After the death of Muammar Ghaddafi, I wondered how I should be praying. Would Muslims want my Christian prayer? It’s a good question for interfaith dialogue, because many Christian churches hold that the true Christian mission is the evangeliz

God is for us, not against us

Sep 19th, 2011

My new “Daily Lift” was just posted, about how God never quits supporting us. That constancy reminds me of a mountain stream that just keeps moving downhill, regardless of the obstacles. It’s less than two minutes. Take a look, and let me know

What does ‘healing’ mean?

Sep 15th, 2011 23m 6s

Episode #33 is a discussion with Barbara Zeman and Shirley Paulson who are trying to find a definition of healing.Barbara has changed her mind over the years as to what healing really means. When she was young, she said, it meant that somethi

Does religion make you happier?

Sep 11th, 2011

According to a new study published in the University of Illinois Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, the relationship between religion, happiness, health, and wealth is a mixed bag. I just posted a blog on this subject on “The Seeker:

Dalai Lama in Chicago today

Jul 18th, 2011

Manya Brachear, moderator on Chicago Tribune’s “The Seeker,” asks why the Dalai Lama is so universally appreciated. Here’s my contribution to the discussion: http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/religion_theseeker.

What is spirituality?

Jul 3rd, 2011 16m 16s

Episode #32 is a question Barbara Zeman and Shirley Paulson asked each other. What concepts do we envision when we use the term ‘spirituality?’It’s an important topic for this website, especially, since the very name of the website includes t

Women Who Followed Jesus

Mar 20th, 2011

About a year ago I started noticing an extraordinary parallel between women throughout the past two millennia who devoted their lives to following Jesus. They lived with total conviction in their God-given worth, and they held their ground agai

The Code of Silence in the Church

Aug 23rd, 2010 15m 59s

Episode #31 is a discussion between Barbara Zeman and Shirley Paulson about an often unknown but potent code of silence in the church.Barbara begins the conversation by wondering aloud why it is that when women are given the chance to ex

Mary Magdalene and Catholic womenpriests

Jul 26th, 2010 19m 41s

Episode 30 is a conversation with Barbara Zeman and Shirley Paulson about the connection between Mary Magdalene of 2000 years ago and the recent Vatican action regarding the ordination of women.It’s an especially poignant topic for Barbara,

Dialogue with Buddhist Monk and Christian Scientist

Mar 27th, 2010 22m 12s

Episode #29 of SpiritualityandChristianity.com is a dialogue with Thai Buddhist Monk, Venerable Direxis and Christian Scientist, Shirley Paulson.Venerable Direxis and Shirley PaulsonIt was easy to find people to talk to at the Parliament of

The spirituality and practicality of Progressive Christianity

Feb 15th, 2010 1s

Episode #28 of SpiritualityandChristianity.com is a conversation that took place at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Melbourne, December 2009.Nick Brenton, a follower of a network of Spiritual Progressives, lives in Melbourne just a

New Thought and its relationship with Christian Science

Jan 31st, 2010 1s

Episode #27 of Spirituality and Christianity.com is a discussion about the relationship between Christian Science and New Thought.Across the aisle from each other in the Exhibition Hall at the Parliament of the World’s Religion in Melbourn

What does “spirituality” mean?

Dec 9th, 2009

I heard the word “spirituality” from so many people at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in so many different contexts, I began to wonder if anybody knows what we all mean by that word. I asked random people how they understand the word.

Religion and the media

Dec 7th, 2009

I’ve been following the program cluster called “Media and Religion” at the Parliament of the World’s Religions these past couple of days. Many of the presenters are Muslim, and their concern with the media is obvious. They share many of the les

Why interfaith relationships are good for everybody

Dec 5th, 2009

The theme of the four sessions I attended on the first day of the Parliament of the World’s Religions was understanding why interfaith or inter-religious dialogue is important and how to do it.The first session I selected was “Strengthening

Parliament welcomes

Dec 3rd, 2009

Official welcomes from Melbourne and the “Western Creation” (a traditional Australian performance group) made us very conscious of the good reasons for the Parliament of the World’s Religions to meet in Melbourne, Australia. It’s an extraordina

Christian Scientists gather in Melbourne

Dec 3rd, 2009

Christian Scientists from many parts of the world came together in Melbourne Tuesday night, in support of their presence at the PWR 2009 (Parliament of the World’s Religions).One of the themes of the meeting was an honest self-examination as

A week at the Parliament of the World’s Religions

Nov 28th, 2009

Pluralism in action!I’m heading to Melbourne, Australia today, to arrive in time for the week-long Parliament of the World’s Religions! From December 3 – 9, more than 10,000 participants from 80-plus countries are expected to convene for the w

Asking God for help

Aug 25th, 2009 27m 47s

This episode of Spirituality and Christianity.com is a conversation with Bob Wellington about asking God for help.He’s really good at caring for others and being attentive to the needs of others. But he never liked asking for help for himsel

S+C | Politics and Religion

Jul 22nd, 2009 22m 4s

Episode #26 is a conversation with Will Buchanan on the relationship between politics and spiritual ideas.Sometimes the effort to discuss politics and religious convictions in the same conversation can be hazardous. All the more reason to fin

Eucharist prayer for a Catholic and Christian Scientist

Jul 4th, 2009 1s

Episode 24 is a conversation with Michele Moon, a Roman Catholic, and Shirley Paulson, a Christian Scientist, about their mutual love of the Christian Eucharist prayer.Anyone who knows anything about Roman Catholicism and Christian Science kn

S+C | Religion, technology, and emerging media

May 31st, 2009 11m 57s

Episode #23 is another conversation with Meg Ballias, a student at Butler University and Shirley Paulson, a Christian Scientist.Meg is immersed in the issues of emerging media, and we decided to explore together the impact this new technology

S+C | Mother’s Day without Mothers

May 7th, 2009 24m 3s

Episode 22 is a conversation with Judy Valente (see episode 9) and Shirley Paulson about how they love and honor their mothers on Mother’s Day, when they’re no longer with them.My mother passed away just a few weeks before Mother’s Day this y

S+C | Religious identity and diversity

Apr 24th, 2009 21m 18s

Episode 21 is a conversation with Meg Biallas and Shirley Paulson.Meg is a religiously minded Journalism student at Butler University. She is one of nine scholarship students who attended the recent Religion Communicators Council (RCC) conven

S+C | Healing with God Part II

Apr 2nd, 2009 21m 3s

Episode #20 is a conversation about healing from a faith perspective.Shirley Paulson, a Christian Science practitioner, and Barbara Zeman, a Roman Catholic, find common ground in the quest for healing. The complexity of healing arises out of