Esoterica Parts 1 & 2

Over the years we've had many discussions on human sexuality and spirituality, including religion's response to homosexuality. As of late, Pope Francis has been making headlines and encouraging controversy with his recent declaration that gives permission to priests to bless gay couples. While many have accused the pontiff of opening the door to a future that endorses same-sex marriage, allies are insisting that this is not the case. The issue here is quite technical and nuanced. To unravel it all we called upon Ryan Di Corpo, a protege of Fr. James Martin (an advocate encouraging dialogue on this issue who has appeared on Common Threads several times). Ryan has a great understanding of the history of how the Church has dealt with this hot-button topic and where they may go from here. Ryan Di Corpo is the managing editor of Outreach. A former Joseph A. O’Hare, S.J., fellow at America, his work has appeared in The Washington Post, Boston College Magazine, The Emancipator and elsewhere. He holds a B.A. in film from Fordham University and an M.A. in journalism from Northeastern University, in Boston. He has been interviewed by several outlets, including Newsweek, the National Catholic Reporter and The Washington Times. He is originally from Massachusetts.

For centuries, Judeo-Christian culture has held a place for the more esoteric elements of spirituality. These would include alchemy, magic, astrology, mysticism and more. Most western religions reject them now as superstitious, or even dangerous. But several millennia ago, the practitioners of these arts (as they were classified then) were members in good standing of their churches, synagogues and mosques. In this episode, Fred discusses the subject "Esoterica" with a man who has a Ph. D in the subject: Justin Sledge.

Rabbi David Krishef & I have been friends & colleagues for years. We've had him on before to discuss a fascinating event in his life several years ago. We're having him on again, this time to discuss a remarkable new book of his. If you are a fan of the poetry of the Psalms, I think you'll find this compelling.

A cynic might chalk this up to a bit of nepotism, but I would protest. Tom Stella, my cousin, has made more appearances on Common Threads than any other guest. But aside from the sharing of DNA, Tom continues to explore the deeper parts of spirituality in which so many find resonance. In these 2 episodes we discuss his latest book "Meditation for Mediocre Mystics." Tom was ordained a Catholic priest at Notre Dame in 1972; an event I'm pleased to say I witnessed. He currently serves as a chaplain, retreat leader, spiritual advisor and author. Oh, and he continues to marry and bury a good number of members in his large extended Italian-American family. I suspect you'll enjoy this.

Even though it's been over 40 years, the memory of Jonestown and the massacre that ended it still haunts the American psyche. Few realize that the number of Americans killed on that fateful day is the highest right under the Twin Tower attacks of 9/11. Since the initial reporting of the event, little attention has been paid to any Michigan connections. Recently, MLive reporter Cole Waterman learned of a small group of citizens from various parts of the state who did meet their end in Guyana. He decided to focus on the life and death of one person in particular--Shirlee Fields. In this episode we discuss how Jonestown fascinated Cole, who was not yet born when this all happened. And we get a glimpse of a hometown girl who grew up with a passion to fight social injustice, but was ultimately led into a toxic cult that belied the ideals she held so strongly. Here are the 2 episodes where we featured Cole.

One of the most contentious issues of 19th Century Christian America revolved around the veracity of the story of Joseph Smith and his discovery of golden plates that became the foundation of the Book of Mormon. In these episodes we speak with Prof. Richard Bushman, whose book on this subject is perhaps the most detailed on the subject you'd want to see.. What piqued my interest is that while Dr. Bushman is a practicing Mormon, his academic credentials are impeccable. And he retired from Columbia University. This is interesting because so many academicians in the field of Religious Studies are actually quite secular. Above & beyond the main focus of our conversation, I question him on what it's like to be a believer in a conservative religion in the midst of the liberal landscape of college campus. Listen to what he says.

In these episodes we converse with 4 writers of religion who contributed to the now best selling book Sitting In the Shade of Another Tree. And yeah, I'm in it as well, but please don't hold that against the book and these fine minds. We were all tasked with writing an essay on a religion not our own that we hold in high estimation for one reason or another. This is a very intimate look into the personal journeys of people who in most cases did not find much value in faiths outside of their fold. Great conversations. Listen!

Armin Langer is a DAAD Visiting Assistant Professor at the Center for European Studies. Prior to joining CES, he was a Visiting Research Scholar at Brandeis University's Schusterman Center for Israel Studies in Waltham, MA, a Transatlantic Partnership on Memory & Democracy Fellow at the Center for German Studies at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, and worked for the Center for Jewish Ethics at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Wyncote, PA. His research interests are migration, identity politics and populism in Europe and the US. He is author of a monograph on German-Jewish integration, co-edited an anthology on Jewish-Muslim entanglements and published several articles in edited volumes and peer-reviewed journals, including the German Studies Review (SSCI, AHCI), Studi Irlandesi. A Journal of Irish Studies (ESCI) and Journal of Jewish Ethics (ESCI). He has received various prizes and grants, such as the Western Jewish Studies Association's Baron Award or the University of Notre Dame's Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism Grant. Armin holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the Humboldt University of Berlin. He also studied philosophy and Jewish studies in Budapest, Jerusalem, Potsdam, and Washington, D.C., and graduated with two M.A.'s and two B.A.'s. He was ordained as a rabbi by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and has had teaching and pulpit positions in Jewish communities in the US, Mexico, Sweden, Germany, Austria and Hungary.