Interfaith Encounters

Dr. Josh Packard, Executive Director of Springtide Research Institute, is an accomplished researcher with an expertise in the sociology of religion and new forms of religious expression. A talented speaker and writer,with over 10 years of teaching experience,Josh has been a guest on numerous radio shows and podcasts, and has been an invited speaker at many conferences, events, and workshops. He has been published widely in both academic and popular outlets, including Christianity Today, The Aspen Institute, The Huffington Post, Desert News, and Christian Science Monitor, among others. Josh earned his Ph.D. in sociology from Vanderbilt University and did his undergraduate work in English at Texas Lutheran University.  

In this riveting discussion Muhammed Elsanousi helps us understand how colonialism has built a legacy of mistrust between Muslims and Christians, and how through persistent dialogue and mutual understanding this can be overcome.  Their latest research is found here: https://www.peacemakersnetwork.org/research/

Dr. Jill DeTemple is Chair of Religious Studies, Professor of Religious Studies, and, by courtesy, Professor of Anthropology. Her research focuses on religiously sponsored development in Latin America and on the uses of dialogue for teaching in higher education.  She is currently working on two projects.  The first is a book that examines the risks of social capital approaches to development, especially when they are based in religious and gendered identities, due to release with the University of Notre Dame Press in March, 2020.  The second is an edited volume that introduces Reflective Structured Dialogue and attendant approaches to dialogic classrooms in postsecondary contexts.

Scott A. Shay is a leading businessman, thought leader, and author of several widely read books on profound issues facing the Jewish community. Scott is the co-founder and Chairman ofSignature Bank, well known as one of the best banks in New York for private business owners.Scott earned a BA in Economics and a Masters in Management from Northwestern University, a valuable experience due to the commitment of his professors to high academic standards and the ideals of the university's motto.Scott is a distinguished leader in the Jewish community and an avid student of religion and its application to the world outside of the synagogue, church, or mosque. These interests are reflected in Conspiracy U, as well as his previous two books, In Good Faith: Questioning Religion and Atheism and Getting Our Groove Back: How to Energize American Jewry. https://www.scottshay.com/ingoodfaith. 

Ruben Habito is the founding teacher of MKZCRuben began Zen practice under Yamada Koun in Kamakura, Japan in 1971 when he was a Jesuit seminarian in Japan. He came to Dallas in 1989, and is now married with two grown sons. He is a faculty member at SMU's Perkins School of Theology where he teaches World Religions and Spirituality, and directs the Spiritual Formation Program. https://www.smu.edu/PERKINS.Ruben Habito speaks four languages, travels widely and dialogues comfortably with people of many different faiths. But one simple, short Bible passage serves as his “home base.” It's Mark 1:11, “You are my beloved, in whom I am well pleased.”In Mark 1:11, Habito said, he finds a message that runs much deeper than a “warm fuzzy feeling” of being loved.“It's a way to look at the suffering and agony of all the people in the world throughout history and even now, including our own, and to understand, that in the midst of our travails, there is something or Someone that whispers into our ear, in and through all of this, that we are not forsaken, that ‘I AM with you,' that ‘You are my beloved,'” he said. Grounded in that verse, Habito has become a low-key but influential voice on the Perkins campus and beyond, as a faculty member, author, spiritual director and Zen Roshi (teacher).  At Perkins, Habito heads the spiritual formation program, as well as a certification program for spiritual directors, with the goal of giving students a spiritual grounding for their ministry. He also teaches courses in world religions, with an eye toward “unpacking what we can learn from the world's religions and enhancing and enriching our ways of doing Christian theology, ministry, and spirituality.”Beyond campus, Habito is founding teacher of Maria Kannon Zen Center, housed at White Rock United Methodist Church in east Dallas.  He began Zen practice under Yamada Koun in Kamakura, Japan in 1971 when he was a Jesuit seminarian in Japan. “The Zen Center is a central aspect of my life,” he said. “It is nourishing for me to be able to sit in silence with people from all backgrounds and traditions, or none at all, who are seeking something genuine and authentic in life.”  Mark 1:11 also informs Habito's personal practice of daily meditation, which he describes as “basically just sitting in silence, and basking in Love.”  Habito recently returned from gatherings of the Parliament of World Religions and the American Academy of Religion; he is often called on to speak at international interfaith gatherings and to participate in Buddhist-Christian dialogue.  He's also the author of several books – his most recent is Be Still and Know: Zen and the Bible – that explore connections between Buddhism and Christian faith. Habito hopes his books and his work help make Zen accessible to people of all faiths as well as those with no religious beliefs. “Zen practice leads to an experience of our connectedness with one another,” he said. “That's an underlying and recurring theme in my own work and in my own life.  Going deep into the core of our being enables us to open our hearts to that transcendent mystery, and at the same time, see our intimate connectedness with all beings, with all the earth.” Habito's current research is aimed at crystalizing an understanding of the Trinity from an experiential perspective.  With the developments in systematic theology over the last few centuries, he said, a disconnect has arisen between spirituality and theology, with spirituality becoming a subdivision of practical matters that does not inform systematic theology, which attempts to explain ultimate reality in the light of Christian faith. Habito believes reconnecting the two areas can be mutually enriching. “More and more theologians are seeing that those two areas need to be reunited in order to do theology in a viable way that would address the crucial issues of our contemporary world,” he said.   

