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The notion of “the umma” — the community of Islamic believers — is often thought to be at odds with modern (post-Westphalian) notions of national territory. Islam, it is said, transcends the geographic boundaries of the nation-state and this may present unique problems for how societies understand and interact with one another. Prof. Matthew Derrick discusses the role of territory in history and how the umma fits into this, taking on scholars such as Samuel Huntington and Bernard Lewis who see a disjuncture between the umma and national territory. Prof. Derrick, a geographer, argues that territory is still important and often trumps transnational religious identity, or is at least a concept that cannot be discarded so easily.

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Would you ever consider taking a vacation in an actual, working Catholic monastery? Prof. Margarita Mooney did … and not just once! Prof. Mooney shares her experience of living among the Servants of the Lord convents in Washington DC and Italy, as well as a visit to the Belmont Abbey in North Carolina. We talk about the monastic life in the Catholic Church from a sociological point of view at first, discussing various trends in who joins religious orders. Then Margarita shares her own experiences in living for short periods of time among nuns and monks, revealing what daily life is like for many of these folks and what it is like to be an “outsider” living amongst them. She notes how enlightening such trips can be, how welcoming many of these religious orders are, and how you could schedule your own such visit. Click on “read more” for relevant links.

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With events in Egypt and elsewhere in the Middle East changing rapidly, we take a look at how the issue of religious liberty is taking form in countries touched by the Arab Spring (or Arab Awakening). Prof. William Inboden of the University of Texas, and a former policy advisor, explains what the Arab Spring is, how it came about, and how issues of religious freedom play into the political changes we are witnessing in that region of the world. We also discuss whether the US should be promoting religious liberty in its foreign policy as a means of limiting extremism and violence.

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Just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday here in the United States, Prof. Tracy McKenzie (Wheaton College) takes us on a tour of the world of the Pilgrims who landed in Plymouth. We discover who they were, how they worshipped and the interesting (not commonly known) history of The “First” Thanksgiving. More than just a “grade school” understanding of this American tradition, Prof. McKenzie challenges Christians to engage in a deeper understanding of their own history. This interview will make for great conversational tidbits around the dinner table!

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St. Peter, St. Paul, St. Patrick. We know these saints. But what about St. Pietro Parenzo, the Blessed Sebastián de Aparicio, or St. Faith of Conques? Who dat? Brian O’Neel, author of “Saint Who? 39 Holy Unknows” talks to us about Catholic sainthood, discussing the process by which one becomes a saint, how someone might be removed from sainthood (St. Christopher anyone?) and why saints are important in the life of the Church. Along the way, we talk about the life of a couple lesser known individuals who lived extraordinary lives and who serve as role models for Catholics and many other individuals of great faith.

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In an unusual podcast format, we take a peek into a “small group” at Redemption Church called “Theology on Tap” to discover how your typical churchgoer wrangles with political issues in light of their evangelical faith. The topic of the night’s discussion was “Who would Jesus vote for?” Listen to the various twists and turns, and sometimes surprising statements, from this group of sixteen individuals in the small town of Duvall, WA.

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What hath Election 2012 wrought? We examine the 2012 presidential campaign with RealClearReligion editor and author Jeremy Lott who recently published a free e-book on the shifting electoral coalitions that we are observing this campaign season. Jeremy notes that religious coalitions are shifting in such a way that the US party system is starting to resemble the European system with one party being “religion friendly” while the other is becoming wholly secular. President Obama’s faith is examined and how the perception of his religiosity among the population has posed a problem for him. We then look at how Catholics are (or may be) starting to realign their partisan loyalties away from the Democratic Party to the Republicans. How has Mitt Romney managed this shift? We examine his choice of Paul Ryan, a Catholic, as a running mate and whether or not evangelicals will be spooked by Romney’s Mormon faith. This interview was recorded on October 15, 2012, before the second presidential debate.

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Prof. Kevin Cooney of Northwest University gives us a general perspective of what spiritual life is like in Japan, focusing first on Shintoism and Buddhism, but then exploring the hidden history of Christianity. He discusses the suprisingly early arrival of the “Nestorian Church,” followed several hundred years later by Jesuit missionaries. What happens when the Catholic Church is forced to go underground and how does the opening of Japan to the West and then its imperialist phase impact Christianity? We also explore where Christianity sits today in Japan and how religion relates to fertility rates.

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One year ago, we interviewed Pastor Matt Boswell who was part of a small team that created a church in one week’s time. We return to the scene of our initial interview to see what has changed over the course of the year. This is a fascinating interview that provides insights into how churches grow and change. We tackle a wide range of topics including how church’s maintain attendance and enthusiasm, why more people are getting married on water skis, what pastors learn from visiting other churches, why popcorn buckets may or may not be a good thing for collecting tithes, and Matt’s theory of pacifism. Plus, Tony reveals his biggest fear in church. Interested in how church’s operate? This podcast is for you!

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What role does faith play in the realm of elite athletics? Dr. Timothy Dalrymple shares his life story as a championship-caliber gymnast (winning a national title at age 15 and the NCAA with Stanford University in 1995) and also talks about his new book on Jeremy Lin, the underdog basketball phenomenon who took America by storm in 2012. Tim discusses the highs and lows of being a dedicated competitor and how his faith helped him through this journey. He also reveals what happened to him spiritually when he broke his neck in a gymnastic accident just before the 1996 Olympic tryouts. We use this discussion to help us understand the fascinating emergence of Jeremy Lin, who led the New York Knicks on an incredible seven game winning streak in February 2012 despite coming off the bench. We talk about the role that religion plays in Jeremy’s life and compare and contrast the media reaction to him with that being given to Tim Tebow (former Bronco quarterback now playing the NY Jets). We finish with some thoughts on what Christians in sports have to say about the state of American Christianity in general.

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