Progressive Spirit

Kenneth Briggs is a journalist and commentator who worked for many years as religion writer for Newsday and religion editor for the New York Times. He is the author of The Invisible Best Seller: Searching for the Bible in America.   He has traveled the country talking to people about the Bible. Even as it is still a bestseller, few people know what is in it.   What is the future of the Bible when it is stripped away of its supernaturalism and it no longer provides the overarching narrative for humanity?   Join us for a candid conversation about the Bible in America.

The Beloved Community is show for activists: uniting mind, heart, and action. This month I speak with someone who models activism, intellect and spirituality, Matthew Fox. Silenced by the Vatican for his views, he left the Catholic priesthood in the early 1980s. Matthew Fox is a theologian and activist who has written over 30 books. He has introduced millions of people to Creation Spirituality. His latest book, published in 2016 is called A Way to God: Thomas Merton’s Creation Spirituality Journey. According to Fox, Merton was assassinated by the CIA. We will talk more about that as well as have a candid conversation about ecology, human rights, capitalism, and resistance.

Author Douglas Steere wrote: “To ‘listen’ another’s soul into a condition of disclosure and discovery may be almost the greatest service that any human being ever performs for another.”   Listening is a lost art that is much in demand.   Jim Petersen, counselor and retired pastor, calls listening “an act of love.”  He has written a book about listening, Why Don’t We Listen Better?  Communicating and Connecting in Relationships.  This is the second edition of a book that provides wisdom and 30 listening techniques to handle interactions and difficult relationships.  The one thing each of us can do immediately to build the Beloved Community is to learn to listen.    Jim is the pastor emeritus of Southminster Presbyterian Church in Beaverton, Oregon.

President Barack Obama is concluding his second term and history will get the last word on his presidency.  From his critics Obama is everything from a Muslim, a dictator, a socialist, and simply “the worst.”  Today’s guest wants to get in some words of defense for President Obama.Mark Hannah is a veteran of the Kerry-Edwards and Obama for America presidential campaigns. As a public affairs and media analyst, Mark blogs for PBS and the Huffington Post and appears frequently on cable news programs such as Fox News.  He is adjunct faculty member of New York University, The New School and Queens College.We talk about his latest book, The Best Worst President: What the Right Gets Wrong About Barack Obama.

Lisa Sharon Harper is the Chief Church Engagement Officer with Sojourners.Lisa has been leading trainings and helping mobilize clergy and community leaders around shared values for the common good, with a focus on racial justice. Prior to joining Sojourners, Lisa was the founding executive director of New York Faith & Justice — an organization at the hub of a new ecumenical movement to end poverty in New York City.She has written five books including Left, Right and Christ: Evangelical Faith in Politics and Evangelical Does Not Equal Republican.. or Democrat.Her latest book is called The Very Good Gospel: How Everything Wrong Can Be Made Right.

David Galston is a university chaplain, adjunct professor of philosophy at Brock University in St. Catherine’s, Ontario, Academic Director at Westar Institute, and speaker at the Quest Learning Centre.David was on Progressive Spirit about three years ago. We discussed his book Embracing the Human Jesus: A Wisdom Path for Contemporary Christianity.Today we are discussing his newly released book, God’s Human Future: The Struggle to Define Theology Today.  Check out his piece on Christian Atheism.We are thrilled to welcome David along with Joseph Bessler to Southminster Presbyterian Church in Beaverton (Portland), Oregon, November 4th and 5th for a Jesus Seminar on the Road. The topic will be The Future of Religion.

Amy Livingstone is the proprietor of Sacred Art Studio in Portland. Amy explores the intersection of theology, ancestral ways of knowing, environmentalism, and spiritual ecology. Her work is informed by her love for the earth and engagement with many forms of creative expression that include painting, sculpture, installation, and ceremony. We discuss the role of spirituality and sacred art in activism for the earth.