“THERE IS A NEW CONSCIOUSNESS THAT IS DRAWING US INTO A WORLDWIDE SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY. MY DESIRE IS THAT MY WRITINGS WILL BRING ENCOURAGEMENT, THOUGHTFUL REFLECTION, AND HOPE. LET US BECOME PEACEMAKERS ANDCREATE SHALOM FOR OUR WORLD.”This episode builds on peacemaking in the work place by our previous guest, Dr. Robyn Short. https://interfaith-encounters.simplecast.com/episodes/robyn-short-religious-conflict-in-the-workplace. Rev. Zehr tells us about his book of 40 interfaith devotions that will expand the spiritual life of all those seeking peace. https://jerryzehr.com/resources-books/Jerry Zehr is an ordained minister and has served as a pastor and leader in Interfaith ministries for over 30 years. He has helped to create four interfaith organizations, including the Carmel Interfaith Alliance and the Indiana Multifaith Network. Jerry and his wife Diane have been married for over 37 years with two daughters and two grandchildren.Jerry leads workshops, retreats, and speaks at events on different aspects of  Walking the Enlightened Path, Developing Inner Peace, Learning to Forgive, and  Building Understandings of  Different Faith Traditions.Before Jerry went into the ministry, he was an professional actor performing in over 50 musicals and dramas. His novel “Blurring the Lines ” tells of his experience in the entertainment business in Los Angeles, California. The theme running through the book is “What Are You Willing to Sell Your Soul For?”

If you enjoyed last weeks episode https://interfaith-encounters.simplecast.com/episodes/suhag-shukla-on-religious-conflict-and-peace you'll love our interview this week with Dr. Robyn Short of the Workplace Peace Institute https://www.workplacepeaceinstitute.com/mission-vision-alignmentDr. Robyn Short is the founder and CEO of Workplace Peace Institute, a consulting and research firm that brings peace and dignity to the workplace. She works as an organization development consultant, peace-building trainer, mediator, racial equity coach, and restorative justice facilitator. She is the founder and publisher of GoodMedia Press, an independent book publisher that's mission is to promote peace and social justice through books and other media. Dr. Short is the founder and board chair of the Peace & Conciliation Project, a 501(c)(3) antiracism organization that brings communities together to address and repair the harm of racial injustice. She is an adjunct professor at Southern Methodist University in the Master of Conflict Management and Dispute Resolution program, Master of Conflict Management and Dispute Resolution at Lipscomb University, and Master of Leadership and Negotiation at Bay Path University. She has authored four books on peace building.

