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
New Land, New Religious Experiences? (part 2) – Judith Pajo, Zeyneb Sayilgan and Meli Solomon
Episode 101.
This is the second part of my discussion with Judith Pajo and Zeyneb Sayilgan about living our faiths in America and Germany. While we have all lived in both countries, we practice different faiths, representing the three Abrahamic religions––Judaism, Christianity, and Islam respectively.
In the first part released on 12 June, we discussed our backgrounds, immigration patterns, religious identity and the dynamic of universalism and particularism. In this part, we continue the conversation about the universal and the particular, the problem with identity boxes, and the value or challenge of diversity, before shifting to the issues of the abuse of religion in national efforts to claim power.
Bio for Judith:
Judith Pajo, PhD, grew up in both Germany and the United States. She studied Catholic theology and cultural anthropology on both sides of the Atlantic and has been teaching at Pace University in New York City. Her new research on interfaith dialogue among Jews, Christians, and Muslims in Europe and North America, conceived a little over a year ago, is transforming her Catholic faith. She is currently working on an article about cultural transgressions in interfaith work. Judith lives in Queens, NY.
Links for Judith:
- Profile at Pace University
- LinkedIn – Judith Pajo
Bio for Zeyneb:
Zeyneb Sayilgan, PhD, 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.
Links for Zeyneb:
- On Being Muslim podcast
- Zeyneb’s blog
- ICJS website – www.icjs.org
Transcript on Buzzsprout
More episodes about living abroad:
- Daniel Stein Kokin 'Reinterpreting Jewish Liturgy'
- Oliver Bradley 'A Jew in Germany'
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.