This is the election episode.   I speak with Laurence Leamer author of The President’s Butler, a fictional account of a billionaire who decides to run for president.Afraid of Trump becoming president?  Well, don’t be too thrilled about the alternative.  Professor Mark Lewis Taylor of Princeton Seminary has written a couple of articles for Counterpunch in which he lays out the case for defeating both Trump and Clintonian  Neo-Liberalism.It's about money. Corporations are spending over 16 million in Oregon to defeat measure 97.  I speak with Oregon PTA Legislative Director Otto Schellabout what Measure 97 will and will not do.

Becky Garrison returns to Progressive Spirit to talk about alternative spiritual communities. Secular church but not "church." Not religious but a place to connect, find meaning, do worthwhile things. We'll hear about The Portland Round--the visual arts, slam poetry, and music come together for intimacy and collaboration, Sex Positive Portland -- "members plan and host events centered around understanding and exploring all aspects of human sexuality, relationship styles, kink, gender and orientation," Prismhousepdx -- "a community connected through cannabis," Sacred Circle Dance Community -- “no previous experienced required, just a desire to dance,” Gary Austin Workshops -- "free the actor to make better choices by committing to the unknown, getting out of her head, and being in the present moment." Set List Show -- "Stand-Up Without A Net" and the Orchard Kitchen in Whidby Island near Seattle that is building community through food and sustainability. Becky is a religion writer and her credits includ

Why was Christianity so odd in its time and how did it change the way we think of religion today?Larry Hurtado is Professor Emeritus of New Testament Language, Literature,and Theology in the school of divinity at the University of Edinburgh. His research has focused on the origins and development of what he calls “devotion to Jesus” in earliest Christianity. He is an author of numerous books and an authority on the Gospels (esp. Gospel of Mark), the Apostle Paul, Early Christology, the Jewish Background of the New Testament, and New Testament Textual Criticism.We discuss his latest book is Destroyer of the Gods: Early Christian Distinctiveness in the Roman World.

Tom Krattenmaker is a writer specializing in religion in public life. He is the author of "Onward Christian Athletes" and "The Evangelicals You Don’t Know." Formerly of Portland, he is now communications director at Yale Divinity School. He is not a believer in God or the supernatural. But he digs Jesus. In his latest book, "Confessions of a Secular Jesus Follower," he talks about Jesus as a resource for those who don t have religious beliefs.

Carrie Newcomer is a songwriter, recording artist, performer, and educator. She has released 15 albums. She was on Progressive Spirit when it was called Religion For Life a couple of years ago when her album "A Permeable Life" and its companion book, "A Permeable Life: Poems and Essays" was released. She is with me again to talk about her latest album, "The Beautiful Not Yet," and its companion book, "The Beautiful Not Yet: Poems, Essays, and Lyrics."

The Beloved Community is a new 60 minute show that airs every second Friday from 9 to 10 a.m. on 90.7 KBOO/Portland.On the Beloved Community we address the philosophical and spiritual foundations for non-violence, activism, political engagement and peace building. We also hear voices of those who are building the beloved community. The goal is to gain inspiration, solidarity, wisdom, and insight for your own activism.On this episode I speak with Sarah Jaffe about her book, "Necessary Trouble: Americans In Revolt." Truthout called her book “one of the most essential books of the year.”I speak with Jaffe about her description of a new activism that has arisen since the crash of 2008. She writes about the anger and frustration that led to the Tea Party, the Occupy Movement, Occupy Foreclosure, Student Debt Resistance, OURWalmart, Black Lives Matter, and more.She discusses what links these movements together, the people behind them, their strategies, and announces a call for all of us to make some necessary

Chade-Meng Tan (Meng) is a Google pioneer, award-winning engineer, international bestselling author, thought leader and philanthropist. He is Chairman of the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute, and Co-chair of One Billion Acts of Peace, which has been nominated seven times for the Nobel Peace Prize.But that isn’t why he is a happy guy. He was happy before he was successful. He has learned the skill of accessing joy on demand! Science can now measure what ancient wisdom discovered through centuries of practice: joy is accessible. We talk about his book, "Joy On Demand: The Art of Discovering the Happiness Within."

