Speaking of Faith - podcasts

I chose to listen to Speaking of Faith: Joe Carter and the Legacy of the African-American Spiritual (July 10, 2008). I chose this because music is something that I am interested in, and I don’t know a whole lot about the history of African-American spirituals. In addition, I thought that it would be interesting to look at religion from a more abstract topic such as the music, produced for/because of the religion.
The show was an interview and commentary with the late Joe Carter, a performer and educator of the African-American spiritual. The interview revolved around the history and the importance of the spiritual, and about half of the interview was Joe Carter singing various different spirituals. The origin of the spiritual is that of a mixed background of European faith and African tradition. In Africa, singing was seen as a way to communicate with the divine. When the slaves were brought over to America, they learned a about Jesus, who they could relate to because Jesus suffered just like the slaves, and they saw Jesus as a path to the divine. Therefore, they adopted Christianity, and added their own twist with the spirituals, combining Christian religion, with African tradition. The spirituals are songs about suffering, and then saying that although we are suffering now, we will be saved, and there will be better times, shown by the “Glory Hallelujah” verse. The spirituals were also used in a historical context. They were used for religious purpose and as code to tell people that they were escaping slavery and that others could join (such as Going Home, Soon I will be Done and Steal Away) all referring to being saved and going to heaven, and escaping slavery and going north. American spirituals have become a vital part of the Christian faith, both in the African American community and around the world.
I would recommend this episode to others because it was very interesting, it provided an unorthodox view on religion and religious practices, and it was fun. Half of the interview was Joe Carter singing, and he is an amazing musician, and that is really great about it. I found it enlightening and fun, so I would highly recommend this episode.

I listened to the episode “Fishing with Mystery” in which the host interviewed angler and artist James Prosek. Prosek has published several books about trout and fishing with numerous original paintings. I chose this episode because I am quite interested in fly fishing and, with a cabin on a tout stream in Wisconsin, I can relate to the feeling of spending hours alone on the river. In the interview Prosek talks about god in the theater of nature and how this takes the role of religion in his life. He sees the chaotic aspects of nature and the mystical creatures as a kind of unknown similar to the spiritual unknown which religion attempts to answer. Specifically he sees the mystique of the trout as a part of god and through angling he is able to create a link, both spiritually and physically through the line and hook. There are also links between Christianity and angling. For example the apostles were fishermen and thus jesus chose fishermen to be his messengers of faith. Perhaps this is because anglers are traditionally gentle people who follow peace. Angling can also be seen as a simplification or return to basic Christianity which is seen by many to be over complicated. In experiencing nature there is no need for chapels or churches to fight over. Fishing is also similar to many other meditative exercises and Prosek acknowledges the many ways to connect to god and spirituality creatively like drawing, painting, or writing. Fishing like meditation is a way to achieve timelessness. Once again the physical aspects act as a metaphor: rivers are timeless in that they are always flowing and work in a cycle and kind of immortality or eternity. Thus by fishing or seeing your reflection in the water one becomes a part of the cycle. Prosek is also very interested in eels for their mysterious role in so many cultures. They often inspire fear and awe because they are bodiless and nameless. He tells the story of a group of foreign construction workers who are laying a road through a swamp but they claim there is a giant magical water monster in the swamp and advise against the highway. But the government orders is built and then during construction they dig up a giant eel and all the workers refuse to work anymore on the site. I would recommend this episode to others especially those with an interest in any type of fishing. It helped me think about experience of fishing in a different and more deep way and I think nature can be a great vehicle for many to spiritual existence.

I listened to the podcast titled "The Spiritual Audacity of Abraham Joshua Heschel." I chose this episode because I have heard Heschel's name numerous times and knew he was important, but had no idea of his ideas or cultural relevance -I listened to the podcast to learn about Abraham Joshua Heschel. The episode featured Arnold Eisen, the chancellor of Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. Listening to the podcast gave me a introduction into the fundamental beliefs of Heschel, who held many beliefs that are both interesting and provocative. His most famous statements or beliefs include: God needs humans, not vice versa, different religions need each other, and the opposite of good is not evil, but indifference. I also learned about the man himself and mostly his involvement in both the civil rights and anti-war movements. He believed one had to apply lessons of the Torah in everyday life and created links between his spirituality and his actions, saying "When I marched in Selma, my feet were praying." I would recommend this podcast to anyone interested in the spiritual tenets of Judaism, religion, or Heschel himself, but warn that if one does not listen carefully they will miss the importance of Heschel and dislike the podcast.

