Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly is a production of THIRTEEN for WNET. Visit www.pbs.org/religionandethics for additional information. Show #1709 will be fed over PBS at 5:00 p.m. EST on November 1 (check local listings).
- Predicting Violence – Adrian Raine, Chair of the Criminology Department at the University of Pennsylvania, has studied the brain scans of violent killers for the last 35 years. In his controversial book, The Anatomy of Violence: The Biological Roots of Crime, Raine proposes that brain scans can be used not only to predict violence but prevent it. But, as Lucky Severson reports, Raine’s research raises ethical issues. Paul Wolpe, the Director of Emory University’s Center for Ethics, says he “cannot think of anything more dangerous” than Raine’s policy recommendations.
- Reza Aslan’s Zealot – Last week, there were three books about Jesus in the top 15 New York Times’ bestsellers, including Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, which has been on the list for 14 consecutive weeks. In Zealot, author Reza Aslan describes Jesus as an illiterate, zealous revolutionary who ultimately failed in his mission to liberate the Jews from Roman occupation. The book has generated debate among scholars and believers alike. Kim Lawton talks with Aslan about the assertions in his book and the controversy surrounding them.
