Crossing Faiths

Brittney Hartley is an Atheist Spiritual Director through the Center of Nonreligious Spirituality. Her book is entitled No Nonsense Spirituality: All the Tools, No Faith Required. She has a Masters Degree in Theology with a focus in the Future of American Religion. In this podcast interview, John Pinna and Britt Hartley discuss Hartley's journey from Mormonism to atheism and her work as a secular spiritual director and nihilism coach. They explore themes of religious deconstruction, brain biases in faith, the role of women in spirituality, and the concept of evil from an atheist perspective. Hartley shares her views on experiencing spirituality without religious beliefs, the importance of facing existential fears directly, and her approach to helping others find meaning and connection outside of traditional religious frameworks. The conversation also touches on the historical shift from matriarchy to patriarchy in religious systems and its impact on society. Throughout the interview, Hartley emphasizes the value of critical thinking, compassion, and personal exploration in developing a secular spiritual practice. You can find Britt on social media under the handle No Nonsense Spirituality. Special Guest: Brittney Hartley.

In this episode of Crossing Faiths, host John Pinna interviews Fr. John Anderson about his recent article "Identifying Threats to the Republic. (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/identifying-threats-republic-john-e-anderson-pweje/)" They discuss the concept of human dignity in relation to concerns about the American republic. Anderson argues that the U.S. has lost sight of individual human value, instead treating humanity as a commodity. He expresses worry about the military-industrial-congressional complex that Dwight D. Eisenhower warned against, and how it threatens personal freedoms and democratic values. The conversation touches on the importance of an informed, active citizenry in maintaining a republic, the dangers of complacency and comfort, and the need for accountability and rule of law. Anderson uses examples from the COVID-19 pandemic to illustrate his points about oligarchy and the erosion of individual rights. In the second half of the conversation, John Pinna and Fr. John Anderson discuss the recent presidential debate and express concerns about President Biden's cognitive abilities. They argue that Biden's performance in the debate raises questions about his mental competence and fitness for office. The speakers discuss the potential implications for national security and global affairs, suggesting that a competency test or medical examination of the president may be necessary. They explore the possibility of invoking the 25th Amendment if Biden is found unfit, which would result in Vice President Kamala Harris becoming president. Throughout the conversation, they emphasize the importance of respecting the dignity of the individual (including Biden himself) and the need for responsible leadership given the current global challenges. They also touch on broader issues such as the Ukraine conflict, American values, and the integrity of the electoral process. Article: Identifying Threats to the Republic (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/identifying-threats-republic-john-e-anderson-pweje/) Support this podcast via Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/crossingfaiths). Special Guest: Father John Anderson.

In this interview, John Pinna speaks with Nury Turkel, a former commissioner of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), about his life experiences and work in promoting religious freedom globally. Turkel discusses his background as a Uyghur born in a re-education camp in China, his journey to the United States, and his advocacy for religious minorities. He explains the importance of the USCIRF's annual report, detailing how it designates countries of particular concern and special watch list countries based on religious freedom violations. Turkel emphasizes the significance of religious freedom as a fundamental human right and its role in U.S. foreign policy. He also addresses challenges in advocating for religious freedom, including bureaucratic resistance, global events affecting religious communities, and the need for a multifaceted approach to addressing religious persecution. The interview concludes with Turkel suggesting practical steps for advancing religious freedom globally, including working with willing countries, advocating for prisoners of conscience, and building international coalitions. https://www.nuryturkel.com/ Special Guest: Nury Turkel.

In this episode, John Pinna interviews Soraya Ahmadyar, a Muslim woman of Afghan descent living in California. They discuss Soraya's journey of faith, from growing up in a culturally Muslim family to embracing her Islamic identity as a young adult. Soraya shares her experiences balancing her Afghan heritage, American upbringing, and Muslim faith, particularly as she raises her own children. The conversation touches on challenges facing Muslim communities in the US, including stereotypes, security concerns, and conflicts between religious values and certain social trends. Soraya also discusses her involvement in local politics and community engagement, emphasizing the importance of grassroots action to address issues affecting families and communities. Throughout the interview, themes of cultural identity, faith, parenting, and civic responsibility are explored in the context of Soraya's unique perspective as a Muslim woman in contemporary America. As the eighth child out of 9 of a family of immigrants who escaped the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the late 70s, Soraya Ahmadyar has called California her home for her entire life. She attained her bachelors degree in business administration and later on pursued a masters in public administration and public policy where she now works for a local public institution. Growing up, balancing her cultural roots while assimilating to the new American values has always been a challenge. Soraya has inherited a unique worldview that tries to balance her Afghan identity with her American values while also trying to embody her Muslim identity in all facets of her life. Her professional career has led her to dedicate her life to a life of public service. From managing her own non-profit to working with the American University of Afghanistan and the American Chamber of Commerce in Afghanistan and now working in Human Resources for the capitol of Silicon Valley, Soraya is striving to raise two boys with solid core values to be invaluable members of both their home community here in America and the world community at-large. Special Guest: Soraya Ahmadyar.