I listened to "Latino Migrations and the Changing face of Religion in the Americas" because I was interested in learning how the growth of Latin American culture has an affect on religion and society. Manuel Vasquez, a religious scholar studies how religion and the global society plays a role in Latino culture and American culture. Vasquez strives to understand the significance of religion in the lives of Latino- Americans ever since he witnessed the death of his two teachers in El Salvador, both taught about the importance of liberation in a Jesuit school, and we murdered by the government as a result of this. This life-changing event motivated Vasquez to study local Latino communities in Florida.

Today, Latino immigrants are typically viewed with a socio-economic perspective. However, Vasquez explores beyond the socio-economic disadvantages of Latino immigrants and strives to pursue and understanding for their refuge to America. Religion plays a powerful role in the lives of Latino-Americans, it connects many of them to their identities. Many Latino- Americans move to America
Impacts American culture desire to come for an increase in wage, and better economic opportunities, they also come for religious reasons. A majority of these immigrants interpret their journeys across borders as a journey of conversion; as a migration story. A part of a divine story where their lives are a part of a mission that god has for them. Their journey to America is a part of god's plan. Vasquez mentioned that " religious belief and traditions are very critical to Latino-American immigrant's navigating and becoming a part of a universal and global world at the same time maintaining their own identity."

A certain scholar stated in his secularization thesis that 'with modernity religion would be kicked of the global society...' Vasquez opposes this thesis. Based on his studies he feels that one of best vehicles to deal with local, global, religious, personal, universal and such topics is religion. Many Latino immigrants are disadvantaged by the structure of their society, however, religion makes them happy, safe, comfortable. For example, going to church makes many of them feel at home because they can comfortably converse in their own language and voice their similar opinions together.

Another focus of this podcast was Pentecostalism, a religion that is becomely more and more significant among the Hispanic and Latin- American society. However, Vasquez feels that a religion like this receives less recognition and seriousness because it is not a world religion. He states that it is a significant religion to the latin-american, hispanic and other cultures because it embodies kind of experience with the holy spirit as opposed to theism.

By 2050 Latino descent is predicted to be a significant part of the global society. Vasquez continues to study local Latin-American communities to try and understand how globalization is affecting these communities.

I recommend this podcast to anyone, it's very informative and interesting. Additionally, I learned about the Latin-American, Hispanic community beyond socio-economics.

This Podcast, Fishing with a Mystery, has Kristin Tippettinterviewing James Prosek, the writer of The Complete Angler, about how he views religion in this place he finds to holy, the trout stream. He feels that by giving each creature a name that this limits us to what god intended these animals to mean to us. Tippett and Prosek discus how, in Australia they use two different names for each creature, its day-to-day name, and than the names that the holy men use to call out the magic that these creatures behold. The two also discus their views on the circle of life, how natures holds this mystery still, and although Prosek is a very scientific man, so even though he respects natures myths and mysteries he still is a very Darwinian man. He finds in nature though the spirit of a higher being, and has decided that, “why not worship god in the house of god, in that he created.”

And yes I would recommend this. It gives the individual some sort of feeling that there are other ways of recognizing a god, or higher being other than going to church ever Sunday, or it allows one to loot at the beauty of the world in which their god made for them. This podcast just touches on the mysteriousness or the world and how tranquil it is for ones spirit to frolic in the idea.

Which episode did you choose to listen to? Why?
Please provide a brief overview of what you heard in listening to the show. (I mean something like a paragraph or two.)
Would you recommend this particular episode to others? Why or why not?

Tonight I listened to The Ethics of Eating (July 3, 2008) podcast. I chose this podcast because its title seemed somewhat intriguing and after hearing the first few minutes I began to see why. The podcast centers on a woman named Barbara Kingsolver. She is an author of the book "Animal Vegetable Miracle" in which she talks about her commitment to spending a whole year eating only foods she and her family have grown and raised. Listening to this interview I was very surprised by how dedicated she and her family became towards this goal. She expresses how even though most people would grow to miss their favorite foods, her family felt the direct opposite. Their choice to do this was an effort to see how their daily routines affect climate change, what would we need to sacrifice in order to do what's right, what might we gain, and what is the environmental cost? These are just some of the reasons why i found this podcast so interesting. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in learning how to practice helping the environment.

