Archives

Below are the listed archives of radio shows. Scroll through the list to listen to specific shows or to find informative links associated with each show.

show archives | current show | listening instructions | podcast instructions | download shows | Year: 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004
Date	Topic	Description	Links	Listen
05/04/2008	77. Modern Day Saints & Martyrs: The Life & Death of Sister Dorothy Stang: Part II	Part Two of our series on modern day saints and martyrs as exemplified by Sr. Dorothy Stang and her fellow sisters who traveled to Brazil as missionaries in the 1960's. Some eventually returned to the States, some now call Brazil home and one, Dorothy, died a martyr's death there, gunned down by 2 hired assassins in 2005. In this chapter, their odyssey is just beginning as they arrive in Brazil for the first time, struggle with the language, fall in love with the people and defy the repressive dictatorial government and ruling upper class. The chapter ends just as Dorothy and Rebeca head off for the Promised Land -the vast and virgin Amazon Rain Forest. What they encountered there would require deep reservoirs of faith, perseverence and courage. Their troubles were just beginning. (To hear Part i, visit the 2008 archives, show # 76.)
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04/27/2008	76. Modern Day Saints and Martyrs:The Life and Death of Sister Dorothy Stang: Part I	In this multi-part program we bring you a tale of personal journey and ultimate destiny. It begins with one woman’s simple quest to discover the humanity of those we call saints. As the story unfolds, you’ll meet a group of brave and dedicated nuns who traveled as missionaries in the 1960's to Brazil, a country a thousand miles and a hundred years away from their own. The longer they stayed, the more they fell in love with the Brazilian people, their culture and their magnificent Amazon Rainforest - even as they faced overwhelming obstacles and great danger. The story ends with the tragic murder of one of them, Sr. Dorothy Stang, a modern day martyr, killed defending the people and place she too had come to know and love so much. How these separate journeys intersect is part of the story. You don’t want to miss this one. It is a story for the ages. Guests: Sisters Rebeca Spires, Jo Depweg, Jane Dwyer, Joan Krimm, Bobbie English and Katy Webster, all Notre Dame de Namur nuns who served with Dorothy as missionaries in their beloved Brazil. Narrated by: Producer, Claire Hartman	The Julie Center
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04/13/2008	75. The Ongoing Mortgage Crisis: American Dream Deferred	Owning your own home is practically synonymous with living the American Dream. But that dream has become a nightmare for millions of Americans caught in the ongoing mortgage crisis.Everywhere you turn there are stories of broken lives, broken promises…broken dreams. Millions of homeowners are in danger of foreclosure, banks and other services have gone out of business and advocates have sprung into action. How did we get here and who’s responsible? What are the moral, ethical and spiritual lessons to be learned from this national catastrophe? What social justice measures should be advocated so that it doesn’t happen again? And as always…who’s watching out for the little guy? Listen in as our three advocates for fair and ethical reform of the mortgage lending business discuss these and other questions. Guests: Ms. Kathleen Day, spokesperson for the Center for Responsible Lending; Mr. Vinnie Quayle, Executive Director of the St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center in Baltimore and a leading social justice advocate on housing issues; and Reverend Gloria Sweringa, chairman of the Maryland branch of the national organization, ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now and herself a victim of predatory practices.	ACORN Habitat for Humanity St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center Center for Responsible Lending
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03/30/2008	74. The US Religious Landscape: Fertile or Fallow?	Recently, the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life published the results of an extensive study entitled, The U.S. Religious Landscape Survey. The survey details the religious affiliations of the American public, depicting a landscape that is churned up and perpetually shifting. The study is comprehensive and provides concrete statistics regarding affiliation, trends, migration patterns and more. A key finding is that anywhere from 25% to 44% (depending on who you include) of American adults belong to a different denomination or faith from the one they were raised in as children. For many, the findings come as no surprise. For some, they are particularly troubling. For anyone who has an interest in such matters, the findings are at the very least…challenging. Why does the Pew Study matter? To whom should it be of greatest interest...and of greatest concern? What conclusions, if any, can be drawn regarding the wanderings of Americans from one religion to another? And are those who wander lost sheep or shepherds leading the way? Listen in as our guest takes us on a tour of this churned up landscape, drawing our attention to important and fascinating points of interest along the way. Guest: Mr. Greg Smith, senior research fellow with the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life and a lead principal of the US Religious Landscape Survey.	Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life
