Godspeed Institute

Godspeed Institute - Evangelicalism with Randall Balmer - 09/07/14

Carole Hallundbaek speaks with Randall Balmer, Professor of American Religious History at Barnard College, Columbia University. A prolific writer and commentator on faith in America, he is the author of “The Making of Evangelicalism: From Revivalism to Politics and Beyond,” “God in the White House: How Faith Shaped the Presidency from John F. Kennedy to George W. Bush,” and "Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory: A Journey into the Evangelical Subculture in America."   

Topics in this hour include: the scriptural and historical origins and development of Evangelicalism in America - from the "Three P's" (Puritans, Presbyterians and Pietism) to Billy Graham; what is at the center of Evangelical faith and life; common misconceptions about Evangelicalism; the rise of other communities - Pentecostal, Fundamental, Holiness; the Religious Right; how and when Fundamentalism became politically motivated in the 1970s and "hijacked" the faith; what young Evangelicals respond to today; and much more.

GODSPEED INSTITUTE – MYSTICAL PRAYER ACROSS TRADITIONS, WITH LLEWELLYN VAUGHAN-LEE – 08/24/14

Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, Ph.D. is an author and teacher in the Naqshbandi Order of Sufism. He has specialized in the area of dream work, integrating the ancient Sufi approach to dreams with the insights of modern url psychology. In recent years the focus of his writing and teaching has been on spiritual responsibility in our present time of transition, and the emerging global consciousness of oneness. His latest book is Prayer of the Heart in Christian and Sufi Mysticism, which explores the inner listening of the heart, and the secret of ‘prayer without ceasing’ in which we discover how prayer becomes alive within the heart. This book brings together the Christian and Sufi mystical traditions in the oneness of love to which they both belong. It will benefit any practitioner of prayer, anyone who is drawn to discover a relationship with God within their heart.   

Topics in this engaging hour include: Prayer of the Heart in Christian and Sufi Mysticism; what inspired this book; what defines “mystical prayer”;  Llewellyn’s Christian background, discovery of Sufism, and the common ground between the two through mysticism; St. Teresa of Avila, Attar, St. John of the Cross, Rumi; the necessity of prayer; the stages of prayer; the silence within the heart; the mystery of divine presence; oneness; the need to pray for the Earth; devastation from the illusion of separation; the Jesus Prayer and the dhikr; the power of name; the breath as bridge; Divine unity – a merging and melting that transcends the mind and its notions of duality; and much more.

Godspeed Institute - Dr. Erik Wielenberg - 08/17/14

Caer Hallundbaek interviews Dr. Erik Wielenberg, Associate Professor of Philosophy at DePauw University and author of the books "Value and Virtue in a Godless Universe" and "God and the Reach of Reason: C.S. Lewis, David Hume and Bertrand Russell."  

In this engaging hour, Dr. Wielenberg shares his disagreement with the basic Judaic-Christian perspective that imposes moral law upon life while suggesting that life without God may be devoid of morality or meaning.  

Topics include: how a life without God continues to have meaning and moral obligations; Wielenberg's exploration of reality that embraces physical as well as value features; naturalism and the ethics of naturalism; naturalistic accounts of humility; charity and hope; his book "God and the Reach of Reason," in which C.S. Lewis, David Hume and Bertrand Russell have a 'conversation' with one another on topics such as the existence of God, suffering, morality, reason, joy, miracles and faith; the natural tendency to 'do the right thing;' the place of suffering and compassion in Buddhism; his own journey into atheism; and more.

Godspeed Institute - Dr. Ingrid Mattson - 08/10/14

Caer Hallundbaek interviews Dr. Ingrid Mattson, Professor of Islamic Studies and author of 'The Story of the Qur’an: Its History and Place in Muslim Societies.'  In 2006, Dr. Mattson was elected President of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA).  

Topics explored in this hour include: an exploration of Ramadan, the daily fast that is rigidly enjoined from dawn until sunset in the ninth month of the Muslim calendar; the spiritual gifts of Ramadan, including ensuring that the impoverished are able to enjoy the holiday; Mattson's childhood upbringing as a Catholic; the benefits of Catholicism, as well as the challenges that later altered her journey;  her discovery and budding interest in Islam; her role as President of the Islamic Society of North America; the experience of women in both Christian and Muslim communities; common misconceptions about Islam; the different types of Muslims Shiite, Sunni, Sufi); her work in Christian-Muslim Relations; the development of the Islamic Chaplaincy program in hospital, prison and military communities; "the heart of the faith" and "the core of the law" for Muslims; the gratitude she experiences as a driving force of her faith; and more.   

For more information, visit www.godspeedinstitute.com. 

Godspeed Institute - THE AFRICANA BIBLE WITH DR. HUGH PAGE JR. - 08/03/14

Carole Hallundbaek speaks with Hugh Page, Jr., an Episcopal priest and Dean of the First Year of Studies at the University of Notre Dame, where he is Associate Professor of
Theology and Africana Studies. Among other works, his publications include
'Waves, Clouds, and Flames — Impressions from Journeys Past and Present,'
'Exodus,' and a groundbreaking collection of essays, 'The Africana Bible.'

Topics in this hour include: The Africana Bible, which features a critical
commentary of each book of the Hebrew Bible; how The Africana Bible come
together and what inspired it; the needs it addresses, academically,
culturally, spiritually; how exploring the foundations and moral
implications of the spirituality of the peoples of Africa, on the
continent and in the worldwide Diaspora, is "both timely and vital;"
particular perspectives or passages from the book's essays that
demonstrate how they affect, restore or galvanize our understanding of the
Hebrew Bible; what The Africana Bible offers in terms of meaning, in
today's society; African American spirituality; Christianity in the U.S.
in light of the African diaspora; where are we? Where are we going? What 
is 'home?' 