I chose to listen to the article, Speaking of Faith: Bach’s Bible. This article stood out to me because I am very interested in classical music and enjoy listening to Johann Sebastian Bach. The story of the Bible begins with Bach’s death. The Bible was given to Anna Magdalena. She was in possession of the Bible until she died. The Rykle family later discovered the book in 1830 at a bookstore. The family bought the Bible, without knowing its importance and it became a family heirloom. For a century the book was passed down to each new generation. The family moved to Michigan, and brought the book with them. In 1930, one of the Rykle’s cousins stayed at the house; this man was a priest. He noticed the third volume of the Bible on the coffee table and opened it. To his surprise, he saw the signature “J.S. Bach” at the bottom right of the page. The family made a tracing of the signature and sent it to a leading back scholar who confirmed that it was in fact Bach’s signature. The scholars wanted the Rykle’s to send it to Germany to examine it, but they refused because Hitler was rising to power and the Rykle’s didn’t want the Bible to be in the hands of the Nazis. Instead of sending the Bible to the Germans, they gave it to a local seminary where it was put behind sealed doors and was forgotten about. The re-finding of the Bible was very important because before the finding, we had no proof that Bach was a staunch Lutheran. The Bible is a commentary Bible, so we can see Bach’s interpretations of different sections. This was proof that Bach was a loyal Lutheran and looked for inspiration in the Bible for his musical works. I found this very interesting and would recommend it. The podcast taught me more about Bach and how religion helped contribute to his musical masterpieces.

I chose to listen to "Joe Carter and the Legacy of the African-American Spiritual" after Andrew Bendelsmith gave it such a good review and recommended it.

Summery:
-the "negro" spiritual was born in slavery
-gospel, jazz, hip-hop, blues etc. all come from the spiritual
- the Spiritual is a mix of "hebrew narrative, Christian theology, the rhythm of African spirituality and the experience of extreme suffering"
-it was almost forgotten after the 1st generation after slavery but the civil rights movement put it back on the map
- about 5,000 known spirituals or "sorrow songs"
-the difference between the blues and a spiritual is in the spiritual there is always hope, a "glory, hallelujah!" at the end instead of the depression and lack of hope implied in the blues
-the difference between Gospels and Spirituals is a Gospel has joyous messages and is by an identifiable author. A spiritual is a single message born of grief by an anonymous author.
-Joe Carter thought the reason the Africans related and embraced Christianity so quickly was because they related to Jesus, a "man of sorrow."
-Spirituals are still applicable to daily life in the opinion of Mr. Carter, who says now days our bondage comes from the inside.
-this music is transcendent of race, time and gender. It is the story of African Americans, but can be applied to anywhere there is suffering, any peoples who have been oppressed.

This was an extremely interesting podcast. I enjoyed listening to Mr. Carter sing, as well as learned a lot from his anecdotes that peppered the interview with more context and rich history. It also cleared up the difference between a Spiritual and many other types of music (which would later stem from the spiritual). I would recommend this to anyone.

I chose to listen to the podcast called "Living Voodoo"! This was because I have always been intrigued by voodoo, and have wondered if the idea of a doll being poked with needles really had anything to do with the religion.

First off, it is important to know the history of voodoo. Slave ships were arriving in Haiti in the early 6th century, full of slaves who were from western and central Africa. Overtime, voodoo was born when slaves mixed their religions with their owners religions (those whom normally practiced catholic devotion)!

This podcast featured Patrick Belgard Smith, who after an upbringing in Haiti, became a scholar of Africology and a voodoo priest. Smith explained that originally, the only reason why he became interested in voodooism was because he wanted to look at his social origins. He said that he was "as far from religion as [he] could possibly be," but one day, he had a "dream" where the spiritual world called him and led him into the direction of voodooism. Smith continued on to explain the roles of God and the "spirits." Voodoo is monotheistic, but god is referred to as an "it." Even though "it" is a pure spirit, it is so far removed from people that in general one does not pray to the supreme entity. Instead, practitioners address their prayers to a number of spirits in the spirit world, who are known as Jua! These are deities, who as Smith explained, "were never people, were never born, and never died." Any practitioner of voodooism can have a deity come into them without them knowing, resulting in what would feel like a complete loss of control.

