Latest Show March 8, 2014 – Religion and Politics, from the Ukraine to the United Methodist Church

This weekend on State of Belief, Welton dives into the crisis in Ukraine. We’ll get an update on Russia’s mix of religion and politics from Rev. Dr. Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite, and hear from our friend Valdas Dovydenas on the ground in Kiev. Then, back on the domestic front, Welton checks in with FCNL’s Jim Cason on proposals to cut military spending, and then chats with Bishop Minerva Carcano for the latest on her inspiring work for social justice. Download Icon

A Holy War in Ukraine? Caught Between Russia’s Toxic Mix of Religion and Politics
Welton welcomes back to the show the incredibly sharp Rev. Dr. Susan Thistlethwaite – Professor at Chicago Theological Seminary and frequent Huffington Post contributor – to discuss the latest developments in Russia and Ukraine. She’ll help put these recent events into the context of Russia’s religious and political forces, explaining how the standoff in the Crimea is an outgrowth of Putin’s nationalist zeal and religious absolutism. Dr. Thistlethwaite is a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress. Her most recent book is titled #OccupytheBible: What Jesus Really Said (and Did) about Money and Power. Her HuffPo article on this issue is titled “Putin’s Holy Russia Goes to War.”

Eyes on the Ground: A Report from Kiev
Over the past weeks the American media have been full of contradicting reports on the nature of the uprising in Kiev, with some saying it’s a pro-EU fight for freedom that was brutally repressed by Russian sympathizers, and others claiming it was little more than a power grab by the far Right. Welton is joined this week by Valdas Dovydėnas, a Lithuanian native who has lived and worked in Kiev for the past nine years. Valdas shares his experience in Kiev in the past months and his take on both the uprising and the Russian response in Crimea.

The Pentagon and the Quaker Lobby: Jim Cason on the Military Budget
As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan wind down and the nation looks to a different kind of conflict in places like Syria and Ukraine, a debate is raging in Washington over the size and budget of America’s military. Jim Cason, the Executive Secretary for Strategic Advocacy at the Friends Committee on National Legislation, (Washington’s oldest advocates for peace), explores the moral significance of the Pentagon’s budget and the role that religious communities can play in shrinking it.

The Fast That We Desire: Bishop Carcaño on Lent and Social Justice
We’re excited to bring back Bishop Minerva Carcaño, a Los Angeles leader who is the first Hispanic woman to serve as a United Methodist Bishop. She and Welton will examine issues ranging from immigration reform to LGBT rights, and discuss how the Lenten Season that began this week can help drive our action on these issues. Don’t miss this update from one of America’s most inspiring faith leaders.

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Latest News

Ukraine v. Russia; Defense Cuts; and Immigration Activism – Next State of Belief!

By Ray Kirstein on March 6, 2014

Welton Gaddy with Bishop Minerva Carcaño

Welton Gaddy with Bishop Minerva Carcaño

Here’s what’s coming up this weekend on State of Belief Radio:

Crisis in Ukraine. A leading theologian explains how Russia came to see itself as justified through religion, and what Western leaders need to understand about that if they hope to respond in an effective way. The Rev. Dr. Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite expands on the compelling thoughts she shared in her Huffington Post article titled “Putin’s Holy Russia Goes to War.”

We’ll also talk with Valdas Dovydenas, a Kiev resident, about what daily life is like today, and what everyday Ukrainians hope will happen next.

Chuck Hagel has called for cuts to the Pentagon budget. The Friends Committee on National Legislation, a Quaker lobby in the public interest says: cut more. You’ll hear from FCNL’s Associate Executive Secretary for Strategic Advocacy Jim Cason.

And United Methodist Bishop Minerva Carcaño: she’s a leading activist on Immigration and LGBT issues. We’ll talk about fasting for fairness and families, about legally-sanctioned homophobia in Africa, and the role of the Church in the fight for justice.

Follow us on Facebook for updates and bulletins – and be sure to tune in! Here’s how to listen.

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Classrooms Religion Belongs in, and Others in Which it Doesn’t; Christian Roots of Gay Marriage; Kansas Bigotry Law – Next State of Belief!

By Ray Kirstein on February 23, 2014

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Here’s what’s coming up this weekend on State of Belief Radio:

American education and religion: what’s helping, what’s hurting.

The creationist assault on science education is pouring into classrooms like Noah’s flood – Welton talks to activist Zack Kopplin about the most dangerous state-level initiatives. Zack started work on the issue while still in high school in his native Louisiana, and continues his work on wrongheaded initiatives there, in Texas, and, sadly, in far too many other states.

And interrreligious education: why understanding different belief systems IS something we need to be teaching, today more than ever. You’ll meet Kimberly Medendorp and Randy Christopher, the founders of the nation’s first fully-accredited interfaith high school: the Peace & Justice Academy in Pasadena, California.

Then, a conversation with writer and author Damon Linker, who’s recent article on theweek.com was provocatively headlined, “How Christianity Gave Us Gay Marriage.” Linker is the author of the books The Theocons: Secular America Under Siege and The Religious Test: Why We Must Question the Faith of Our Leaders.

And despite its subsequent withdrawal, the majority vote in the Kansas state Assembly in favor of a radical new anti-LGBT law is yet another low in the redefinition of “religious freedom” to justify outright bigotry. Welton has some thoughts to share on this (even as Arizona stands ready to approve an equally odious assault on its own citizens.) Want a slightly louder reaction? Here’s Jon Stewart’s take:

Follow us on Facebook for updates and bulletins – and be sure to tune in! Here’s how to listen.

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Wrapping up A Prophetic Vision for A New Year: Where We’re Going, How We’ll Get There

By Ray Kirstein on February 6, 2014

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Here’s what’s coming up this weekend on State of Belief Radio:

Religion as a force for good – and the growing push for faith-based activism around issues of economic justice, immigration, voting rights, gun violence, and more. From the Vatican to North Carolina, a diverse but focused movement is building that has the potential to effect real change – for the better.

As a follow-up to our four-part series “A Prophetic Vision for A New Year: Where We’re Going, How We’ll Get There,” Welton will be talking with Huffington Post Senior Religion Editor Paul Raushenbush, and Auburn Seminary President Katherine Henderson.
We’ll also hear from Religion News Service Editor-in-Chief Kevin Eckstrom, on ways the media can help – but also hurt – this effort.

Welton also recommends you take a little Olympics-viewing time to read this in-depth article by author and journalist Jeff Sharlet: Inside the Iron Closet: What It’s Like to Be Gay in Putin’s Russia

Follow us on Facebook for updates and bulletins – and be sure to tune in! Here’s how to listen.

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