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03/16/2008	73. Substandard in Every Way: Torture as an Interrogation Tool	There are some things you just can’t put a positive spin on. Torture is one of them. Nothing about that is good or courageous. While victims of torture are often called heroes, the perpetrator never is. Those who stoop to torture are always, but always the bad guys. For some time now, the international community has outlawed torture and the US has always agreed. That is until 9/11, after which, those in power at the highest levels decided the American position needed to be re-examined. Maybe torture is OK. Maybe it’s quite necessary. Maybe, in fact, torture… really isn’t torture at all. But while those in power discuss the legality or illegality of torture and parse words about how to define it, we wonder if all that doesn’t sidestep the more fundamental question of ‘Is it moral?’ and miss the greater point of: shouldn’t America represent something better? Shouldn’t we live up to the very ideals we purport to defend? Listen as three experts weigh in on these questions and others. Each guest brings a unique – and sometimes highly personal – perspective to the issue. Guests are: Jennifer Daskal, Senior Counterterrorism Counsel at Human Rights Watch; Mr. Orlando Tizon, coordinator of the Helping Hands Program at TASSC: Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition and himself a torture survivor; and retired General Joseph Hoar of the US Marine Corps. General Hoar is both a Vietnam and Gulf War Vet and the former Commander in Chief of the US Central Command, responsible for operations in parts of Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. He currently has his own consulting firm, and among other things advocates against torture.	Human Rights Watch TASSC (Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition Amnesty International
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03/02/2008	72. What Goes Around Comes Around: Microfinance as Social Justice	This may come as a shock to many of you but - for the record - mainstream financial institutions are set up to help those who already have financial assets. They're not set up to help those who don't. They'll be the first to tell you helping the poor get out of poverty is just not their line of work. According to most, it’s too labor intensive and too risky. But there are many economic experts who believe that delivering financial services to those of extremely limited means is as important to a country’s overall economic development as having a healthy commercial banking sector that deals in high value transactions. In fact, there is a unique area of financial services dedicated solely to helping the poor; primarily in third world and developing countries. It is called microfinance. Microfinance providers help poor people get on their feet by offering practical and manageable financial services, support,and loans. And they are starting to sprout up all over. One such organization is San Francisco based Kiva Loans launched by two young newlyweds, Matt and Jessica Flannery, just three short years ago. Since then, Kiva has distributed over 20 million dollars in micro-loans to the poor throughout the world. Where Kiva gets its funds is just one of the ingenious aspects of this inspiring story. Tune in and discover what microfinance is all about and how it helps transform the lives of both borrowers and lenders, one twenty five dollar loan at a time.It's social justice made easy! Guests are Kiva CEO and Co-Founder,Mr. Matt Flannery; and Kiva Director of Communications and PR, Ms. Fiona Ramsey.	Kiva Loans
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02/17/2008	71. The Contagion of Tribalism: Violence in Kenya- EXTENDED VERSION 39 minutes	It seems once again the subject is violence. Ghastly. Brutal. Deadly. On any given day, in any given country, and for as long as we have been keeping records of such things, human beings have perpetrated the most unspeakable violence against each other. Particularly troubling is the startling but undeniable fact that nearly all of the horrific violence in the world is carried out at the hands of those who profess to believe in a God who forbids such violence, who commands love not hate and dignity not inhumanity. And so today, the spotlight is on Kenya, a country where nearly 80 percent of the population call themselves Christian yet are just coming out of a particularly brutal and harrowing moment in their history. At this writing, after more than a month of the worst kind of barbaric violence triggered by the purported rigging of national elections, the turmoil there seems to be subsiding. But it has left deep and painful wounds that will take far longer than a month or a year or a generation to heal. What are the deeper, more perplexing reasons behind such violence? Why have neighbors who once got along suddenly unleashed such wrath upon each other? Why didn’t a set of deeper beliefs shared by many across ethnic lines, triumph over the ties of tribe? How can this sort of violence be prevented in the future and what can we as people of faith do to help? Listen in as our esteemed and knowledgeable guests discuss these and other difficult questions. Guests are: Reverend Doctor Samuel Kobia, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches and a native Kenyan; and Mr. John L. Allen, prolific author and prize winning senior correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter.	World Council of Churches Catholic Relief Services