In this episode, John and Elliot discuss the Biblical figure, Barabbas. During his brief appearance in all four canonical Gospels, Barabbas is presented as the anti-messiah that the people choose instead of Jesus. But John poses an interesting question: Was Barabbas the first recipient of Jesus' salvation? Join us as two thick-skinned friends from respectively Muslim and Evangelical Christian backgrounds discuss the implications around Barabbas, including the nature of salvation, the traditional precidents for antisemitism, and the question of whether Barabbas is best seen as a real historical person or as a pointed literary device.

Pinna and Elsanousi discuss how faith leaders and religious institutions can be assets in conflict resolution and peacebuilding efforts around the world. They highlight examples where religious figures like the Pope and local faith actors have facilitated dialogue, mediation, and reconciliation in conflict-ridden areas. The conversation emphasizes the importance of face-to-face interactions, understanding different faith traditions, and fostering inter-religious relationships at the grassroots level. Elsanousi advocates for utilizing theological resources, strengthening relationships between diverse faith communities, and bringing faith-based approaches to address social issues collaboratively. Dr. Mohamed Elsanousi, Executive Director of the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers (https://www.peacemakersnetwork.org/), a global network that connects grassroots peacemakers with global stakeholders for enduring peace. Formerly, he directed Community Outreach and Interfaith Relations at the Islamic Society of North America andserved on the Department of State's working group on Religion and Foreign Policy. Dr. Elsanousi holds a bachelor’s in Shariah and Law from the International Islamic University, Pakistan, a Master of Laws from Indiana University, and a Ph.D. in Law and Society from Indiana University School of Law as well as a graduate diploma in philanthropic studies from the Indiana University Center on Philanthropy. Special Guest: Mohamed Elsanousi.

The conversation covers a range of themes and topics revolving around Jonathan Randall's identity as a Jewish comedian and activist advocating for Palestinian rights. Randall discusses the distinction he sees between Judaism and Zionism, criticizing the Israeli government's treatment of Palestinians as a violation of Jewish values. He expresses support for the Palestinian cause, denouncing the occupation and human rights abuses, while also sharing his struggles navigating these views within the Jewish community. The conversation delves into the role of media and advocacy in shaping narratives, the viability of a two-state solution, and the challenges Randall faces in combining his activism with his comedy career. Jonathan Randall is a Comedian/Activist/Writer/Actor living in NYC who has performed across North America, Europe, and Asia. Jonathan is Jewish and very outspoken about Palestinian human rights, ending the occupation, and freedom & equality for all people which he advocates for across social media @jonathanrandall and on his podcats "American Jew" and "How You Like Me Now?". Jonathan has appeared on Comedy Central, ABC, MTV, TruTV, SiriusXM, in addition to a slew of commercials, podcasts, pilots, sketches, short films, and has filled in as the warm-up comic on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," but doesn't like to brag. His writing credits include TV show pilots “That's Reality” & “Swipers”, some shows on MTV you've never heard of, and a very heartfelt card for his grandmother's 100th birthday. Check out his website ThatJonathanRandallGuy.com (https://thatjonathanrandallguy.com) Special Guest: Jonathan Randall.

JT Pinna interviews Rabbi David Rosen. The conversation revolves around the Abrahamic Family House, a remarkable multi-faith complex in Abu Dhabi that houses a mosque, church, and synagogue side by side. Rabbi David Rosen, who serves as an advisor to the initiative, provides an in-depth overview of the complex, discussing its architectural design, functioning worship spaces, and the vision behind promoting religious pluralism and mutual respect. He highlights the complex's educational and interfaith programming aimed at combating prejudice and fostering understanding among different faiths. The conversation also touches upon Rosen's personal journey and motivations for engaging in multi-faith peacemaking efforts, as well as practical suggestions for individuals interested in exploring interfaith dialogue and cooperation in their own communities. Rabbi David Rosen: https://www.rabbidavidrosen.net/ The Abrahamic Family House https://www.abrahamicfamilyhouse.ae/ Special Guest: David Rosen.