Following on our interview with Rabbi Jack Bemporad, https://interfaith-encounters.simplecast.com/episodes/rabbi-jack-bemporad, Ms. Shukla offers a distinctly different, and Hindu understanding of the sources of religious conflict and how personal transformation is in many ways the key to resolving them. For more of Ms Shukla's work go to: https://www.hinduamerican.org/thats-so-hindu-podcast. This is a statement from the HAF about their work:The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) is an educational and advocacy organization established in 2003.HAF focuses on educating the public about Hindus and Hinduism and advocating for policies and practices that ensure the well-being of all people and the planet. We work directly with educators and journalists to ensure accurate understanding of Hindus and Hinduism. We also work with policymakers and key stakeholders to champion issues of concern to Hindu Americans, including defending civil and human rights and protecting all living beings. Inspired by our guiding principles and Hindu teachings, HAF promotes dignity, mutual respect, and pluralism. HAF is a non-partisan, non-profit tax-exempt public charity pursuant to Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)3. Our MissionPromoting dignity, mutual respect, and pluralism in order to ensure the well-being of Hindus and for all people and the planet to thrive.Our Guiding PrinciplesHAF is politically agnostic and non-partisan, meaning we are informed, but do not favor and cannot endorse any one political party or any candidates. We will work with all individuals and institutions committed to and constructively engaged in promoting dignity, mutual respect, and pluralism. HAF is not affiliated with any religious or political organizations or entities. HAF seeks to serve Hindu Americans across all sampradaya (Hindu religious traditions) regardless of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, citizenship, gender, sexual orientation, age and/or disability. Our positions are based on a relentless pursuit of facts; deep consideration of Hindu principles and American values, such as freedom, equality, and justice; and the input of subject matter experts. If we like a policy, we'll say so, and rigorously substantiate our position. HAF positions will always be based on our guiding principles. And we will always advocate for what we believe is rooted in Hindu Dharma, and serves the well-being of Hindus and the greater good of all. Satya. Be truthful. We pride ourselves in offering programming and information with accuracy, integrity, and honesty. Ahimsa. Be non-harming. We aspire to work and communicate fairly and respectfully.

Rabbi Bemporad is the director of the nonprofit Center for Interreligious Understanding (CIU), which he founded in 1992. Its aim is to bring people of all religious faiths together to promote open dialogue, mutual respect, and theological understanding of the common foundations shared by the world's religions. Rabbi Jack Bemporad began teaching at Vatican universities in 1998 and has been Director of the John Paul II Center and Professor of Interreligious Studies, both at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum), in Rome since 2009. Concurrently, he also serves as Rabbi of Congregation Micah of New Jersey, in Cresskill.Fleeing the fascist takeover in Italy prior to WWII, Bemporad and his family traveled to the U.S. when he was five years old. Thus, having personally suffered as the result of persecution and prejudice, he has dedicated his career to improving relations among Christians, Muslims, and Jews worldwide. The Rabbi is recognized internationally for his diplomatic skill and leadership in matters of religious understanding and reconciliation. He is one of the rare Jewish leaders to have had a personal audience with Pope John XXIII, numerous personal audiences with Pope John Paul II, and was one of three rabbis to have blessed him shortly before his death. Most recently, he met with Pope Francis at the conclusion of the “Refugees and Migrants” conference, co-sponsored by the CIU in Rome this past November.Rabbi Bemporad is the author of numerous books and articles, including Our Age: The Historic New Era of Christian-Jewish Understanding, published by New City Press. He also edited The Inner Journey: Views from the Jewish Tradition by Morning Light Press, and contributed the chapter on “Norms of War in Judaism” for World Religions and Norms of War, published by the United Nations University Press. Most recently, he contributed a memoir of the philosopher Hans Jonas in Giacobbe E L'Angelo (Jacob and the Angel), published in Rome in 2012.

Jim Walters - is the founding director of the London School of Economics Faith Centre and leads its work in promoting religious literacy and interfaith leadership among the LSE's global student body, in government and to the wider public. He is the author of Loving Your Neighbor in an Age of Religious Conflict

Ambassador Johnson explains the challenges the future brings and then challenges us to "kick the h, e, l, and l out of challenge and turn it into change."

Linda K. Wertheimer, a veteran journalist and former education editor of The Boston Globe, is the author of the award-winning book, Faith Ed, Teaching about Religion in an Age of Intolerance. Faith Ed as well as excerpts from the book have won awards from the Religion News Association and the Education Writers Association. Linda currently is a Spencer Fellow in Education Journalism at Columbia University. She has given hundreds of talks about schools' efforts to teach about the world religions and the experiences of religious minorities in the nation's schools. In summer 2021, she gave an interfaith lecture for Chautauqua Institution. Her more than 30-year print journalism career includes reporting on education at The Dallas Morning News. More recently, her work has been published in The Washington Post and the Boston Globe Magazine.