Godspeed Institute - DO YOU QUANTUM THINK? WITH AUTHOR DIANNE COLLINS - 07/27/14

Caer Hallundbaek speaks with Dianne Collins – author of the new book 'Do You Quantum Think? New Thinking That Will Rock Your World.' 

Do You Quantum Think? is an excellent example of how more and more people are beginning the process of reevaluating the value system of self centered material greed and suggests making a quantum leap from the archaic industrial age thinking that limits us to a new era of quantum age thinking that is holistically attuned to modern developments in quantum physics, technology and spirituality. 

Topics in this hour include: what led Collins to write her book; her childhood experience of Judaism and spiritual seeking; the separation of science of faith; the 'myth of choice' around our free thinking; the system of thinking that Collins developed into 21 principles; her work as a consultant to major corporations and banks; greed; compassion; how one manager's actions are directly related to a hungry child in this interconnected world; an inadequate application of spiritual principles; how corporate vision is not enough -- that action is required for authentic change in the corporate arena, including sacrifice (i.e. of archaic values such as "profitability first"); the challenge of evolving past the era of greed and its corporate manifestation; that all spiritual growth requires surrender; and more. 

For more information visit www.godspeedinstitute.com

Godspeed Institute - The Wisdom of Daoism with Norman Girardot - 07/20/14

Joining Caer in a conversation on Daoism is Norman Girardot, University Distinguished Professor in Religion Studies at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA. His special research areas include Chinese religious tradition, especially Daoism, popular religious movements, the rise of the discipline known as “comparative religions,” and the relation of religion and outsider or visionary art.    

He is the award winning author of The Victorian Translation of China; Daoism and Ecology; and Myth and Meaning in Early Daoism: The Theme of Hundun.    

Topics in this engaging hour include: Girardot’s course on Jesus, Buddha, Mao, and… Elvis; the First Church of Elvis the Divine; humor; where religions come from; creation from a Daoist perspective; the Three Pure Ones; the Triune God in Christianity, or the Holy Trinity; yin and yang; when Daoism emerged; Lao Tzu; the Dao Te Ching; the word Dao translated as "way" or "path”; how Daoism is practiced; Daoist views on ecology; the growth of evangelical Christianity in China; philosophical and religious Daoism; the unity of spirit and matter; humility; Caer’s Tip for your Spiritual Toolbelt that you wrap around yourself each day; and more.   

For more information, visit the web page of Norman Girardot.

Godspeed Institute - NICHIREN BUDDHISM, WITH CLARK STRAND - 07/13/14

Clark Strand is a teacher, journalist, and former Zen Buddhist monk who previously served as senior editor of the magazine Tricycle: The Buddhist Review. He is the author of the books How to Believe in God: Whether You Believe in Religion or Not and Meditation without Gurus.  His latest book is Waking the Buddha: How the Most Dynamic and Empowering Buddhist Movement in History Is Changing Our Concept of Religion. The group is the Soka Gakkai International (SGI), the largest Buddhist movement in the world today, with over 12 million members. SGI bases itself on the teachings of Nichiren, the 13th-century Japanese Buddhist reformer. Through his book, Strand offers broad insight into how and why the Soka Gakkai, with its practical applications and egalitarian approach, is redefining not just Buddhism, but religion itself. 

For more information, visit www.godspeedinstitute.com. 

Godspeed Institute - DR. BETTINA SCHMIDT ON AFRO-CARRIBEAN RELIGIONS AND SPIRIT RITUALS - 07/07/14

Dr. Bettina Schmidt is senior lecturer in the study of religions at the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David. She holds a PhD in anthropology, and an MA in Anthropology and Religious Studies. Currently she serves as Honorary Secretary of the British Association for the Study of Religions, and sits on the editorial board of Diskus, the association’s journal.  A prolific writer and editor, her areas of expertise include Afro-Caribbean religions, spirit rituals, the anthropology of violence and conflict, the presence of St. Patrick in Haitian vodou, and much more.  

For more information, visit http://www.godspeedinstitute.com.

Godspeed Institute - THE PERSON OF MOHAMMED, WITH ABBAS BARZEGAR - 06/29/14

Carole Hallundbaek speaks with Dr. Abbas Barzegar, Assistant Professor of Islam in the Department of Religious Studies at Georgia State University. An Associate of the Middle East Institute, his areas of interest include contemporary Islamic  political movements, Shi’ism, and Islam in America. He is co-editor of ‘Islamism: Contested Perspectives on Political Islam,’ published by Stanford University Press in 2009.  Topics in this informative hour include: the person of Mohammed – who he was historically, and in context; whether there is an ‘historical Mohammed’ (as people have sought an ‘historical Jesus’); how Mohammed was propelled by the Messianic movement, as was common in 6th and 7th century Arabia; how he received his prophetic call at age 40; Mecca, and how it was tended by Bedouins as a place where all tribes gathered to worship One God; the development of the different Muslim groups; the difference between the Shiite and Sunni Muslim; the different clerical roles and their function; Barzegar’s latest article ‘The Persistence of Heresy: Paul of Tarsus, Ibn Saba, and Historical Narrative in Sunni Identity Formation,’ and more.