The State Of Belief
Every week, Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush hosts lively, funny and poignant conversations with inspiring religious and civic leaders; as well as artists and activists from across the country. Listeners get a potent mix of spiritual wisdom, political strategy, and hopeful commentary from national and local leaders who are rising up to meet this urgent moment in America. With the tagline: “Where Religion and Democracy Meet,” State of Belief is a celebration of our nation’s diversities and an invitation to join together to, in the words of the great James Baldwin, "achieve our country.”
Episodes
Since 2021, a coordinated campaign to censor certain literature, curricula, and ideas has spread like wildfire across American public schools and libraries. The growing movement to ban books has found startling success, and authors and characters representing marginalized communities – including minority faiths – have been disproportionately singled out. As we mark the start of the annual Banned Books Week, we welcome repr...
What insights essential for today's divided America can be found in the timeless writing of the great James Baldwin? And what recent developments in religion news are likely to resonate throughout our culture, in faith and secular areas alike? On this week's State of Belief, the weekly radio program and podcast from Interfaith Alliance, host Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush addresses both of these topics.
The great American w...
Since the beginning, The State of Belief has consistently pushed back against elected officials exploiting their positions of power to impose their own personal beliefs on those whom they serve. While that issue remains pervasive, other politicians have demonstrated that there is a better way – how personal faith can inspire devoted public service without crossing the line and violating Church-State separation. This w...
From our nation’s founding, religion and politics have been intertwined. But the stereotype of what a “religious activist” looks like and believes is far from the reality. Our nation has a rich history of diverse people of faith fighting for justice, from racial equality, to health care access, to LGBTQ+ rights, the list goes on. This week on The State of Belief, the weekly radio show and podcast from Interfaith Alliance, ...
There are desperate needs in this world that religion and interfaith coalitions can address in uniquely effective ways. And a leading expert on the intersection of religion, development and peace joins host Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush on this week's State of Belief, Interfaith Alliance's weekly radio program and podcast.
Dr. Katherine Marshall is Senior Fellow at Georgetown University's Berkeley Center for Religion, Peac...
The Parliament of the World’s Religions brings together thousands of religious leaders and activists from around the globe and across diverse faith traditions. Interfaith Alliance was honored to participate in this month’s convening in Chicago and meet so many new friends across faith and place committed to fighting the good fight for an inclusive vision of religious freedom and democracy. This week on The State of Belief,...
More and more, scholars of religion and history are making a point to differentiate between Christian nationalism – a pernicious and anti-democratic ideology – and white Christian nationalism, a specific manifestation of this extreme movement that has influenced our nation’s policy and structures for decades. Now, a historian and researcher exposes how these themes actually date back centuries – to even before the founding...
Starting on Monday, August 14th, Chicago, Ill. will play host to a unique week-long global initiative for peace and mutual understanding: the Parliament of the World’s Religions. With a history tracing back to 1893, the Parliament’s convenings attract participants from more than 200 diverse religious, indigenous, and secular beliefs and more than 80 nations. This year’s theme is A Call to Conscience: Defending Freedom and ...
You've heard a lot of compelling State of Belief conversations addressing the very real threat of Christian nationalism to American democracy and our pluralistic society. Now it's time to expand the focus to include the damage American religion itself is enduring from this authoritarian movement. This week on The State of Belief, Interfaith Alliance’s weekly radio show and podcast, host Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush goes ...
“You’ve got to view the ban on books and the attempt to stop Critical Race Theory, by which they mean any teaching of the actual history of the country with respect to racism and white supremacy - all of these are efforts basically to condition the children of America, the young people of America, to get ready for being subjects in an authoritarian society.”
Representative Jamie Raskin has established himself as one of our ...
The Rev. Dr. Derrick Harkins has made his mark in government, religion, and media. The former director of the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the Department of Housing and Urban Development under President Biden, has also served as director of Interfaith Outreach for the Democratic National Committee, where he also led faith outreach during the 2012 reelection campaign of President Barack Obama. For...
In June, the Supreme Court delivered its ruling in 303 Creative v. Elenis, a case brought forward by Lorie Smith, an evangelical Christian website designer in Colorado who said she should not have to provide services to same-sex couples due to her religious beliefs. The court decided 6-3 that the First Amendment’s free speech protection allows businesses that involve “creativity” or “expression” to deny services to LGBTQ+ ...
The tables turn this week on The State of Belief, Interfaith Alliance’s weekly radio show and podcast. Our host, Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, will be sitting in the guest chair, as former CBS News White House Correspondent Peter Maer interviews Paul about his first year at the helm of Interfaith Alliance. As the great-grandson of Baptist theologian Walter Rauschenbusch and Louis Brandeis, the first Jewish United States ...
From the COVID-19 pandemic to the January 6th insurrection, there’s no shortage of twists and turns the nation has endured in recent years. Underpinning each of these events is a battle over what’s true and what’s false, forcing Americans to more carefully consider where they receive their information. This week on The State of Belief, Interfaith Alliance’s weekly radio show and podcast, with Independence Day almost upon u...
One year ago, the Supreme Court decimated the reproductive and religious freedom rights of Americans. Catalyzed by extremist religious activists, the conservative majority on the Court opened the door for a flood of state-level bans and restrictions by nullifying the long-standing Roe v. Wade decision. This week on The State of Belief, Interfaith Alliance’s weekly radio show and podcast, we’ll reflect on the devastating co...
All this month, Interfaith Alliance and its partners are celebrating Faith for Pride, our annual effort to mobilize people of all faiths and none in support of LGBTQ+ rights. Our work aims to energize faith-based organizations, congregations, and activists around Pride Month and equip them with the tools to support LGBTQ+ justice year-round.
On this week’s show, Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, host of State of Belie...
Since 2006, Interfaith Alliance's wekly radio show and podcast State of Belief has brought lively and impactful discussions to the homes of Americans across faith and place. Even after more than two decades, there is nothing on the airwaves like State of Belief: our conversations with inspiring leaders illuminate the path to securing equal rights for people from every background and protecting our democracy. The host ...
Nearly three decades ago, Interfaith Alliance was founded to celebrate true religious freedom and to challenge the bigotry and hatred arising from religious and political extremists. Today, that mission is more urgent than ever, as Christian nationalists and their allies try to blur the boundaries between church and state. On this week’s State of Belief, Interfaith Alliance’s weekly radio show and podcast., host ...
If there's one thing our age demands, it's courage. Courage for solidarity with the marginalized; to uphold principle; and to live with integrity. A powerful book on the subject has just been published by Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, the Epicopal bishop of Washington, DC, How We Learn To Be Brave: Decisive Moments in Life and Faith. The author joins host Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush on this week’s State of Belief...
There may be different motives behind the widespread othering of Black and LGBTQI+ Americans today, but the tactics are, sadly, effective – and dangerous to our very democracy. Worse, religious rhetoric gets dragged into the conversation even as books on historical racism get banned and some 500 anti-LGBTQI+ bills proliferate in statehouses across the country. This week on State of Belief, Interfaith Alliance’s weekly radi...
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