Roland Faber was born in Austria. He received his M.A., Ph.D., and Habilitation at the University of Vienna. He occupies the Kilsby Family/John B. Cobb, Jr., Professor of Process Studies at Claremont School of Theology, and serves as Professor of Religion and Philosophy at Claremont Graduate University. He is the Founder and Executive Director of the Whitehead Research Project, and Co-Director of the Center for Process Studies. Research and publications encompass the fields of Whitehead's philosophy, Process Philosophy and Process Theology; (De)Constructive Theology; Poststructuralism (Gilles Deleuze); Transreligious Discourse (epistemology of Religious Relativity and Unity) and interreligious applications (e.g., Christianity, Buddhism, Baha'i Faith); Comparative Philosophy and Mysticism (Meister Eckhart, Nicolas of Cusa, Ibn 'Arabi), and Theopoetics (an approach to post-structuralist and process theology, which addresses the liberating necessity of multiplicity). More information on his work can be found on his webpage:http://faber.whiteheadresearch.org.

Growing up as a Baptist pastor's kid in a small town in East Texas, Bob got the chance to learn the Bible at a young age. He developed strong theological opinions, but didn't know how to live it outside the church. He knew how to debate his faith, but didn't know how to love.After marrying his high school sweetheart Niki, Bob, who initially felt that he was going to be a global missionary, felt a calling to plant Northwood Church in Keller (Dallas/Fort Worth), Texas. During the early days in his church ministry, two questions radically impacted his life: ‘When will Jesus be enough?' & ‘What if the church were the missionary?'.Drawing inspiration from early church history and the emerging church in the developing world, Bob envisioned a new way of engaging the local church to achieve common goals. He calls for building a church culture rather than a church program. Glocal (Local + Global) churches that make disciples who, transformed by the Holy Spirit, are infiltrating today's culture on a global and local scale. He believes that instead of just paying a few people to do the mission work for your church, your entire church needs to be mobilized to use their job and skills to live on mission both in your city and around the world.As he began to build friendships around the world, he realized he had so much to learn! He is conservative in theology but realized the problem is not what he believed or what Jesus said; it is how we live that out. His theology didn't change; his methodology did. Faith in the public square is where theological conviction doesn't put you in opposition with other people.Ever since, Bob has been a trailblazer in the peacemaking and international religious freedom arenas. He is frequently called upon by the U.S. Department of State, United Nations, U.S. Islamic World Forum, World Economic Forum, ambassadors, international royal families, diplomats, policy leaders, and others for his groundbreaking work in this field. He seeks to build and execute a model whereby multi-faith and church planting combine to create flourishing cities. Bob has had the honor of engaging in bridge-building efforts in Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Israel, Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Egypt, West Bank, Iraq, Kuwait, Iran, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, and others.Dr. Bob Roberts, Jr. is the founder of GlocalNet, a non-profit dedicated to mobilizing the church for transformation in the public square, founder and chairman of Glocal Ventures Inc (GVI) and co-founder of Multi-Faith Neighbors Network (MFNN), a multifaith organization committed to creating international religious freedom through intentional cross-cultural relationships. He is also currently the Senior Global Pastor at Northwood Church and host of the Bold Love podcast.Bob has contributed or been featured on the World Economic Forum, Fox Business Channel, Washington Post, New York Times, Huckabee Show, Religious News Service, C-Span, Templeton Religions Trust, El-Hibri, Christianity Today, Outreach Magazine and more.Bob is a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary (Doctorate of Ministry), Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (Masters of Divinity), and Baylor University (BA). He and his wife Niki have two children and three grandchildren.

https://www.amazon.com/Rethink-God-Nadiez-Bahi-ebook/dp/B08ZDGMPG4 

Dr. Josh Packard, Executive Director of Springtide Research Institute, is an accomplished researcher with an expertise in the sociology of religion and new forms of religious expression. A talented speaker and writer, with over 10 years of teaching experience, Josh has been a guest on numerous radio shows and podcasts, and has been an invited speaker at many conferences, events, and workshops. He has been published widely in both academic and popular outlets, including Christianity Today, The Aspen Institute, The Huffington Post, Desert News, and Christian Science Monitor, among others. Josh earned his Ph.D. in sociology from Vanderbilt University and did his undergraduate work in English at Texas Lutheran University

Dr. Carroll is half-Guatemalan and was raised bilingual and bicultural. In his youth, he spent many summers in Guatemala and later taught at El Seminario Teológico Centroamericano in Guatemala City for thirteen years. The realities of Central America sparked Dr. Carroll's fascination with the Old Testament. The relevance of the biblical text for the challenges of poverty, war, and politics in those developing countries led him to a passionate focus on Old Testament social ethics and the social sciences.In addition, his studies in English literature and literary theory have generated an ongoing engagement with literary approaches to the Old Testament and critical studies. Experiences in this country and abroad have led him to a deep appreciation for the unique contributions that ethnic minorities, women, and the global church make to the interpretation of the Old Testament. Before coming to Wheaton, Dr. Carroll taught Old Testament at Denver Seminary for many years and founded a Spanish-language lay training program there. At Wheaton, he hopes to model a commitment to connecting careful biblical scholarship with the mission of the church as it engages today's complex realities. Dr. Carroll has been involved in Hispanic churches and teaching on the Bible and immigration for many years. His research focuses on the prophetic literature and Old Testament social ethics. He has just completed a major commentary on the book of Amos.

