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It's often touted that Rumi is one of the best-selling poets in the United States. That may be the case but popular renderings of the writings of this 13th-century Muslim have largely detached him from the Islamic tradition, and specifically Sufi mysticism. In Radical Love: Teachings from the Islamic Mystical Tradition (Yale University Press, 2018), Omid Safi, Professor of Islamic Studies at Duke University, places Jalal al-Din alongside luminaries within the rich archive of Islamic Sufi poetry. In this anthology of newly translated poetry Safi focuses on love, especially ‘ishq/eshq, what he renders as “radical love.” The volume organizes translations of Qur'an and Hadith, Sufi mystics and poets into four thematic sections: God of Love, Path of Love, Lover & Beloved, and Beloved Community. Radical Love does an excellent job of introducing readers to key ideas from Islamic mysticism that are rooted in first hand knowledge of Arabic and Persian texts. This book is valuable to both the scholar and the student because of Safi's informed nuance in both the careful selection of source passages and the subtle lyricism of his translations. In our conversation we discussed the translation of Sufi poetry in English, strategies to translation work, love in the Islamic tradition, the reception of Rumi, Ahmed Ghazali's first book in Persian on love, Qawwali singers, contemporary sheikhs, and several key Sufis authors. Kristian Petersen is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy & Religious Studies at Old Dominion University. He is the author of Interpreting Islam in China: Pilgrimage, Scripture, and Language in the Han Kitab (Oxford University Press, 2017). He is currently working on a monograph entitled The Cinematic Lives of Muslims, and is the editor of the forthcoming volumes Muslims in the Movies: A Global Anthology (ILEX Foundation) and New Approaches to Islam in Film (Routledge). You can find out more about his work on his website, follow him on Twitter @BabaKristian, or email him at kpeterse@odu.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
For more information, check us out at Plattewoodschurch.orgConnect with us socially:Instagram: @plattewoodschurchFacebook: plattewoodschurchPlattewoodschurch.org/worship
It's often touted that Rumi is one of the best-selling poets in the United States. That may be the case but popular renderings of the writings of this 13th-century Muslim have largely detached him from the Islamic tradition, and specifically Sufi mysticism. In Radical Love: Teachings from the Islamic Mystical Tradition (Yale University Press, 2018), Omid Safi, Professor of Islamic Studies at Duke University, places Jalal al-Din alongside luminaries within the rich archive of Islamic Sufi poetry. In this anthology of newly translated poetry Safi focuses on love, especially ‘ishq/eshq, what he renders as “radical love.” The volume organizes translations of Qur'an and Hadith, Sufi mystics and poets into four thematic sections: God of Love, Path of Love, Lover & Beloved, and Beloved Community. Radical Love does an excellent job of introducing readers to key ideas from Islamic mysticism that are rooted in first hand knowledge of Arabic and Persian texts. This book is valuable to both the scholar and the student because of Safi's informed nuance in both the careful selection of source passages and the subtle lyricism of his translations. In our conversation we discussed the translation of Sufi poetry in English, strategies to translation work, love in the Islamic tradition, the reception of Rumi, Ahmed Ghazali's first book in Persian on love, Qawwali singers, contemporary sheikhs, and several key Sufis authors. Kristian Petersen is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy & Religious Studies at Old Dominion University. He is the author of Interpreting Islam in China: Pilgrimage, Scripture, and Language in the Han Kitab (Oxford University Press, 2017). He is currently working on a monograph entitled The Cinematic Lives of Muslims, and is the editor of the forthcoming volumes Muslims in the Movies: A Global Anthology (ILEX Foundation) and New Approaches to Islam in Film (Routledge). You can find out more about his work on his website, follow him on Twitter @BabaKristian, or email him at kpeterse@odu.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies
It's often touted that Rumi is one of the best-selling poets in the United States. That may be the case but popular renderings of the writings of this 13th-century Muslim have largely detached him from the Islamic tradition, and specifically Sufi mysticism. In Radical Love: Teachings from the Islamic Mystical Tradition (Yale University Press, 2018), Omid Safi, Professor of Islamic Studies at Duke University, places Jalal al-Din alongside luminaries within the rich archive of Islamic Sufi poetry. In this anthology of newly translated poetry Safi focuses on love, especially ‘ishq/eshq, what he renders as “radical love.” The volume organizes translations of Qur'an and Hadith, Sufi mystics and poets into four thematic sections: God of Love, Path of Love, Lover & Beloved, and Beloved Community. Radical Love does an excellent job of introducing readers to key ideas from Islamic mysticism that are rooted in first hand knowledge of Arabic and Persian texts. This book is valuable to both the scholar and the