In the conversation, Rachel Miner discusses her organization Bellwether International, which focuses on disrupting the cycle of genocide and creating genocide-resistant societies. She explains their approach of combining top-down systems change with bottom-up grassroots resistance movements, empowering local "bellwethers" to lead peacebuilding efforts. Miner highlights their evidence-based programming, such as trauma healing for Yazidi genocide survivors in Iraq, and their efforts to develop a predictive model using data and machine learning to identify early warning signs of genocide and devise policy interventions. Rachel has a bachelors in economics from Brigham Young University and masters in public administration from the London School of Economics and Political Science and masters in economic and political development from Columbia University. In 2021, Rachel was named a U.S. Truman Scholar. Rachel’s research explores the economics of religious freedom and has published in the Journal of Economics, Management, and Religion, and is a regular contributor on BBC Woman’s Hour, SiriusXM, and Newsweek. Her research also discusses religious freedom and technology, artificial intelligence, and using complex systems to model genocide. Rachel has presented at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, the Global Women’s Summit, the Ministerial to advance Religious Freedom, Interfaith G20, International Religious Freedom Summit, among others. https://bellwetherngo.org/ Special Guest: Rachel Miner.

More Information: Unification Church in Atlanta https://www.facebook.com/Atlantafamily English YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@lukehiguchi6044/videos YouTube Channel in Japanese https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBlyDjFRpM49u2L0JeY1icQ Special Guest: Luke Higuchi.

In this interview, Peter Henne discusses his academic work on religion and conflict. He talks about his early involvement with the Pew Research Center's groundbreaking work on quantifying religious persecution globally. Henne reflects on the challenges of engaging with religion from a policy perspective, emphasizing the need for religious literacy and humble, small-scale initiatives rather than grand efforts. He shares insights from his book on how states often fail when trying to use religion as a foreign policy tool. Additionally, Henne explores the role of interfaith dialogue, track-two diplomacy, and countering extremism through addressing underlying economic and social issues. Henne advocates for a realistic yet optimistic approach that recognizes the complexities of religious conflict while seeking practical solutions. Peter S. Henne is an Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of the Middle East Studies program in the College of Arts and Sciences in the University of Vermont. His research focuses on religion and politics, with an emphasis on conflict and foreign policy. He is currently exploring how religion can be used as a tool in peacebuilding. He is the author of Religious Appeals in Power Politics (Cornell University Press, 2023) and Islamic Politics, Muslim States and Counterterrorism Tensions (Cambridge University Press, 2017), as well as numerous scholarly and popular articles. He received his PhD in Government from Georgetown University and BA in Political Science from Vassar College. He is a native of Philadelphia, PA. Special Guest: Peter Henne.

In this conversation, Congressman Frank Wolf discusses the current state of international religious freedom advocacy with John Pinna. Wolf expresses concern that religious leaders and faith communities are not speaking out and advocating for religious freedom as they did in the past, citing examples like Chuck Colson and Rabbi Saperstein. He calls for a resurgence of religious leadership motivating their constituencies to take specific action, such as banning lobbying for countries designated as religious freedom violators. Wolf also suggests having members of Congress travel to witness religious persecution firsthand, adopting prisoners of conscience, and holding a summit to unify faith groups around issues like the persecution of religious minorities in China. The conversation explores innovative ways to reignite activism and advocacy on international religious freedom. https://www.uscirf.gov/frank-wolf Special Guest: Frank Wolf.

This conversation between John Pinna and Dr. Daisy Khan explores the rise of Islamophobia in the United States, particularly in the wake of the October 9th attack. Khan explains how Islamophobia has manifested at both the individual and institutional levels, with Muslims facing discrimination, harassment, and even job loss for expressing their faith. She emphasizes the importance of building relationships between Muslims and non-Muslims through initiatives like sharing meals and attending community events. Khan also discusses her advocacy work, including efforts to provide Islamophobia training for corporations and input on the White House's strategy to combat anti-Muslim bigotry. Dr. Daisy Khan is an award winning speaker, author and Founder and Executive Director of the Women’s Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality (WISE), a women-led organization committed to peacebuilding, equality, and justice for Muslims around the globe. Dr. Khan launched the most ambitious peacebuilding tool, WISE Up, a book and campaign aimed at fighting extremism and Islamophobia. http://www.wisemuslimwomen.org/ Special Guest: Daisy Khan.

A Christian and a Muslim talk religion & politics. In this episode, Elliot and John engage in a lively Easter-themed discussion when Elliot starts by posing the question: What to Muslims believe about the Resurrection? The conversation becomes tense at times as John wrestles with the validity of a God who would be willing to die, and Elliot struggles to understand the attraction of a faith that could consider the Crucifixion to be meaningless. But since John isn't a very good Muslim, and Elliot isn't a very good Christian, there's a lot of laughter too. Happy Easter and enjoy!