Suprateem Ghosh is an IT Auditor by profession and a musician by heart along with a spiritual seeker who has been involved in few interfaith conversations in Dallas. He was raised in India where he completed his education and was exposed to multiple faiths and believes. His introduction to Advaita (non-dual) Vedanta was at an early age due to his parents. He also got his spiritual initiation at Ramakrishna Math Belur during his high school. 

Zahra N. Jamal is Associate Director at Rice University's Boniuk Institute for Religious Tolerance, and a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Consultant. An award-winning former faculty member at Harvard and MIT, Dr. Jamal was founding director of the Civil Islam Initiative at University of Chicago, founding director of the Central Asia and International Development Initiative at Michigan State, and Associate Director at The Institute for Social Policy and Understanding’s Center for the Study of American Muslims. Her fieldwork covers voluntarism, migrant labor, gender-equity, and food security in Muslim societies. Dr. Jamal consults on gender, race, and religion for the UN, State Department, Department of Justice, Aspen Institute, Aga Khan Development Network, and private corporations. She has published with Duke University Press, The New York Times, Foreign Policy, and The Hill, and appeared on BBC World News. She received her M.A. and Ph.D. in cultural anthropology and Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard, double B.A. in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies and in Slavic Studies from Rice, and is a Certified Diversity Professional.

Rev. Jack Amick, Director of Global Migration, United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR).  He directs UMCOR’s Global Migration portfolio and represents the global migration work of the General Board of Global Ministries.  In his coordination of Global Migration work, Amick serves on the United Methodist Immigration Task Force, on advisory committees for Church World Service, the board of NJFON, the ACT Alliance Migration and Displacement Reference Group, and maintains relations with several migration/refugee organizations. He has been serving at UMCOR for over seven years, 4 years of which involved the direction of disaster response programs. Amick served as pastor at local United Methodist Churches for seven years. Prior to being ordained as a United Methodist elder, Amick served two years with the Refugee Admissions Office of the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration at the U.S. Department of State and two years as Vice-Consul for Economic Affairs at the US Consulate in Mumbai, India.  As Desk Officer for Eastern Europe at the Peace Corps, Amick designed crisis responses to flooding in Central Europe and post-war recovery in Bosnia and Herzegovina.  In 1985, he volunteered for one year as director of Christian education for the seven Methodist Churches in the Caribbean nation of Grenada.  He has led the response to disasters in different contexts, including managing disaster damage assessments and family services with the American Red Cross.  Amick spent one year working with homeless individuals in the suburbs of Washington, DC.  He has been part of UMVIM teams that responded to needs in Grenada and Liberia as well as in the United States.  Amick has a Bachelor of Arts in International Service and Economics from The American University in Washington, DC, a Master of International Management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Arizona, and a Master of Divinity from the Boston University School of Theology.  Amick enjoys the outdoors, playing bagpipes, and writing liturgical prayers and poetry.  He is the father of two young adults and the husband of Rev. Susan Amick, United Methodist Deacon, who serves as Chaplain with Wesley Woods Senior Living in Atlanta.

