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BETWEEN BELIEF AND UNBELIEF

Program 06-03-26-A

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E.O. Wilson is one of the world's most eminent scientists. His theory of sociobiology laid the groundwork for a new branch of science, but also created plenty of enemies. Now, he's taking aim at a new target: religion. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge we'll talk with E.O. Wilson about the growing rift between science and religion; why he calls himself a "provisional deist," and what he dislikes about the whole idea of an eternal afterlife in heaven. We'll also get a very different take on religious belief from historian Garry Wills, author of "What Jesus Meant."

SEGMENT 1:

Garry Wills is one of America's leading historians and a devout Catholic. His new book is "What Jesus Meant." Wills tells Jim Fleming that we know very little about the historical Jesus and that it doesn't matter because faith does not depend on historical facts.

SEGMENT 2:

Karen King is a historian at the Harvard Divinity School. Her books include "The Secret Revelation of John" and "What is Gnosticism?" Kind tells Anne Strainchamps that there are many early Christian texts that didn't make it into the Bible and that they give us a much fuller understanding of what it means to be a Christian. Also, the Reduced Shakespeare Company (Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor) perform an even further abridged version of their theatrical show "The Bible: The Complete Word of God" - abridged.

SEGMENT 3:

click on picture to see larger image

Renowned biologist E.O. Wilson talks with Steve Paulson about the difficulty of reconciling science and religion. Wilson calls himself a provisional deist but is a vocal critic of Intelligent Design. Wilson's books include "Sociobiology" and "Consilience" and he's just edited a collection of Charles Darwin's books called "From So Simple a Beginning."

CD copies are available at 1-800-747-7444. Ask for program number 06-03-26-A.

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Books:

• Garry Wills, What Jesus Meant (Viking;ISBN: 0670034967)
• Charles Darwin, Edward Osborne Wilson (Editor), From So Simple a Beginning: Darwin's Four Great Books (Norton; ISBN: 0393061345)
• Karen King, The Secret Revelation of John (Harvard; ISBN: 0674019032)
• Karen King, What is Gnosticism? (Belknap; ISBN: 067401071x)

Music:

• After Return:
  Lyle Lovett w/ "I've Been to Memphis"
  on "Joshua Judges Ruth"
  MCA Records
• After Wills:
  Mahalia Jackson w/ "I Can Put My Trust in Jesus"
  on "The Essential Mahalia Jackson"
  Sony Music
• After King:
  Trio Mediaval w/ "Quem Trina Polluit"
  on "Stella Maris"
  ECM Records
• After Reduced Shakespeare:
  Don Byron w/ "Frasquita Serenade"
  on "Bug Music"
  Nonesuch Records
• After Wilson:
  Alan Eskinasi w/ "Rising Eagle"
  on "Brainscapes"
  Cyber Octave Music

Distribution dates:

week of 04/29/2007 - hour 2 week of 03/26/2006 - hour 1

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Wisconsin Public Radio

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