Speaking of Faith program on spirituality now on 50 public radio stations

"Public radio offers news , comedy, even car-repair advice—but it usually steers clear of spirituality. Now a new series, Speaking of Faith, hopes to fill that void. The program, launched nationally in July 2002, has been picked up by more than 50 stations across the [US] .... Bill Buzenberg, senior vice president of news for Minnesota Public Radio, says the program of overdue. 'The media generally do a fairly poor job of covering religious issues. Often it's just the controversy that gets covered in the news pages, or on the networks, or even on public radio,' he says. 'We need to cover religion where people are, not just at the extremes.'

"The show is hosted by Krista Tippett, an Oklahoma native and the granddaughter of a Southern Baptist minister. Tippett, a journalist-theologian with a master's degree in divinity from Yale University, has done work for Newsweek, The New York Times, and the British Broadcasting Corp. The former Fulbright scholar calls herself 'a person of faith.' 'I'm a Christian. I don't apologize for that,' she says. But her goal isn't to convert people or to debate religious doctrine. Instead, Tippett says, she wants to get people from all religious backgrounds to share 'how their faith really shapes them. It gets people to speak in the first person, the intersection of theology and human experience, which is to say "real life." We're allowing deeply religious people to speak in deeply religious ways, which is very new in public radio,' she says....

"So far, topics have included Pentecostalism progressive Islam, prayer, and depression. John Gregory, WEKU [Richmond, Kentucky] FM's program director, likes what he has heard. 'It's very thought-provoking, and it's designed to bring people together in a discussion of religious beliefs, not to divide us,' he says. The program doesn't tell listeners what to believe, he says: 'It's trying to get people to think for themselves.' "

Frank E. Lockwood
"Spirituality at last comes to public radio;
showing faith's effect on life is goal"
The Lexington Herald-Leader
January 17, 2004

READERS 'HUNGRY' FOR BOOKS ABOUT THE BIBLE

"It's been said that the Bible is the most popular book that no one reads. Most households own a copy—or several—but polls indicate that few people actually read it. When it comes to books about the Bible, though, people are not only buying but also reading and talking about what they've read. In fact, there are so many nonfiction books about or inspired by the Bible that covering them all would require a book of its own.

" 'There's always been a great interest in the Bible but, ironically, we're living at a time when Biblical illiteracy is at an all-time high,' said Bruce Nichols, vice president and senior editor of Simon & Schuster's Free Press. 'Readers don't know chapter and verse anymore, and yet they're strangely hungry for books that address all aspects of the Bible and theories about its authorship.' "

Marcia Ford
"Inspired by the Book of Books;
most people may not read their Bibles,
but they seem more than ready to read about the Bible"
Publishers Weekly
January 12, 2004

IS LIGHT GOD? PHYSICIAN EXPLORES THE QUESTION

"An Alabama physician who wrote a book on faith and science has an intriguing theory: What if light and God are the same? 'If God is not light, there certainly is a very intimate relationship going on [between them],' said T. Lee Baumann, author of God at the Speed of Light (ARE Press, $14.95). His theory has piqued the interest of more than a few readers since it was published last year by the Association for Research and Enlightenment.... While he was training to be a physician, Baumann began reading books on quantum physics and Einstein's theory of relativity. 'I was a religious skeptic,' said Baumann, 53, a graduate of Vanderbilt University and Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, who grew up in Springfield, Illinois. But he said he kept noticing spiritual elements cropping up in scientific concepts. 'Einstein in his theory of relativity says that time stops at light speed,' Baumann said. 'It's theoretically possible that any light wave can travel the entire universe, and no time has elapsed. In a sense, light can be everywhere in the universe at once. Any light wave has the capacity and potential of being everywhere in the universe at once.'

"Like God, he said. If time potentially doesn't exist for light waves, then light can be in the past, present, and future simultaneously, Baumann said. Another characteristic of God, he said. Physicists have also found that the energy potential of light waves is infinite, he said. Some scientific experiments even show evidence that light can change itself in ways that indicate light rays may have consciousness, Baumann said. 'Light is conscious,' he said. 'Light alters its behavior in ways that cannot otherwise be explained.' "

Greg Garrison
"God Really is Light, Physician Argues"
©2004 Religion News Service. Used by permission.
January 8, 2004

Volunteering 'opens doors and brightens lives'

"Whether it's rescuing endangered species or helping to build affordable housing for fellow Canadians, volunteering opens doors and brightens lives. 'The act of volunteering, of connecting with other people, is now thought to be as important to health and well-being as exercise and diet,' says Linda Graff, a management consultant who specializes in not-for-profits. 'Studies in the US are starting to prove what we already know anecdotally.' In their efforts to attract volunteers, more and more groups reflect this.... Volunteer projects can take hours, weeks, or months. They can be done in groups or individually. No matter. The bottom line, according to participants: You get more than you give....

"Volunteer work offers the chance to get a totally different perspective on life, to meet new people and learn new skills, says Christine Gaides, volunteer coordinator at the White Light Hospice.... After the September 11, 2001, terror attacks in the United States, 'we got a lot of calls from people interested in volunteering,' says Abby Robins, communications manager at Second Harvest, a nonprofit group that picks up surplus perishable food from grocery stores, hotels, food manufacturers, and caterers, and distributes it to agencies helping low-income families. The calls came from successful, professional people who said 9/11 really changed their thinking about what's important in life, Robins says."

Helen Henderson
"Helping others will help you too"
The Toronto Star
January 23, 2004