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02/03/2008	70. Faithful Citizenship 2008: Deja Vu All Over Again	Here we are, folks. Another election year. Another opportunity to examine the role of faith in the public square. In a country where 85% of the population adheres to one faith tradition or another, it really should come as no surprise to learn that voters bring their belief systems into the voting booth with them. After all, what’s the point of shaping values and principles - a primary responsibility of all religions - if we’re not going to apply them to all aspects of our lives? What’s interesting is how those values are interpreted, prioritized and converted into a variety of actions. Currently, there are 65 million Catholics in the United States. Yet, there is by no means a monolithic Catholic voting block. Some think there should be. Others say it’s impossible. On this week’s show we will examine what the American Catholic bishops call, ‘faithful citizenship’. What is it? What does it look like in this election cycle? In a world where the issues are complex, inter-related and global, how do we know when we’re practicing faithful citizenship or not? And can two people practice faithful citizenship and yet still vote differently? We think so. But you decide. Whatever your denomination or faith tradition, you will get something out of this lively and provocative discussion! Guests:Ms. Alexia Kelley, Executive Director of Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good;Sister Sharon Dillon, Executive Director of the Franciscan Mission Service of North America and Professor Stephen Schneck, Chair of the Department of Politics at Catholic University and the Director of the University’s Life Cycle Institute.	Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good Center of Concern
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01/20/2008	69. Beloved Daughters: The Mount Saint Agnes Theological Center for Women	If a group of women get together to discuss matters of faith and theology and there's no man around to hear them...do they make a sound? If you have to ask, we'd like to suggest two things. First, you might want to get your hearing checked. Secondly, you definitely want to listen to this show. Fifteen years ago, sensing a need for a place where women could bring the first hand experiences of their lives to bear on issues of faith, theology and spirituality, Sr. Mary Aquin O’Neill, RSM, then a professor in the theology department at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, left that academic environment and headed to Baltimore to open one of the first theological centers in the country exclusively for women. With the spiritual and financial support of her religious community, the Sisters of Mercy, and the intellectual partnership of her good friend, Dr. Diane Caplin, Sister Mary Aquin O’Neill opened the Mount Saint Agnes Theological Center for Women in 1993. And it has been going strong ever since. But why a center just for women? What does Mt. St. Agnes offer that other, established theological centers in the country don’t? And why don't we discuss the feminine side of God more often? Listen in and find out! Because there is definitely something in this very rich, very enlightening conversation for everyone. Guests:Sister Mary Aquin O’Neill, RSM; PhD Vanderbilt University; specialist in theological anthropology and feminist theory; co-founder and director of the Mount Saint Agnes Theological Center for Women. And Dr. Diane Caplin, PhD Marquette University; doctor of philosophy; co-founder and associate director of the Mount Saint Agnes Theological Center for Women.	Mount Saint Agnes Theological Center for Women
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01/06/2008	68. Mountain Mission: Faith and Justice in Appalachia	For many, ‘Faith in the Marketplace’ sounds like an oxymoron. Some may debate whether they have anything to do with each other. But for economic advisor and social justice advocate, Fr. John Rausch, they are inextricably linked. Not only is ‘Faith in the Marketplace’ the name of his weekly newspaper column, it also defines his lifework among the disadvantaged people of central Appalachia. A transplanted Philadelphian, John has called the mountains of Kentucky home for more than 30 years. He arrived in the early 1970’s, armed with a Roman collar and a masters in economics. He fell in love with the place and the people and has worked on their behalf ever since. Over the years he has helped establish cooperatives among the local businesses, free health clinics for the uninsured, and the Mountain Management Institute, a traveling road show giving economic advice and aid to local cottage industries. But that was then. This is now. And the global economy has changed everything; putting most of the local companies out of business, leaving the people of Appalachia far behind and at the mercy of absentee owners and other outside interests. To make matters worse, their very homes, health and welfare are threatened by a form of coal extraction called Mountain Top Removal practiced by cost cutting mining companies. As the mining companies literally decapitate a mountain with explosive blasts more destructive than anything Tim McVeigh could dream up, the rivers and streams below are dammed up by the debris, towns are subsequently flooded out, the foundations of homes are cracked and destroyed, the water runs orange with mineral run-off, many of the men, women and children of Appalachia have become sick or worse. And the mountains are literally being blown away. So now, John and those around him continue the struggle not only for the rights of the people of Appalachia but for the preservation of the very mountains that have defined them and which they have called home for generations. Tune in to gripping interview and John’s moving account of his work among the people he loves and the place he has come to call home. Guest: Fr. John Rausch, Glenmary priest and missionary; coordinator for peace and justice for the diocese of Lexington, Kentucky; Director of the Catholic Committee of Appalachia; social justice advocate; economic advisor and writer of the weekly newspaper column, Faith in the Marketplace.	Glenmary Home Missioners Catholic Conference of Kentucky The Catholic Committee of Appalachia
show archives | current show | listening instructions | Year: 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004