student because of Safi's informed nuance in both the careful selection of source passages and the subtle lyricism of his translations. In our conversation we discussed the translation of Sufi poetry in English, strategies to translation work, love in the Islamic tradition, the reception of Rumi, Ahmed Ghazali's first book in Persian on love, Qawwali singers, contemporary sheikhs, and several key Sufis authors. Kristian Petersen is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy & Religious Studies at Old Dominion University. He is the author of Interpreting Islam in China: Pilgrimage, Scripture, and Language in the Han Kitab (Oxford University Press, 2017). He is currently working on a monograph entitled The Cinematic Lives of Muslims, and is the editor of the forthcoming volumes Muslims in the Movies: A Global Anthology (ILEX Foundation) and New Approaches to Islam in Film (Routledge). You can find out more about his work on his website, follow him on Twitter @BabaKristian, or email him at kpeterse@odu.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/middle-eastern-studies
It's often touted that Rumi is one of the best-selling poets in the United States. That may be the case but popular renderings of the writings of this 13th-century Muslim have largely detached him from the Islamic tradition, and specifically Sufi mysticism. In Radical Love: Teachings from the Islamic Mystical Tradition (Yale University Press, 2018), Omid Safi, Professor of Islamic Studies at Duke University, places Jalal al-Din alongside luminaries within the rich archive of Islamic Sufi poetry. In this anthology of newly translated poetry Safi focuses on love, especially ‘ishq/eshq, what he renders as “radical love.” The volume organizes translations of Qur'an and Hadith, Sufi mystics and poets into four thematic sections: God of Love, Path of Love, Lover & Beloved, and Beloved Community. Radical Love does an excellent job of introducing readers to key ideas from Islamic mysticism that are rooted in first hand knowledge of Arabic and Persian texts. This book is valuable to both the scholar and the student because of Safi's informed nuance in both the careful selection of source passages and the subtle lyricism of his translations. In our conversation we discussed the translation of Sufi poetry in English, strategies to translation work, love in the Islamic tradition, the reception of Rumi, Ahmed Ghazali's first book in Persian on love, Qawwali singers, contemporary sheikhs, and several key Sufis authors. Kristian Petersen is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy & Religious Studies at Old Dominion University. He is the author of Interpreting Islam in China: Pilgrimage, Scripture, and Language in the Han Kitab (Oxford University Press, 2017). He is currently working on a monograph entitled The Cinematic Lives of Muslims, and is the editor of the forthcoming volumes Muslims in the Movies: A Global Anthology (ILEX Foundation) and New Approaches to Islam in Film (Routledge). You can find out more about his work on his website, follow him on Twitter @BabaKristian, or email him at kpeterse@odu.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history
Rev Chris Jimmerson's service delivered on August 17, 2025. On this very special music Sunday, we'll pay tribute to some of the musical greats and examine the spiritual messages and legacies they have given us.
For more information, check us out at Plattewoodschurch.orgConnect with us socially:Instagram: @plattewoodschurchFacebook: plattewoodschurchPlattewoodschurch.org/worship
Send Wilk a text with your feedback!Bridging Racial Divides Through Sacred, Selfish & Shared Action – DTH Episode 276 with Rev. Dr. Terrlyn L. Curry AveryDr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of the Beloved Community — a vision of reconciliation, redemption, and shared humanity. This week, Wilk is joined by Rev. Dr. Terrlyn L. Curry Avery (“Dr. TLC”), a groundbreaking “pastologist” who unites the worlds of psychology and ministry to lead transformative conversations on race, leadership, and healing.Drawing from her Sacred Intelligence framework, Dr. TLC unpacks the three keys to building bridges across racial divides:Sacred Motive – clarifying the deeper “why” behind our leadership and commitment to dismantling racism.Self~ish Mindset – challenging our own conditioning, fear, and bias to make courageous, values-driven choices.Shared Movement – stepping beyond our silos to create authentic, cross-racial relationships that inspire change.With decades of experience as a pastor, licensed psychologist, author, speaker, and current Interim Executive Director of the Healing Racism Institute, Dr. TLC brings powerful insight into how personal transformation fuels collective action. Whether you're a leader, community builder, or simply someone who believes in love over hate, this episode will challenge and inspire you to take the next step toward a more united future.
Rev Chris Jimmerson's service delivered on August 10, 2025. Our world can feel challenging, if not downright scary these days. Add to that the challenges and losses in life we will all encounter, and it can feel as if renewal, hope, and change for the better are no longer possible. And yet history and human resilience have shown us over and over again that there is a wellspring of love that makes hope, peace, and joy always still available to us.