A Houston native dedicated to the causes of diversity and women’s empowerment, Manpreet K. Singh is a supervising attorney that has tried over 50 cases.  Currently a Chapter representative for the American Board of Trial Attorneys, she also is serving as a director and trustee with the Sikh Coalition. Recognized in 2018 & 2013 as a recipient for the Diversity First Award.  And in 2011 by the Houston Young Lawyers Association, Manpreet has also been a very active member of a variety of Houston and South Asian community organizations.  She has completed the Harvard Leadership Program and the American Bar Association Leadership Academy.In 2009, Manpreet testified in front of the Texas Board of Education to include Sikhism (the world’s fifth largest religion) in school textbooks, which was then implemented by the Board for 6th and 10th grade levels. Manpreet continues to support this achievement by teaching many of these classes throughout Houston schools. She also conducts outreach sessions for Interfaith Ministries, for law enforcement, and for the Boniuk Center, where she is also served on the Board.  Manpreet also completed the FBI citizen’s diversity academy. Nationally, Manpreet travels to Washington, DC annually to lobby for passage of the Safe Schools Act to ensure the safety and inclusion of all children in their schools, to advocate for increased diversity and inclusiveness in the US Army, and to have the FBI track hate crimes against the Sikh community, which was accomplished in 2013.  Locally Manpreet testified before Houston City Counsel in support of the Equal Rights Ordinance and was able to bring the Sikh Project displaying portraits of Sikhs across America, in the City Hall Rotunda for six weeks.Manpreet has also frequently appeared in media to educate about diversity, including being interviewed by several news affiliates and writing op/ed pieces in print media about the effects of the 2012 shooting at the Wisconsin Sikh Gurdwara (place of worship).In her free time, Manpreet enjoys traveling with her husband, reading, shopping and dancing in public to embarrass her two soccer stars.

Bishop Kelly is a native of Iowa and grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He studied for the priesthood in Holy Trinity Seminary at the University of Dallas here in Irving and was ordained to the priesthood in 1982. He served in several parishes in the Dallas area since then and has served as the Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Dallas since 2016. He has lived in Irving since 2008. Bishop Kelly has been involved with:Dallas Area InterfaithCatholic Charities of DallasThe Diocesan Immigration Taskforceand is on the Board of Trustees at University of Dallas

Marv Knox is the coordinator of Fellowship Southwest, an ecumenical network affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Fellowship Southwest covers Arizona, New Mexico, Northern Mexico, Oklahoma, Southern California and Texas. It expands racial, ethnic and ecumenical relationships, and it builds partnerships to serve the most vulnerable people in the region.Previously, Marv was editor of the Baptist Standard, Texas Baptists’ news organization, almost two decades, and a journalist almost four decades. Marv was born in Fort Worth and grew up in the Texas Panhandle. He’s a graduate of Hardin-Simmons University and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Joanna, have two daughters, two sons-in-law and five grandchildren. Marv and Joanna are active members of Valley Ranch Baptist Church in Coppell, Texas. 

Debra Boudreaux is a senior volunteer with the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation. She has more than 31 years of experience working on major projects related to charity, medical care, education, and humanitarian aid. Debra was previously the CEO of Tzu Chi Medical Foundation. She leads Buddhist and Catholic interfaith dialogues and serves as a member of the UN Multi-Faith Advisory Council. She serves as the Board Secretary for Global NGO Executive Committee within the UN DGC NGO venue. She also serves as Board of Trustees of Parliament of the World's Religions.Debra has visited Thailand Refugee Center, Turkey Refugee School, Malaysia Refugee Health Clinic and TJ Refugee Shelter. She has engaged with Climate Urgency and Climate Refugees, Internal Displacement Population crisis both domestic and International.Debra graduated from University of Columbia Missouri. She engages in COVID-19 PPE distribution and Vaccination as well experiencing the medical racism at this pandemic crisis.Debra Boudreaux patterns her daily life under the teaching of Venerable Master Shih Cheng Yen, Respect, gratitude and love to all sentient beings whenever and wherever we can.

Anwar Khan President of Islamic Relief USA.  He has more than twenty five years of experience working in the field of humanitarian and development assistance. Mr. Khan has extensive experience in the field: he has traveled to five continents visiting more than 20 countries that have been affected by human conflict or natural disaster zones. Before becoming President, Anwar held a variety of leadership roles at Islamic Relief USA, directing Islamic Relief USA’s program efforts; managing its fundraising offices and operations; overseeing its fund development work; and leading the organization as Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Khan is the longest serving staff members in the organization.Mr. Khan has also served on several boards such as Interaction, and was an advisor for U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)’s Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid (ACVFA), and the U.S. State Department’s Religion and Foreign Policy Working Group. Currently, he serves on the board of World Food Program USA, Joint Learning Initiative and the Alliance to End Hunger. He is also on the advisory Council with the City of Alexandria Police and the Advisory Council for Muslim Philanthropy Institute at Indiana University. 