Smith also explained how in 1932 - the US army was in Haiti trying to protect our national business interests... and at that time a movie called "White Zombie" was released. This movie took place in Haiti and was the root cause of what started the idea that voodoo priests stick pins in dolls!

I would definitely recommend this podcast. At some times I found Smith's voice difficult to understand... but all of the information was incredibly interesting and very informative. Having this been one of my first podcast experiences, I found it somewhat distracting having to stare at a blank screen while listening to such a long discussion... but the good news is that I still learned a lot!

I chose to listen to the podcast called "Living Voodoo"! This was because I have always been intrigued by voodoo, and have wondered if the idea of a doll being poked with needles really had anything to do with the religion.

First off, it is important to know the history of voodoo. Slave ships were arriving in Haiti in the early 6th century, full of slaves who were from western and central Africa. Overtime, voodoo was born when slaves mixed their religions with their owners religions (those whom normally practiced catholic devotion)!

This podcast featured Patrick Belgard Smith, who after an upbringing in Haiti, became a scholar of Africology and a voodoo priest. Smith explained that originally, the only reason why he became interested in voodooism was because he wanted to look at his social origins. He said that he was "as far from religion as [he] could possibly be," but one day, he had a "dream" where the spiritual world called him and led him into the direction of voodooism. Smith continued on to explain the roles of God and the "spirits." Voodoo is monotheistic, but god is referred to as an "it." Even though "it" is a pure spirit, it is so far removed from people that in general one does not pray to the supreme entity. Instead, practitioners address their prayers to a number of spirits in the spirit world, who are known as Jua! These are deities, who as Smith explained, "were never people, were never born, and never died." Any practitioner of voodooism can have a deity come into them without them knowing, resulting in what would feel like a complete loss of control.

Smith also explained how in 1932 - the US army was in Haiti trying to protect our national business interests... and at that time a movie called "White Zombie" was released. This movie took place in Haiti and was the root cause of what started the idea that voodoo priests stick pins in dolls!

I would definitely recommend this podcast. At some times I found Smith's voice difficult to understand... but all of the information was incredibly interesting and very informative. Having this been one of my first podcast experiences, I found it somewhat distracting having to stare at a blank screen while listening to such a long discussion... but the good news is that I still learned a lot!

Living Vudou:

I chose to listen to Living Vudou because I was curious to see if there are any specific and factual religious affiliations with vudou rather than it having to do with ancient witch trials. I also wanted to know where it is derived from and why it is being practiced now.

Based on this podcast, I realize that Vudou has nothing to do with sticking needles to a doll and possessing over another person's soul. In fact, the fictitious notion of vudou came from a movie named White Zombie. The movie led to an immense misconception of Vudou, which instead should be taken very seriously because it is a religion that is greatly practiced and cherished in Haiti.

Vudou is a spiritual system in which allows the spiritual realm of the spiritual world to mirror with the realistic world. It is a mysterious tradition that is very complex and consists of many practices, for it invades all systems that includes science, technology, and philosophy. Patrick Smith, who is the man interviewed in this podcast states that he was especially deeply drawn to the subject of Vudou when he experienced a connection with the spiritual world. He had a strong indication from the spiritual world from in his sleep. However, the indication wasn't like a dream, it was more as if the Spirt World was sending him a message to action on getting to know his religion and spread the importance of vudou.

Vudou involves theatrical actions such as, singing, acting, and dreaming that corresponds with the spirtual world. It was was originally brought to the western hemisphere from african slaves. Vudou is a strongly practiced tradition and religion in Haiti with relations to african roots. However, many of the vudou practices have relations or are correlated to Catholicism as well because of the white slave owners and explorers who owned Africans, particularly those who practiced vudou.

I would definitely recommend this podcast to whoever that wants to learn about something a little different from the typical religious topic. Nonetheless, the topic of Vodou is a lot more complex and different from what other's or yourself would imagine. This podcast provides a lot of insight on the history and misconceptions of Vudou. As a result, now I am confirmed that Vudou has absolutely NOTHING to do with a needle and a doll, but that it has a lot to do with the spiritual world and the inner realm and balance of personal being.