For more information, check us out at Plattewoodschurch.orgConnect with us socially:Instagram: @plattewoodschurchFacebook: plattewoodschurchPlattewoodschurch.org/worship
“When we first started this, we were up against a powerful current—guys just around the corner selling dope, others robbing folks. Meanwhile, we were giving out book bags and feeding people. And slowly they began putting the dope away, putting their guns down, and coming over—not because we preached at them, but because we showed them love,” Dr. Yusef Bunchy Shakur. In less than 30 minutes, this powerful interview between Khary Frazier of Detroit is Different and Dr. Yusef Bunchy Shakur, Executive Director of the Michigan Roundtable for Just Communities, reveals how two decades of love, resistance, and vision have transformed Detroit's Zone 8 through the Ava Joe and Durron Festival & Backpack Giveaway. With over 30,000 backpacks distributed, a crack house turned community hub, and the memory of elders guiding the way, this story is a blueprint for building a just and beloved community. It's raw, real, and rooted in the grit, dignity, and joy of Black Detroit. Watch this and be inspired to plant seeds and pour water where you stand. Detroit is Different is a podcast hosted by Khary Frazier covering people adding to the culture of an American Classic city. Visit www.detroitisdifferent.com to hear, see and experience more of what makes Detroit different. Follow, like, share, and subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Sticher. Comment, suggest and connect with the podcast by emailing info@detroitisdifferent.com
Rev Carrie Holley-Hurt's service delivered on August 3, 2025. Pride was a riot ...and pride was a party. Pride is also liberation, self-actualization, and so much more. Let's celebrate Pride in community as members of our congregation share the ways they experience pride in their own lives.
For more information, check us out at Plattewoodschurch.orgConnect with us socially:Instagram: @plattewoodschurchFacebook: plattewoodschurchPlattewoodschurch.org/worship
Rev Chris Jimmerson's service delivered on July 27, 2025. One of our church's most transformative ways of deeply connecting with fellow church members and experiencing profound spiritual growth is by participating in a Chalice Circle or Wellspring ministry group. Join us and hear four participants share their experiences and the real differences they make possible.
Rev Chris Jimmerson and Rev Dr Nicole Kirk's service delivered on July 20, 2025. For this special service we stream Rev. Dr. Nicole Kirk's sermon delivered at our annual Unitarian Universalist General Assembly. She examines how our ancestry, heritage, and religious values have prepared us for the challenges and opportunities of our time.
Lisa Pina-Warren has worked at the Nonviolence Institute for more than 15 years, and now she's risen to the role of executive director. She joins host Edward Fitzpatrick to talk about the nonprofit, her personal motivation for promoting peace, and her vision for the future. Tips and ideas? Email us at rinews@globe.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
What does it look like to prayerfully open up more fully to both suffering and hope? Christopher Mack wonders how we attend to the Goodness of God as an invitation to grow in prayerful discernment, empowerment, and liberation. [Colossians 1:9-14] Reflection What is one way I can grow in attending to God's Nonviolent Inclusive Kin-dom? Where do I need to grow my endurance for building Beloved Community? How might I compassionately welcome this moment without feeling resigned to the status quo? Resource Book: The Way of the Heart: The Spirituality of the Desert Fathers & Mothers by Henri Nouwen Book: Good Enough: 40ish Devotionals for a Life of Imperfection by Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie
Rev Chris Jimmerson's service delivered on July 13, 2025. Over the past decade, First UU Church of Austin has twice offered immigration sanctuary to immigrants fearing unjust detention and deportation. What might being a sanctuary church look like, given the racist, police state tactics we are currently witnessing under the intentionally deceptive guise of national security and immigration enforcement?
Dr. Cornel West explores what it means to fight for justice from a place of love, joy, and moral clarity. This soulful dialogue centers the vision of the “Beloved Community” and the values that keep movements alive.
Guest Speaker, AJ Juraska's service delivered on July 6, 2025. At the 2024 General Assembly, UUs adopted an Action of Immediate Witness titled "Solidarity with Palestinians", yet many UUs have remained relatively quiet on the subject of Palestine. What do our values tell us about what is happening in Palestine? Join AJ Juraska as we explore how our UU values help us move past silence into solidarity.
Guest Speaker, Rev. Carrie Holley-Hurt's service delivered on June 29, 2025. Join Rev. Carrie as she explores how our UU history and values help us meet the moment we find ourselves in.