Julie Rayman, Senior Director of Policy and Political Affairs of the American Jewish Committee helps us understand how Jews relate through their history to migrants and immigrants, and what this means today. Since January 2012, Julie Rayman, Senior Director of Policy and Political Affairs, has served as the lead legislative advocate for AJC’s policy priorities. On behalf of AJC, she has supported the launch of congressional caucuses such as the Bipartisan Taskforce for Antisemitism, the Congressional Caucus on Black-Jewish Relations, and the Congressional Hellenic-Israel Alliance. Regularly on Capitol Hill to advocate for AJC priority legislation, she has helped position AJC as a thought and policy leader in combating global antisemitism and hate, promoting Israel’s place in the world, promoting pluralism, and advocating for strong, principled American global leadership. In addition to spearheading AJC’s outreach on Capitol Hill, Rayman also fulfills a variety of senior political liaison responsibilities for AJC, engaging with candidates and elected officials, crafting and promulgating policy position papers and Party platform suggestions, and spearheading AJC’s events on the sidelines of the Republican and Democratic National Conventions. Before coming to AJC, she was senior advisor to Congressman Heath Shuler, covering foreign policy, human rights, defense, and homeland security. Rayman holds a B.A. from American University as well as a Master’s from the National Defense University in Strategic Security Studies, with a concentration in counterterrorism. She also holds an M.A. from Georgetown University in Religious Studies.

Dr Hunt explores how religious freedom must be understood in the context of the US Constitution and it lofty goals for American society.

Dr. Hunt addresses the way in which the realm of religious freedom has expanded while the separation of religion and the state has diminished. What that means is increased tension and politicization that may serve neither religion nor society.

“For nearly 75 years, Americans United has consistently shown up in the public square ready to protect America’s constitutional guarantee of church-state separation that ensures religious freedom for all of us,” said Dr. Dent. “For me, this is especially important when we recall the dark and complicated history of a nation that has often overlooked the human rights of racial and religious minorities. I am excited to build relationships with AU’s longtime friends and to develop new interfaith partnerships in support of advocating for social justice, human dignity and freedom for all.”

Dr. Marci Hamilton, author, professor, and lawyer, has argued key religious freedom cases before the Supreme Court. In this interview she explains both why religious liberty is critical, and how a culture of religious liberty unconcerned with the public good and individual harm undermines our society.

Joel Schwitzer, regional director of the North Texas American Jewish Committee draws on his long experience with Jewish organizations to deepen our understanding of how religious freedom for one depends on religious freedom for all. And how dialogue is crucial.

Dr. Long examines the right to religious freedom as a right that originates with God and should be acknowledged by the state as a fundamental human right.

Dr. Mirza discusses human rights in the international framework of laws, with special attention to more specific regional laws such as Islamic Shari'a in dominantly Muslim countries.

Dr. Rick Halperin, head of the SMU Human Rights program talks about how education in the fundamental right of religious freedom is necessary if we are to protect the rights of all.

Dr. Grant helps us understand religious freedom in light of the experience of African Americans, who have found their religious identity, and freedom of expression, suppressed and under assault.

Dr. Patel reminds us that religious freedom also requires granting different religious groups full dignity in the public sphere.

Rachel Bresner of the ADL guides us in understanding the constitutional law surrounding the first amendment, and the shield of religious freedom should never be used to justify the sword of discrimination.

Rev. Rachel Baughman of Oaklawn UMC tells us how her congregation's freedom to minister according to the teaching of Jesus is hindered by city ordinances and a not-in-my-back-yard mentality among their neighbors.

See https://firstliberty.org for more information on Mr. Shackleford's organization and its perspectives on religious freedom. 

See http://religiousfreedomandbusiness.org for more information.

Bishop McKee is a native of Fort Worth, Texas. He was ordained as a United Methodist elder in 1979 and has served a variety of churches. He has also been a delegate to three Jurisdictional Conferences and two General Conferences.In 2012, Rev. McKee was elected to the episcopacy by the South Central Jurisdictional Conference and assigned to serve as the resident bishop of the Dallas Area. 

Mr. Krishnamurth is a past trustee of the The DFW Hindu Temple and has been involved in Temple related activities from before the formal founding of the temple.The Hindu Temple Society was founded in Jun 1982. Ever since, Mr. Krishnamurthy has been associated with the Hindu Temple in Irving essentially in religious matters. He was the Chairman of the Religious committee when the temple installed the Deities in the temple during 1990-92 period. He served as a trustee of the Temple for ten years during the period 2004 to 2014 and in 2005 he was the Chairman of the Board of Trustees.In 2002, he founded NAADHOPAASANAA which is a cultural arm of the religious services in the temple, much like the choir singing groups in the churches. It consists of performances of classical religious music and dances inside the Temple and is in its nineteenth year. The dances and music are for the enjoyment of God in our temple. This is considered one of the essential services in a Hindu Temple. Every year, over three hundred artists, mostly from the DFW area, are engaged in about fifteen to twenty, three-hour programs of Naadhopaasanaa. 