In this interview, John Pinna and Lou Ann Sabatier discuss the importance of effective storytelling, particularly in the context of advocating for international religious freedom and persecuted communities. They explore the challenges facing journalists and content creators in an evolving media landscape, emphasizing the need for strategic, intentional storytelling that resonates with audiences and drives change. Sabatier shares her "F.R.A.M.E.S." framework for crafting compelling narratives, highlighting the importance of framing issues, reframing for common ground, understanding the audience, crafting a clear message, and evoking emotion respectfully. They also delve into the role of data, verification, and trust in storytelling, as well as the need for collaboration among advocates to amplify marginalized voices effectively. https://sabatierconsulting.com https://forbwomen.org/ Special Guest: Lou Ann Sabatier.

Minhdao Le is a third-generation practitioner of Cao Dai, a religious belief system from Vietnam. In this interview, Minhdao provides some insight into the beliefs of Cao Dai, and brings attention to what he describes as a communist government-led usurping of the religion that took place when the government officially "recognized" Cao Dai in 1997. "THE CAO DAI RELIGION VS. ITS IMPOSTOR" https://vnforb.org/the-real-cao-dai-1/ Special Guest: Minhdao Le.

In this episode, John Pinna interviews Dr. John Andrew Morrow, a Muslim academic and author. Dr. Morrow shares his spiritual journey starting from a young age, studying various religious scriptures and ultimately embracing Islam after being deeply moved by the Quran. He highlights the pivotal role of the Covenant of the Prophet Muhammad with the monks of Mount Sinai in shaping his understanding of Islam. The conversation delves into Dr. Morrow's research on the covenants of the Prophet, which involved tracking down manuscripts from various sources and collaborating with other scholars. These covenants, recognized by various Islamic dynasties throughout history, emphasize the protection and rights granted to Christian communities under Muslim rule. The discussion also touches upon the historical context of early Islamic conquests, the coexistence of Muslim and Christian communities, and the importance of archeological evidence in understanding the spread of Islam. The Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of the World: https://a.co/d/7FOKyXI John Andrew Morrow's Website: https://johnandrewmorrow.com/ Special Guest: John Andrew Morrow.

Salvador Litvak is a Hollywood film director who became the Accidental Talmudist after a little miracle launched him into seven years of daily Talmud study. Sal’s Accidental Talmudist platform reaches over a million followers in 70 countries and includes Talmud classes, Torah teachings, live shows, podcast, holiday programming, Israel education, and the Greatest Jewish Jokes of All Time. https://www.accidentaltalmudist.org/ Special Guest: Sal Litvak.

Dr. James Tabor taught Christian origins and ancient Judaism at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte for 33 years until retiring in 2022, serving as department chair for a decade and holding a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago (1981). Tabor has published 9 academic books and over 50 articles combining his textual research with archaeology fieldwork in Israel and Jordan, including as co-director of the Mt. Zion excavation in Jerusalem since 2008. Tabor testified before Congress in the 1995 Waco Hearings, drawing on his expertise in ancient Biblical apocalyptic ideas to understand the 1993 tragedy. Over the past 30 years, Tabor has consulted extensively with media outlets like the New York Times and London Times while regularly writing posts for the Huffington Post and Biblical Archaeology Society. Tabor's work has been featured in dozens of TV documentaries on channels like PBS, the Discovery Channel, National Geographic, and the BBC. Tabor has just completed a new book on the historical Mary and is at work on another entitled "Jesus Betrayed: How Christianity Lost its Way" (2024). About Dr. James D. Tabor: https://jamestabor.com/about-dr-tabor/ Tabor Books: https://jamestabor.com/books Academic Blog: https://jamestabor.com Personal Blog: https://genesia.org Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/jamestaborvideos Dr. Tabor offers two on-line courses, students work at their own pace: "Jesus & Dead Sea Scrolls” https://jamestabor.com/JesusandDSS Creating Jesus: Gospel of Mark https://jamestabor.com/MarkCourse Special Guest: Dr. James Tabor.

Leray Heyne is the Founder and lead overseer of Windows of Heaven Jesus’ Storehouse and its three ministries: Jesus Christ’s CEOs, Jesus Christ’s CEOs Bible Institute, and Jesus Christ’s CEOs TV. (Source (https://jcceos.com/leray-heyne)) Website: https://jcceos.com/