Living Our Beliefs: Exploring Faith & Religion in Daily Life
Religion and faith are important for millions of people worldwide. While ancient traditions can provide important beliefs and values for life, it can be hard to apply them to our lives today. And yet, weaving them into our days can bring benefits––greater meaning in life, more alignment between our beliefs and our actions, and deeper personal connection to our faith and each other.
In Living Our Beliefs, we delve into where and how Jews, Christians, and Muslims express their faith each day––at work, at home, and in public––so that we can see the familiar and unfamiliar in new ways. Learning from other religions and denominations invites us to notice similarities and differences. Comparing beliefs and practices prompts us to be more curious and open to other people, reducing the natural challenge of encountering the Other. Every person’s life and religious practice is unique. Join us on this journey of discovery and reflection.
Starter episodes with Jews:
Mikveh: Reclaiming an Ancient Jewish Ritual – Haviva Ner-David
Honoring and Challenging Jewish Orthodoxy – Dr. Lindsay Simmonds
The Interfaith Green Sabbath Project – Jonathan Schorsch
Starter episodes with Christians:
Is a Loving God in the Brokenness and Darkness? – Will Berry
Queering Contemplation and Finding a Home in Christianity – Cassidy Hall
Embodying the Christian Faith: Tattoos and Pilgrimage – Mookie Manalili
Starter episodes with Muslims:
Religious Pluralism v. White Supremacy in America Today – Wajahat Ali
How to be Visibly Muslim in the US Government – Fatima Pashaei
Bonus. Understanding the American Muslim Experience (Dr. Amir Hussain)
Living Our Beliefs: Exploring Faith & Religion in Daily Life
Embracing Oneness: Jewish Mysticism in Practice – Lex Rofeberg
Episode 95.
What comes to mind when you hear the term mysticism? Perhaps you imagine a yogi sitting cross legged in meditation, or people sitting in a circle chanting. Several religions have mystical practices, Sufism in Islam, and Zen Buddhism, for instance. Whatever the particulars, they generally share a desire to become one with the Divine and valueing of spiritual rather than intellectual understanding. Today, my guest, Lex Rofeberg, has joined me to talk about Jewish mysticism, its history, core books, challenging concepts and risks to followers. As a rabbi ordained in the Jewish Renewal movement, he is both a practitioner and critic of Jewish mysticism. Lex is co-host of the Judaism Unbound podcast and the Un-Yeshiva – a link is in the show notes. He is also an active proponent of learning from other faith traditions. In this, he shares my philosophy that learning about other paths is beneficial and does not pose a risk to your beliefs or practice.
Bio:
Lex Rofeberg (he/him) serves as senior Jewish educator for Judaism Unbound, a digital-first Jewish organization. He co-hosts and produces its weekly podcast, facilitates many of its digital rituals and events, and oversees the UnYeshiva: a digital center for Jewish learning and unlearning. He graduated from Brown University with a degree in Judaic Studies, and was ordained as a rabbi by ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal. A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Lex lived for two years in Jackson, Mississippi -- working for the Institute of Southern Jewish Life -- and he currently lives in Providence, Rhode Island with his wife.
Highlights:
- Embracing Jewish pop culture.
- Pantheism, panentheism and monotheism.
- Embodied worship and pantheism.
- Oneness and separation of the sacred and the profane.
- Hasidism, neo-Hasidism, and Chabad.
- The Zohar and Kabbalah.
- Reckoning with harm in by charismatic leaders.
Social Media links for Lex:
- Website – JudaismUnbound.com
- Bluesky – @lexaphus.bsky.social
References:
- Living Our Beliefs – Yusef Hayes episode on Sufism
- Living Our Beliefs – David Green on the Tanya and Chabad
Transcript on Buzzsprout
Social Media links for Méli:
- Website – the Talking with God Project
- Meli’s email
- LinkedIn – Meli Solomon
- Facebook – Meli Solomon
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The Living Our Beliefs podcast is part of the Talking with God Project.