Mark Romney is currently serving as the Stake President of the Dallas Texas Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Prior to being called as Stake President in February 2016 he served from 2006 as the Second Counselor and then the First Counselor in the Dallas Stake Presidency. Among other Church positions held are Bishop, High Councilor, Ward Young Men’s President and Scoutmaster. As a youth he earned the Eagle Scout award and in 2017 was honored to receive Scouting’s Silver Beaver Award from the Circle 10 Council in Dallas. From 1972-74 he served a full-time mission for the Church in Brazil South Mission, later the Brazil Porto Alegre Mission which then comprised the states of Rio Grande do Sul and the southern half of Santa Catarina, Brazil. He is fluent in Portuguese and Spanish although his Portugues is very rusty and most likely will sound like Portañol.Mr Romney is the owner of the Texas law firm, Romney Law Firm, where he is actively engaged in international transactions law with an emphasis on Latin American issues an representation of Latin American clients in the United States

Dr. Reid is a professor at Southeastern Oklahoma State University and coordinator of the clinical Mental Health Counseling Program. He is a long time member of the International Buddhist Progress society in Richardson, where he teaches dharma. He offers the following recommendations for online guidance in Buddhist Meditation.Lama Surya Das http://www.surya.org/Sharon Salzburg https://www.sharonsalzberg.com/Roshi Joan Halifax https://www.upaya.org/

Rev. Dr. Michael Waters is the founding pastor of the Abundant Life African Methodist Episcopal Church in Dallas, Texas. Known as a pastor, professor, award-winning author, activist, and social commentator, his words of hope and empowerment inspire national and international audiences.He earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees with honors from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.He is also the author of the national award-winning books Freestyle: Reflections on Faith, Family, Justice, and Pop Culture and Stakes Is High: Race, Faith, and Hope for America, winner of the prestigious National Wilbur Award in Non-fiction. His forthcoming books include For Beautiful Black Boys Who Believe in a Better World and Liberty’s Civil Rights Road Trip, the former in partnership with the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

In this episode Rabbi Bentzi Epstein of the Dallas Area Torah Association discusses the response to, and effect of COVID 19 in the Jewish, and particularly the Orthodox Jewish Community.

Our guest today is Harbhajan Singh Virdee. He is a member of the Sikh Community and has been residing in the North Texas area for over 30 years. He is a founding member and President of Gurdwara Nishkam Seva (Sikh Temple) in Irving. He has been representing the community on various interfaith groups such as Faith Forward Dallas and the Interfaith Council of the Thanks-Giving Foundation. Harbhajan has organized many charitable projects such as supporting food banks and activities to raise funds for cancer research.

Pravrajika Brahmaprana joined the Sarada Convent at the Vedanta Society of Southern California, in 1973 and has been an ordained sannyasini since 1984. She has been a Vedanta representative on several interfaith councils in America, including the Hindu-Catholic Dialogue sponsored by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and the Snowmass InterSpiritual Dialogue, founded by Thomas Keating, O.C.S.O.; a guest lecturer at schools, colleges, and universities in America and India; and has participated in interfaith and scholastic seminars in America and abroad.Brahmaprana has compiled and edited several books on Vedanta, including The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Volume 9; Vivekacudamani of Sri Sankaracarya, translated by Swami Turiyananda; With the Swamis in America and India, and A Light to the West: the Life and Teachings of Swami Prabhavananda. She has also written numerous articles on the philosophy and practice of Vedanta for journals and anthologies in America and abroad. Brahmaprana is currently the resident minister of the Ramakrishna Vedanta Society of North Texas, in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

In addition to his work in Islamic Relief Mr Azeez offers us the following as a follow up of his interview:Interfaith Solidarity in the midst of Global Pandemic. With the Passover, Easter and Ramadan around the corner  The leaders of the Union for Reform Judaism, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, & the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) come together at the outset of their respective holy days in solidarity and in hope.https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=QDcoth4I9kA