I chose to listen to this podcast because I am very interested in Latin culture. I also found the quinceñera article we read a long time ago very interesting, and I thought I might like this podcast as well.
The podcast focuses on the cultural impact of Latin-American immigration. It is predicted that in 2050, one quarter of the US population will be of Hispanic decent. Now the population is 15% Hispanic. Much of the time the focus on immigration is primarily economically based. People fail to recognize the cultural impact immigrants have. The US population and culture will have to change tremendously to include Hispanic aspects if in 40 years one in every four people will be of Latin decent.
An interesting point brought up during the podcast was the fact that many immigrants come to the United States for religious purposes. They feel it is their path, God’s choice. Veronica talked about this in her review above, and I agree on its importance. Yes, immigrants come to the US to work, and create a better life, all of the stories we hear in the news, but it also has a spiritual aspect. The immigrants find spiritual refuge in the US in the form of the church. The church is a place to regroup, meet with people of similar beliefs and backgrounds, it is a safe spot. This idea combats the common proposal that religious life is decreasing, also known as Secularization Thesis. The modern day thought that the public life is becoming more and more secular does not apply to latino life. If the prediction of latin population growth remains true, American life is ought to hold more Christian/Hispanic values.
This podcast was very informative. I agree that the US does not focus on the cultural impact immigration will have. People are so worried about jobs and the economy that they don’t even realize that in 40 years their granddaughter might be having a quinceñera. I would recommend this podcast to everyone. The culture discussed in this podcast is something that, if not evident in daily life now, will be very obvious 20-40 years from now.

I chose to listen to the podcast, Quarks and Creation because I am interested in physics and science, and I thought it would be interesting to see how they apply modern physics to how the universe works and makes room for religion and prayer.

In the podcast, Krista Tippett interviews physicist and theologian John Polkinghorn. Mr. Polkinghorn talks about the nature of particle physics, and the wavelike and particle-like properties of light, and relates this duality to religion. He also talks about prayer, and how prayer is a connection between the universe and mankind. He talks about how what scientists do, and the way they think about and question the universe is a form of prayer in its own right, and how 20th century science has loosened up the view of the world, and enabled there to be room for both science and religion, even enabling a scientist to pray and believe in both God and science without having them contradict each other. Dr. Polkinghorn does not believe that God created the universe as a one-time ready-to-go entity, but as something that is continually changing, and that the future is not yet available to be known by anyone, including God, because the everything in the universe is continually changing. He talks about how free will is a "gift" given to us from God, and that God respects the integrity of creation and reacts to the will of the world, but still gives it independence.

I would suggest this podcast to anyone who is interested in science, however if you are not interested in science you might find this article boring! I do think it is really interesting though, because the clash between science and religion has been an issue for decades, and John Polkinghorn's explanation of the two topics in relation to each other helps clear up a lot misconceptions and allows one to believe follow both science and religion and believe wholeheartedly in both. I really enjoyed listening to this podcast.

I chose to listen to Living voodoo because I didn't know very much about voodoo but I was interested in learning more.
The history of voodoo is very important. Slave ships were arriving in Haiti in the early 6th century, full of slaves who were from western and central Africa. Over time, voodoo was created when slaves mixed their religions with their owners religions (generally catholic)
I learned that voodoo really has nothing to do with poking needles into a doll. The Idea of voodoo priests sticking pins in dolls was strongly encouraged by a movie titled "White Zombie", which was released when the U.S. army was in Haiti trying to protect national business interests.
This podcast featured Patrick Belgard Smith who explained that the reason he was drawn to voodooism was to find his social origins.
I would definitely recommend this pod-cast. Even though it was difficult to understand at times, it was very educational and gave me a basic understanding of voodoo.