The rising population known as “nones” for its members’ lack of religious affiliation is changing American society, politics, and culture. Many nones believe in God and even visit places of worship, but they do not identify with a specific faith or belong to a spiritual community. Corinna Nicolaou is a none, and in her book, "A None’s Story: Searching for Meaning Inside Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and Islam," she describes what it is like for her and thousands of others to live without religion or to be spiritual without committing to a specific faith.

Jenna Yokoyama is a Japanese American. She co-hosts the show Pacific Underground on KBOO in Portland, Oregon. It is heard on the FOURTH Friday of every month at 11:00 a.m. It is also on podcast via Soundcloud and iTunes. According to its website,"There are nearly 225,000 APIs in Oregon. But in one of America’s whitest states, the issues that impact us simply aren’t covered. Imagine: 225,000 stories untold.Pacific Underground is a show by Asians and Pacific Islanders (APIs) taking the mic into our own hands."Jenna covers a lot of ground in this conversation. We discuss religion, racism and the daily indignities APIs face to the social transformation underway with younger generations. She talks about the problem of the European designation “Asian” to refer to nearly half the planet as well as the necessity for APIs to unite as “Asian-Americans” for the purpose of empowerment.

Scott Brown is the Cofounder of the Colorado Center for Restorative Practices. Scott has been a long-time activist working for over 15 years with organizations including Greenpeace, the Idaho Conservation League, and the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society.He is a leading advocate for consistent nonviolence and bringing the principles and practices of restorative justice to bear on the full range of social issues. He is travelling the country talking about his book, Active Peace: A Mindful Path to a Nonviolent World.

In his 1959 Sermon on Gandhi, Dr. King said: “The aftermath of nonviolence is the creation of the beloved community, so that when the battle’s over, a new relationship comes into being between the oppressed and the oppressor….The way of violence leads to bitterness in the survivors and brutality in the destroyers. But, the way of non-violence leads to redemption and the creation of the beloved community.” On “The Beloved Community” we address the philosophical and spiritual foundations for non-violence, activism, political engagement and peace building. We also hear voices of those who are building the beloved community right here in Portland. The goal is to gain inspiration, solidarity, wisdom, and insight for your own activism. On this pilot edition of “The Beloved Community,” host John Shuck speaks with three activists. Each of them brings a unique voice and perspective to bringing Martin Luther King’s vision to fruition. Marianne Williamson, is a New York Times Bestselling author, lecturer, and activis

Seven of her twelve books have been New York Times bestsellers. Four have been #1 on that list. You have seen her on Oprah, Larry King Live, Bill Maher, Good Morning America, and Charlie Rose. You can watch her live each Wednesday on livestream through her website Marianne.com. Her spirituality is intimately connected with social justice.We discuss her latest book, Tears to Triumph: The Spiritual Journey from Suffering to Enlightenment. She takes seriously the grief of our world and the grief of individuals and how with love and courage we can transform our suffering into strength.

Five years ago the nation was stunned by the case of the Bergholz beard cutters. The Bergholz Amish Community in southern Ohio found itself outside the law by following its bishop, Sam Mullet, who became increasingly authoritarian. He controlled his community, doling out punishments, sexually abusing the wives of the men he punished, instructing members to forcibly cut beards and hair of other members of the Bergholz community.The FBI became involved when Mullet ordered his followers to cut and shave beards and hair of those he considered his enemies in other Amish communities. We are going to hear the story told from the point of view of Sam Mullet’s grandson, Johnny Mast, who eventually broke away from the community. He is the author along with Shawn Smucker of Breakaway Amish: Growing up with the Bergholz Beard Cutters.