Ep. 318 Diversity, Identity, and Belonging - Living Out Loud as the Beloved Community with Robert Ward, RScP From the Sunday Service at the Center for Spiritual Living in Redding on 6-29-25
Guest Speaker, UUA fellowshiping candidate Nancy Mohn Benard's service delivered on June 22, 2025. Putting Love at the center. How centering love can help us build bridges during polarizing times.
The Buddha created the sangha, or community, of monastics, but his teaching spread to every level of society and we can each be part of a sangha. In this talk Mary discusses the ethical foundations of such a community and how we can create a wise and supportive community where we are. Recalling the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King's idea that we "are tied together in a single garment of destiny, caught in an inescapable net of mutuality" and Thich Nhat Hanh's idea of Interbeing, Mary invites us to reflect on community or sangha in our own lives.Recorded June 14, 2025 in the virtual worldBhikkhu Bodhi: The Buddha's Teachings on Social and Communal Harmony Larry Yang: Awakening TogetherSend me a text with any questions or comments! Include your name and email if you would like a response - it's not included automatically. Thanks.Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings.
Rev Chris Jimmerson's service delivered on June 15, 2025. For individuals, feeling a part of something larger than oneself can increase happiness, enhance well-being, create a greater sense of purpose and meaning in life, give us a sense of belonging, and improve mental health in a variety of areas. First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin is a part of our larger UU faith and an even larger effort to build Beloved Community. Might fully engaging this larger belonging confer these same benefits to us a religious community?
We're talking this month about Building a Bigger Tent at our farmers markets. Let's remember that the more people and communities we welcome to markets, the deeper our variety of produce, products and personalities. Exclusion, whether purposeful or just thoughtless, means we miss out on all the richness that comes with diversity. Sagdrina Brown Jalal is back with us for this episode, just in time for Juneteenth. While that day of historic remembrance is coming up next week on June 19th, observances and events will start this weekend and extend into next. We're talking about how your market can support that holiday. And we're looking at how organizations like the West Georgia Farmers Cooperative are working to level the playing field and lift up small farmers all year round. Tune in while we discuss: Support can be more appropriate than leadership The exhausting history of resilience Bridging urban and rural division Looking beyond Federal funding Partnership and collaboration as strength #Farmersmarkets #Juneteenth #Blackfarmersmarkets #Cooperatives #Belovedcommunity #SageDCollective
Rev Chris Jimmerson and Chalice Camp Youth's service delivered on June 8, 2025. We often think of freedom as an individualistic act of escaping that which limits us. And that may be a part of the whole. What if a more complete understanding of freedom involves a communal embrace of our interdependence and the choices we make in order to live love?
Rev Michelle LaGrange and Rev Chris Jimmerson's service delivered on June 1, 2025. Today's service will be our last with Rev. Michelle. Join us as we celebrate the good work we have done together and wish each other well with blessings for the journey.
Green Dreamer: Sustainability and Regeneration From Ideas to Life
How does sensing into our zones of stretch, comfort, and panic help us to expand our capacities for love and nonviolence — in their more radical iterations? Where might accountability come from in a world that seems to reward behaviors that are extractive, exploitative, and narcissistic?Our latest conversation features Kazu Haga, the author of Fierce Vulnerability, who invites us to shift the ways that we understand “power” and to center relational healing when addressing injustice.What does it mean for us to step into the role of becoming healers of collective trauma?We invite you to…tune in and subscribe to Green Dreamer via any podcast app;subscribe to kaméa's newsletters here;and support our show through a one-time donation or through joining our paid subscriptions on Patreon or Substack.
Rev Michelle LaGrange and Rev Chris Jimmerson's service delivered on May 25, 2025. Rev. Michelle and Rev. Chris will answer questions about the church, life, the universe, and everything (though neither will pretend to have the answers to all that).
Ariana Zetlin and Vik Joshi join Cara and Derek to talk about the 2024 Northeast Philosophy of Education Society meeting and the way it assisted the fantastic work that they share with us here. For more info on Project Belonging, click here.For the 2025 NEPES call for papers, click hereAs always, recommend future topics and guests here.