I listened to “The Origins and Impact of Pentecostalism.” Pentecostalism has been featured in the news a lot lately with Sarah Palin having gone to a Pentecostal church and some leaders in the Obama campaign being Pentecostal. Pentecostals have been negetively stereotyped giving me the image of Pentecostals as rednecks speakking in tongues. But after listening to this, I better understood why they speak in tongues and got a better understanding of who Pentecostals really are. I was surprised to learn that ¼ of the world’s Christians are Pentecostal and only ½ of them attend Pentecostal churches and the other half are members of other Christian denominations but consider themselves Pentecostal too. Pentecostalism is also the fastest growing branch of Christianity. This podcast focused on the hundreth anniversary of Pentecostalism and was an interview with a leading Pentecostal scholar who also identified himself as Catholic. Pentecostalism was created by an African American in Los Angeles in 1906 and was an extremely diverse group in the beginning; early churches were ethnically diverse and had women as pastors. Pentecostalism attracted those wanting a much more emotional relationship with God. The followers speak in tongues; they feel so moved by the Spirit that it just comes pouring out in gibberish. The story of the Pentecost in featured in Acts and they referenced this story very often during the podcast. Some also feel “slain by the Spirit” and are so overcome by God that they fall down. They don’t try to explain the world through Scripture like Evangelicals but instead are very anti-rational. My favorite part of the podcast was when the scholar was describing being a Pentecostal ritual and said, “well, we use a lot of jargon obviously.” I would definitely reccomdend this to others, it showed Pentecostalism in a very positive light, which I had never heard before and I think others would appreciate as well.

The podcast I listened to had the conservative and Eastern Orthodox columnist Rod Dreher talk about the misfits within the Republican party. He shed light on conservatives who are socially drawn to the Republican party but disagree with many of the economic and foreign policy ideas injected into the party by neo-conservatives. I have long been confused as to how the fundamentalist view of the Bible meshes with the neo-con idea that stuffing our faces with money will solve things, and I wanted to know genuinely how people support many of the ideas that the Republican party has unfortunately propagated during the administration of the Current Occupant.
Dreher talked about his unsettled feelings about voting for the Republican party. He was particularly uncomfortable with the Current Occupant’s stance on torture, given that he takes his faith very seriously and, in accordance with his creed, opposes torture. He also believes that organic and locally grown meat and produce are things that liberals and conservatives can agree on, and he belittles the idea that neo-cons will forever be able to control the voter of that evangelical Christians inside the Republican party. He holds that the people that hold socially Christian views but who also want to do more to prevent the spread of global warming and halt environmental destruction. However, he does not elaborate more on the issues where the traditional conservative line rankles with evangelical Christians. His wrath is confined to the environment, torture, and locally grown food.
I would recommend this podcast to anyone with an interest in American politics. It shows a side of Republican voters that people don’t often see, and is getting buried by the current political situation where more extreme Democrats and Republicans dominate the headlines. It is a very good look at how people can and do vote for the other side, and goes a long way towards allaying fear I have about the state of the nation.

While scrolling through the expansive lists of podcasts in the 'Krista Tippett Religion Series', I found a podcast titled 'Pagans Ancient and Modern' which sparked my interest. I had some basic knowledge of pagan backgrounds and wanted to expand on that with this podcast. I was hoping that it would answer some curiosities I had about the roots of paganism and how it has developed throughout history.
The podcast is mainly conducted as an interview with University of Vermont Prof. Adrian Ivakiev(spelling?). The interview covers the beginning of paganism along with the use of the religion in modern culture. Prof. Ivakiev then proceeds to talk about his Ukrainian-Canadian background, his love for nature, and how Paganism has affected himself, as well as the rest of culture. The majority of the interview just covers the basics of Paganism without going into very much depth.
Unless you have somewhat of an interest yet have no basic understanding of Paganism, then I would not recommend this 53 minute almost-interview without any real interesting points. The content of the podcast is pretty bland and lacks anything really thought-provoking. By the end of the podcast, I felt like I hadn't really learned anything new. But if you have an hour to spare and feel like getting a basic understanding of Paganism, it might be worth a listen.

