Listen Live on KKFI
Every Sunday at 3:00amAbout the Show
Inspired
Inspired is the nation's leading public radio show about faith, ethics and spirituality. Each week we offer you analyses of the big headlines alongside lesser-told stories – those of Orthodox Jewish artists and African-American atheists, Muslim feminists and spiritual seekers. Through these stories, a rough sketch of our country’s religious landscape begins to emerge. It’s a marketplace of beliefs and ideas too complex for sound bites, and too important to ignore.
We’re Not the Same…and That’s Okay
Stephen Prothero says the leaders of the interfaith movement have a problem: call it the “Kumbaya Effect.” Instead of grappling with our religious differences, he says they gloss over them, creating a “pretend pluralism” that does more harm than good. Stephen Prothero is the author of God Is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World.
Margot Adler on Paganism on Public Radio
In 1979, Margot Adler became a reporter for NPR. That same year, she wrote Drawing Down the Moon, a book that would become a classic in the pagan world, describing the emerging movement of witches, druids and goddess worshippers with humanity and intelligence. She was both an explainer of the movement and a devout practitioner, and one of the first public Wiccan priestesses. Margot Adler died on July 28, 2014 at the age of 68, after battling cancer.
The Call to Prayer
A selection from our Soundscapes of Faith series: one of the most beautiful sounds in Islam is the one heard most often. The call to prayer, or adhan, comes from the Arabic word “to listen.” It rings through the streets of many Muslim countries five times a day, summoning believers to pause and remember God. Akbar Ahmed is the chair of Islamic Studies at American University.
Growing Old Gracefully
Should we fear our capstone years, or cherish them? Sister Joan Chittister, author of more than 40 books on spirituality and social justice, tenaciously argues the latter. At the time of this interview, Chittister was 72. She says one’s golden years are a time to celebrate wisdom, to revel in freedom from a tight schedule, and, most of all, to “melt into God.” Sister Joan Chittister, OSB is the author of The Gift of Years: Growing Older Gracefully.
Maureen Bids Us Farewell
Over the years, Maureen Fiedler has offered many personal commentaries on the show. But this week, she gives her final one as the host of Interfaith Voices, and she offers her gratitude to everyone who has been involved along the way. Maureen Fiedler, SL is a tireless advocate for peace and equality, fiesty nun, radio pioneer, author, political junkie, cat lover, gardener, diet cherry Pepsi drinker, and forever our beloved founder.