"If you never lived in a beloved community, you'll never know what it's all about." In this powerful and personal episode of Detroit is Different, Coach Kellogg known on the ballot as Kevin Jones—steps into the studio not just as a lifelong Eastsider but as a griot of the neighborhood he loves and serves. From growing up on St. Aubin and Leland to organizing one of Detroit's largest neighborhood cookouts and now running for City Council in District 5, Kevin drops gems like, "We are not just restoring homes, we are restoring hope." This conversation covers everything from his family's Great Migration story out of Bessemer, Alabama, to the transformative power of youth basketball leagues, and the resilience it took to turn incarceration into community planning. As he says, "My nonprofit was born behind prison walls, but its mission was born from love." If you've ever questioned what real grassroots leadership looks like in Detroit, this is the blueprint. Tune in for a dialogue packed with purpose, Eastside pride, and the kind of truth that makes you lean in and listen harder. Detroit is Different is a podcast hosted by Khary Frazier covering people adding to the culture of an American Classic city. Visit www.detroitisdifferent.com to hear, see and experience more of what makes Detroit different. Follow, like, share, and subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Sticher. Comment, suggest and connect with the podcast by emailing info@detroitisdifferent.com
All songs and texts used with permission. All rights reserved. Opening Prayer written by Jo-ed Tome Opening Song: Release by Deirdre Ní Chinnéide from the album Cultivating Seeds of Liberation: Songs of Justice and Joy Sung Psalm Opening and Doxology: Richard Bruxvoort Colligan from the album Monk in the World: Songs for Contemplative Living Psalm 139: Tune: The Banks of Claudy, Words: Kiran Young Wimberly © 2015, from the album Celtic Psalms Vol 2. Performed by Simon de Voil Reading of the Night: Luther E. Smith, Hope is Here!: Spiritual Practices for Pursuing Justice and Beloved Community. Westminster John Knox Press (2023) page 183. Closing Song: Mend Your Heart by Dena Jennings from the album Cultivating Seeds of Liberation: Songs of Justice and Joy Closing Blessing written by Jo-ed Tome Prayers, readings, and blessings voiced by Claudia Love Mair and Jo-ed Tome. Audio engineering by Simon de Voil. Please note: All of the songs and prayer responses are published on albums in the Abbey of the Arts collection unless otherwise noted. In addition, these songs & responses have accompanying gesture prayers and/or dances created by Betsey Beckman that can be found on the corresponding video collections. Audio and video recordings of the Prayer Cycles are available at AbbeyoftheArts.com.
Dr Charles and Julia take time to wrap up this lovely series of pods on the Beloved Community. They cover: how the depths of a theology of kingdom multi-ethnicity form us and offer us a continued way forward even when academic and corporate DEI spaces are feeling pressure and pressback; God's heart for his people; why empathy and curiosity take so much energy; and the difference between forming a Christian vocation of repair vs just getting mad and breaking things. Also, Dr. Charles ends with a solid word of hope and encouragement because this continued work of building and becoming the beautiful community is... uh.... yea, difficult.... especially in increasingly tenuous times. Listen in, do your homework, and take good care of your souls, my friends. The link mentioned in the podcast is Vineyard.Online, then three easy steps: register, click CORE, and scroll to the 'kingdom multiethnicity' pathway. ENJOY!
There are two guests on this week's episode of The Chauncey DeVega Show. Dr. Justin Frank is a former professor of psychiatry at George Washington University. He is the author of several books including Trump on the Couch: Inside the Mind of the President. Dr. Frank returns to the podcast and explains the importance of listening to and trusting our feelings and emotions in this time of fear, exhaustion, and collective trauma. Dr. Frank also interprets some of the common dreams that people experience during times of great stress and anxiety. He also shares his expert advice about how to be a good listener who gives useful advice to those who reach out to us for help. Rev. Adam Russell Taylor is president of Sojourners and author of A More Perfect Union: A New Vision for Building the Beloved Community. He explains how the Age of Trump is an extreme moral, political, and spiritual crisis. Rev. Taylor warns that the Christian right-wing is now implementing a decades-long plan to remake the country into a Christofascist theocracy and that Trump's rise to power has made that possible. Rev. Taylor also shares the importance of spiritual discipline and how it can empower collective action in what will be a long struggle to renew and defend American freedom and social democracy in this time of darkness. Chauncey DeVega explains the German concept of Gleichschaltung (“synchronization”) and how it applies to Trumpism and the larger American neofascist revolutionary project to remake all aspects of the country's politics, culture and life. Chauncey struggles with his love of professional wrestling and great excitement about how John Cena has finally, after 25 years, turned “heel” versus the reality that the WWE has many connections with the Trump administration and this time of horribleness. And Chauncey DeVega also shares some stories about the everyday heroes he recently encountered in his neighborhood and travels. WHERE CAN YOU FIND ME? On Twitter: https://twitter.com/chaunceydevega On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chauncey.devega My email: chaunceydevega@gmail.com HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT THE CHAUNCEY DEVEGA SHOW? Via PayPal at ChaunceyDeVega.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thechaunceydevegashow