkah candles, counting rosary beads and singing prayers are some of the last memories to go. Religious rituals can rekindle our minds and bring us back in touch with who we are. In 2007, Jason DeRose visited a memory loss center in Evanston, Ill. and brings us this story. From May 2011.
Featured guests:
Donna Johnson, author of Holy Ghost Girl: A Memoir
Dr. Marc Agronin, author of How We Age: A Doctor’s Journey into the Heart of Growing Old
Produced by Jason DeRose for WBEZ