- I listened to 'Yoga. Meditation in Action,' posted on September 11th, 2008, with Krista Tippett and guest Seane Corn. The reason that I chose this episode was due to the icon that was posted. It is a picture of, I am assuming, Seane Corn in a sort of 45 degree handstand. So, I thought maybe there is a minute chance that this podcast would reveal some secrets into accomplishing incredible balancing positions like that. (Anybody who reads this blog entry should take a peek at the picture.)
- Well, to my dismay, the podcast did not reveal any exclusive secrets into achieving extreme body positions. Instead, it was an interview with renowned yoga teacher and trainer, Seane Corn. The interview, conducted by Krista Tippett, covered Seane’s rough life story and how yoga has helped and shaped her life. Seane grew up in New York and was molested when she was six years old. She also had obsessive compulsion disorder (OCD) and had gotten into drugs. Basically, she was the type of person you would least likely assume to take up yoga. But, at age 19, she did. And it was then that she felt she had changed for the better. Seane expressed that from this time she only felt physically and ethically balanced. Tippett then asks series of questions all centered on what yoga is and how it enhances you. Seane answers that yoga is body prayer. Physically, yoga improves flexibility, while increasing respiration and circulation in the body. And mentally, yoga reduces tension so as not to turn to drugs, food etc. She concludes that yoga connects mind, body and spirit, resulting in a form of meditation. Another subject that the interview brings to attention is Seane’s activism in US states and foreign countries. Seane’s main goal is to get adolescent prostitutes off the streets and into yoga studios. She has achieved success with this program by using her adolescent experience to connect herself with these troubled teens.
- I would not recommend this podcast because it is pretty boring. Only common facts about yoga are given and they are mentioned with annoying superfluous descriptions. Also, Seane Corn has a voice that ruffles my feathers and makes my mind wonder elsewhere (Mainly about playing Diablo: Lord of Destruction!!).

I chose to listen to the podcast on gay marriage. It was pretty interesting, and I chose to listen to it because gay marriage has been such an important topic in politics recently despite the supposed separation of church and state and the mainly religious grounds on which one argues against same sex marriage. I would recommend people listen to this podcast, it was pretty frustration for me to listen to because Richard Mao confirms that essentially the only basis on which there is grounds to argue against gay marriage is religious and therefore there have been many bans passed in the US based on religious views, which to me contradicts the idea of a separation of church and state. I do actually understand the religious argument for disallowing same sex marriages, because the bible does give examples of disapproving of homosexuality, but the issue today being discussed should be strictly political.

Krista Tippett talks with Richard Mao about many different aspects of homosexual marriage. The first topic of discussion is the religious outlook on homosexuality without looking at marriage. Richard Mao quotes from the bible passages of Leviticus, which condemns homosexuality, and sections of the Book of Romans in the New Testament that also rejects the homosexuality of Roman culture. He also addresses the idea that homosexuality is an orientation with which someone is born, and states that even if it is true that someone is born being homosexual, it does not make it correct the sacrifice moral values for their orientation. Krista Tippett argues however that there is surely some value in the commitment and faithfulness in many of these same sex marriages that have taken place and Richard Mao agrees on a religious basis that the commitment if very touching however religiously, homosexuality is not allowed. They also talk about possible solutions in terms of legal benefits for them and Mr. Mao weaves his way out of the questions by saying it’s an important issue to talk about, but he doesn’t give a position on a secular non-religious union of same sex marriage. Furthermore, he talks about how allowing same sex marriages is a slippery slope to opening the doors for all sorts of sexual orientations. He explains that a same sex marriage would open the door for polygamy and unfaithfulness. The interview pretty much addresses all aspects of religious outlook on gay marriage or what a civil union might represent.

I listened to "Quarks and Creation" because it caught my attention. I have read and heard a lot about the debate of science and religion. I myself have often internally debated the two and I was interested to hear another insight.

The episode was selections from an interview with scientist and theologian John Polkinghorne. It was the only thing about it I didn't like because there were a lot of interruptions to remind the audience who they were listing to and it didn't give the full interview. He made some very compelling points about science and religion in the interview. One of them was, for a long time science and religion have been at odds. Science claimed it could find the answers and religion tried to quell scientific progress by responding only God could know the answers science could never find. Instead Polkinghorne says it was a theological mistake this God of the gaps where God only did the really tricky things like some stunt double and left everything else to chance. Science does not deny the existence of God quite the contrary it is merely trying better to understand God's creation. He extends the topic to the more current fight on evolution versus creationism. He shows how Genesis one and indeed the bible is much more like a poem which is meant to convince people of the majesty of God than a book of reference. To truly understand a book one must read it as it was intended and ironically the people supporting creationism who wish to respect the bible are in fact not doing so by reading it literally.

I would recommend this podcast because I found it very interesting especially if you are interested in science or know a little about quantum physics.