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
Grief as a Sacred Opening – Zeyneb Sayilgan
Episode 97.
Burying a child is an unimaginable trauma that no parent should have to face. My guest today, Zeyneb Sayilgan, has sadly needed to endure that pain and grief twice. Through it all, her Muslim faith has sustained her and provided a path for healing. She has joined me to talk about her experience of loss and subsequent growth, as well as the related Islamic beliefs about death and the afterlife. We also touch on where the beliefs are similar to those in Judaism. Zeyneb brings both personal experience and knowledge to this complex topic.
Highlights:
- Zeyneb’s personal religious and cultural background
- Engagement with death in the Muslim community
- Comparison of death practices and attitudes in different countries
- Parallels and differences with Jewish and Christian practices
- Detailed overview of Islamic funeral practices
- Community healing through grief
- Life's value: time and eternity
Bio:
Zeyneb Sayilgan, Ph.D., is the Muslim Scholar at ICJS, The Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies in Baltimore, where her research focuses on Islamic theology and spirituality as articulated in the writings of Muslim scholar Bediüzzaman Said Nursi (1876-1960). She is the host of the Podcast On Being Muslim. You can read her publications on her blog.
References:
- https://religionnews.com/2024/05/15/what-the-dead-teach-us-about-life-a-view-from-islams-last-rites/
- https://uscatholic.org/articles/202410/what-catholics-can-learn-from-muhammad-about-grief/
- https://muslimmatters.org/2024/12/13/death-the-greatest-teacher/
Social Media and other links for Zeyneb:
- On Being Muslim podcast
- Zeyneb’s blog
- ICJS website – www.icjs.org
Suggested episodes on Living Our Beliefs:
- Elissa Felder episode
- Bonus episode on Tahara
Transcript on Buzzsprout
Social Media and other 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.