A Four Part Series from TTBOOK!

Public Radio International

Wisconsin Public Radio

RELIGION IN A SECULAR AGE

Program 10-01-17-A

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It's been called all kinds of things: God, Brahman, Nirvana, All, Dao. But renowned religion writer Karen Armstrong says we've often lost sight of what this ultimate reality means, so it's not surprising it can seem so unbelievable. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge Karen Armstrong explains why modern ideas about God are so different from what our ancestors thought.

SEGMENT 1:

Karen Armstrong is a historian of religion. Her latest book is "The Case for God." She talks with Steve Paulson and says we've lost our sense of God as the ineffable; that any god we can imagine is only a symbol for the true nature of god.

SEGMENT 2:

Russell Shorto is the author of "Descartes' Bones: A Skeletal History of the Conflict Between Faith and Reason." Shorto talks with Jim Fleming about the life and work of Rene Descartes and what happened to his mortal remains. Also, Hope Edelman is the author of a memoir called "The Possibility of Everything." As she tells Anne Strainchamps, it's the story of how she and her husband sought help from native spiritual healers during a trip to Belize for their then three year old child who was overly influenced by her imaginary friend.

SEGMENT 3:

Steven Pinker is a cognitive psychologist at Harvard. His best-selling books include "The Stuff of Thought" and "How the Mind Works." His wife, Rebecca Goldstein, is a philosopher and novelist who is particularly drawn to the great 17th century philosopher, Spinoza. Goldstein's latest book is "36 Arguments for the Existence of God." Both Goldstein and Pinker are atheists, and thery talk with Steve Paulson about the debates pitting reason against faith.

CD copies are available at 1-800-747-7444. Ask for program number 10-01-17-A.

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Books & CDs:

Karen Armstrong, The Case for God (Knopf)
Hope Edelman. The Possibility of Everything (Random House)
Russell Shorto, Descartes Bones: A skeletal history of the conflict between faith and reason (Doubleday)
Rebecca Goldstein, 36 Arguments for the Existence of God: A Work of Fiction (Pantheon)
Steven Pinker, The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature (Viking)
Steven Pinker, How the Mind Works (Norton)

Websites:

• Karen Armstrong
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Armstrong
• Steven Pinker
  http://pinker.wjh.harvard.edu/
• Rebecca Goldstein
  http://www.rebeccagoldstein.com/
• Hope Edelman
  http://www.hopeedelman.com/
• Russell Shorto
  http://www.russellshorto.com/

Music:

• Opening montage:
  Angele Dubeau & La Pieta w/ “1962 – Body Building”
  On “Philip Glass: Portrait”
  Analektra
  
• After Armstrong:
  Ikarus w/ “Breathing Cultures”
  
• After Shorto:
  Jordi Savall w/ “Improvisation sur les Folies d’Espagne”
  On “Tous les matins du monde”
  Travelling
  
• After Edelman:
  Sharon Isbin w/ “La Catedral: ii Allegro solemne”
  On “La Guitara”
  Vanguard Records
  
• After Pinker & Goldstein:
  Angele Dubeau & La Pieta w/ “Movement IV”
  On “Philip Glass: Portrait”
  Analektra

Distribution dates: week of 02/20/2011 - hour 1 week of 01/17/2010 - hour 1 click HERE for timings and cues

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