This week, we gather 24 years of collective leadership at Interfaith Alliance – and a bold vision for the future –  in one conversation, as newly-appointed President and CEO Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush takes his seat. Paul brings a wealth of experience in leadership, organizing, writing, editing and teaching. Most recently with Interfaith America, he has held senior posts at Auburn Seminary, Huffington Post Religion and Princeton University, among others.

On this week’s State of Belief, Interfaith Alliance’s weekly radio program and podcast, Paul is with Alliance President Emeritus Rev. Welton Gaddy and President Emeritus Rabbi Jack Moline to answer the question: “What brings a well-known figure with such a track record to Interfaith Alliance at a time like this?” That’s only one of the many questions that come up in this far-ranging conversation, which also includes some of Welton’s all-time favorite guests from 16 years of hosting State of Belief. Then there are the ways marginalization births empathy and the desire for inclusivity, the interplay between ministry and public activism, and the impact of prominent ancestors… It all comes up in the conversation, and leads to the telling of some deeply personal stories.

This is Part I of a two-part conversation that will be continued on next week’s show.

This week we also delve into new findings from Pew Research. Modeling the Future of Religion in America includes eye-opening projections – including one scenario where less than 50% of us are Christian by the year 2070. Senior Researcher Dr. Stephanie Kramer joins Jack for some of the newsmaking findings.

State of Belief is made possible in great part by the generous support of our listeners. Please consider making a donation to help keep us on the air at this critical time. Details can be found at our donations page here.

Recent Posts

Start typing and press Enter to search