Beliefs

David Gibson on women priests and the growing unaffiliated community of believers

The Fordham Center on Religion and Culture was established to confront the questions arising at the intersection of religious traditions and contemporary culture. Director David Gibson came to the helm of the Center last year after a long and distinguished career as the one of the nation’s top religion reporter.  

Beginning with his first beat working in Rome for Vatican Radio, Gibson wrote for various magazines and national media, such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and for Catholic publications like America magazine and Commonweal.

 

Jack Jenkins and the Rise of the New Charismatic Christians

Charismatic Christians are spiritually related to Pentecostals through certain spiritual practices, including divine healing, prophecy and speaking in tongues. Pew Research Center estimates there are just over 300 million Charismatics worldwide.   

Religion News Service reporter Jack Jenkins has been following Charismatics as their rituals and beliefs evolve into a modern political/spiritual hybrid.  Jenkins joined producer Jonathan Woodward via Skype;  talking through developments in the rise of a politically strengthened Charismatic movement. 

"Inaccurate, Unfair, Misleading" - Peter Steinfels on the PA Grand Jury Report

Acclaimed religion reporter for the New York Times, Peter Steinfels recently authored an article in the publication Commonweal. In it he makes an impassioned, meticulously developed case that a recent grand jury report on sexual abuse in Pennsylvania was, quote, “Inaccurate, Unfair, and Misleading”.  

Steinfels claims the report was surrounded by journalistic laziness, misrepresentation of the efforts made by the Catholic Church to address the crisis, and a dramatic roll-out of accusations that were not supported by the report. 

Host Bill Baker speaks to Steinfels to unpack his criticisms of the report.

American sharia paranoia - with Re-Sight Islam podcast host Qasim Rashid Esq.

Qasim Rashid is a critically acclaimed author, attorney, activist and host of the Religion News Foundation podcast, Re-Sight Islam. Drawing on the recent events in Texas involving an attempt to oust a local Republican Party operative specifically because of his Muslim faith, Beliefs producer talks with Qasim about the vibrancy of this public religious discrimination and the pernicious concept of 'stealth jihad'.

Author Michael Sean Winters on the state of the Catholic Church

It's been another foundation-shaking year in the Catholic Church as revelations of sexual predation and abuse by its most senior clerics are seemingly unending. Author Michael Sean Winters writes for the National Catholic Reporter and The Tablet. Host Bill Baker and Winters sat down to puzzle out some of the paths forward for the Church in 2019.

 

The Reverend Monsignor Alan Detscher on where our Christmas came from - a liturgical origin story

The wreaths, the masses, the dates...  even St. Nicholas himself. Where our liturgical traditions came from, with the scholar and cleric Reverend Monsignor Alan Detscher of the St. Catherine of Siena Church in Riverside, Connecticut.

Reverend Chloe Breyer on interfaith fellowship with the Interfaith Center of New York

The Interfaith Center of New York is nationally recognized innovator in sparking collaboration among faith leaders. Their mission is to tackle and overcome prejudice, violence, and misunderstanding.

To understand the challenges that face an organization with this kind of mandate, especially in these politically charged days, Dr. Baker sat with Reverend Breyer to talk with us on how the landscape is changing for her work. 

 

Filmmaker Thomas Lennon on the PBS movie "Sacred"

Shot by more than 40 filmmaking teams around the world, the film Sacred immerses the viewer in the daily use of faith and spiritual practice. At a time when religious hatreds dominate the world’s headlines, this film explores faith as primary human experience, and how people turn to ritual and prayer to navigate the milestones and crises of private life.

Join Dr. Baker for a conversation with Lennon as they unpack the challenges of directing this groundbreaking film.

RNS Editor-In-Chief Bob Smietana: Why religion journalism matters now

Host Bill Baker sits with RNS Editor-In-Chief Bob Smietana for a conversation regarding the history and future of religion reporting in America and why religion journalism matters now.

 

Beliefs - A podcast from Religion News Service and Fordham University

We are proud to announce our new podcast on the news of religion, faith, and ethics from Religion News Service and Fordham University!

Join us for conversations each week with newsmakers and journalists covering modern faith across the globe, hosted by Dr. William Baker.

Have a listen, and let us know what you'd like to hear on the show! Subscribe on Podbean, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and visit us at religionnews.com/beliefs!