Alive Enough

Technology and socialization are generally believed to have an inverse relationship; however, author Sherry Turkle offers a different take on these two concepts.  Through an interview with Krista Tippett, Turkle says that technology can actually help us live more examined lives and honor those things and ideas we hold dear.

In this interview, Turkle speaks about the difference between being used by and using technology and gives voice to a number of ideas from teaching our children the rewards of solitude to connecting with wisdom.

This interview is fascinating and benefits from her own research as a professor at MIT concerning the subjective side of technology, specifically, how it affects our attention and relationships.

DOWNLOAD:  ALIVE ENOUGH (51 minutes)

Credits: Tippett, Krista.  “Alive Enough.” On Being, American Public Media.  April 7, 2011. 

Staying Put

This is one of those interviews that every Catholic should have to listen to.  Michael Leach asks the question so many of us have asked over the years:  “Why Should I Stay Catholic?”

His answers are many:  the sacraments, papacy, over 100 different people, such as:  Walter Burghardt, Andrew Greeley, JPII, Mother Teresa and so many others.

Among the many illuminating ideas, are those concerns how the church has changed (really); and progressive decisions; and just how much you can disagree with the Church and still be Catholic.

DOWNLOAD: STAYING PUT (16 minutes)   

 Credits: “Staying Put.” America Magazine Podcast.  Interview with Michael Leach.  New York:  America Magazine,  April 4, 2011.

Adapt: Why Success Comes Through Failure

What does it take to solve a problem in a complex world?

While this question is certainly interesting enough, one might also question why Harford concludes the world is complex in the first place?

What you will learn are a few of the compromises that a person must make in order to approach a creative solution to any given problem.  The presentation is largely about business, but it applies to so many things.  Truly, a fascinating interview.

DOWNLOAD:    WHY SUCCESS ALWAYS STARTS WITH FAILURE (VIDEO) (16 minutes)

 Credits:  Harford, Tim. “Why Success Always Starts with Faiulre”  RSA.  June 6, 2011.

Saving Souls

As you know by now, The Moth takes a different perspective on a lot of issues – the kind of perspective that most of us agree with, but few of us really say out loud.

This story is about religion and Mary Kay Cosmetics – from a young girl who you would least think would be involved with either.

What follows is a wonderfully entertaining and thought-provoking story about religious tactics and beliefs.

DOWNLOAD: SAVING SOULS (14 minutes)

 Credits:  Jen Lee.  “Saving Souls.” The Moth.  May 16, 2011.

Life’s Second Half

I have been listening to Richard Rohr since I started my own journey in priestly formation.  Quite frankly, I find him prophetic.  He has a way of cutting through the complexities of theology and spirituality so that both are accessible for the every-day person.

Thankfully, Rohr is a prolific writer and speaker, so there is always something more I can read or listen to.  His latest book is entitled, Falling Upward in which he writes about the “two halves of life”

Years ago, he did a presentation on the subject with Paula D’Arcy, who is another one of my favourites, but this subject matter is refined for a new age.  So join the hosts of the America Magazine podcast as they discover what it means to fall upward.

DOWNLOAD: LIFE’S SECOND HALF (16 minutes)

 Credits: “Life’s Second Half.” America Magazine Podcast.  Interview with Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM.  New York:  America Magazine,  April 25, 2011.

If Should Have a Daughter

I fell in love with this presentation the first time I saw it.  Sarah Kay is a spoken-word poet, who as she says, writes poems to figure things out.  Her poetry is amazing and her passion for it is captivating.

There is nothing especially profound about this interview – aside from the instant desire you will have to sit down and take your own crack at poetry. . . which, okay, is pretty profound.

So sit down and enjoy Sarah’s journey from trepidation to confidence – no doubt it will inspire you as well.

DOWNLOAD:    IF I SHOULD HAVE A DAUGHTER (VIDEO)     IF I SHOULD HAVE A DAUGHTER (AUDIO)     (18 minutes)                     

 Credits:  Kay, Sarah.  “If I Should Have a Daughter.” TED Talks.  March 2011.

The End of Roe v. Wade?

There are few issues more politicized than abortion.  In the United States, the center of that debate falls to the court decision, ROE V. WADE.

Brian Lehrer sat down with Dahlia Lithwick of Slate Magazine after she published a piece on the issue.  What she clearly states is that the majority of Americans still believe that abortions should be legal in “extreme” circumstances, but that the legislature has become more emboldened as they cut away some of the original decision’s power.

What this interview does not do is take sides or declare a winner; rather if offers analysis on the trends of the debate itself and seeks to understand the reasons for those trends.

DOWNLOAD: THE END OF ROE V. WADE? (19 minutes)

 Credits :Lehrer, Brian.  “The End of Roe v. Wade?.”  Interview with Dahlia Lithwick.  The Brian Lehrer Show, WYNC, April 21, 2011. 

Driven by Flavour

Okay, so you just got finished with all the holiday cooking and you are resolved to loose some weight, so be warned – this episode is going to make you hungry – but in a good way.

In this interview, Krista Tippett discusses the meaning of really good food with Dan Barber, a celebrated young chef  at the Blue Hill Restaurant at Stone Barns.  This restaurant was named by Food & Wine Magazine as “one of the world’s top 10 life-changing experiences”.

What follows is a remarkable rediscovery of food, ecology, sustainability, economy and pleasure.  Dan discusses, what he calls, “mindful eating” and food as a connection to the divine.

So grab your favourite cup of tea and sit down a let the aromas of your favourite foods fill your mind as you are driven by flavour.

DOWNLOAD:  DRIVEN BY FLAVOUR (51 minutes)

Credits: Tippett, Krista.  “Driven by Flavour.” On Being, American Public Media.  December 9, 2010. 

Sex and the Soul

Over the years, I lost count of the number of conversations I have had about sex and spirituality.  In fact, I must admit that I am rather frustrated at the obsession people have with sex and spirituality while a non-concern about so many other spiritual issues.

Today’s interview with Jennifer Wright Knust, an ordained Baptist Pastor and Associate Professor of Religion at Boston University.  Her latest book:  Unprotected Texts:  The Bible’s Surprising Contradictions about Sex and Desire.

And she’s right:  if you are looking for guidance on relationships and sexually related issues, the Bible may be a bit problematic.  Of course, the Bible offers some wonderful moral guidelines on one level, but it also offers some ideas that must be read with great care.

DOWNLOAD:    SEX AND SOUL (50 minutes)

 Credits:  Hynes, Mary.  “Sex and Soul.”  Tapestry.  CBC Radio, February 20, 2011.

Planting the Future

I believe most of us agree that there is a connection to God and Creation, but Wangari Maathai has experienced and lived this and other related ideas with an intensity that few can comprehend.  Born in Africa in 1940, she was the first woman in central Africa to earn a Ph.D. and in 2004, she won the Nobel Peace Prize for standing up to dictators and fighting off an encroaching desert by planting 30 million trees.  She has been beaten and imprisoned, but still manages her work through the Green Belt Movement.

Her work stems from a deep belief in God and that God could not possibly be pleased with our treatment of the gifts we have been given.  She also understands the connection between the environment and the ability for the people of a country to live the lives they feel called to live. 

DOWNLOAD:  PLANTING THE FUTURE (51 minutes)

Credits: Tippett, Krista.  “Planting the Future.” On Being, American Public Media.  January 27, 2011.