A new podcast from Interfaith America explores the changing
American religious landscape.
CHICAGO — How does our religious understanding of the world inform the ways we live and work together? Eboo Patel, founder and president of Interfaith America, invites listeners to explore the question in his debut podcast “Interfaith America with Eboo Patel.”
The first two episodes will launch on Tuesday, October 11, at 5 am CDT, followed by 10 weekly episodes each Tuesday through December 20. In addition to the Interfaith America website, the podcast will also be accessible on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, among others. Interfaith America is grateful for the generous support of The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations which made this project possible.
Podcast Trailer (Coming Soon: Interfaith America with Eboo Patel)
The conversations explore American religious diversity — those traditions and belief systems that can both divide and unite us; examine the new American religious landscape; and grapple with critical issues at the intersection of our cultural and civic life. Together Patel and his guests engage with questions such as: Are voting rights a sacred value? Who’s telling authentic Muslim stories in the media? Can embracing our religious diversity help bridge polarizing divides? Patel engages a rotating guest list of more than a dozen civic leaders, educators, artists, and activists in deep conversations around faith and American civic life, including New York Times columnist David Brooks; “On Being” host and founder Krista Tippett, scholars of religion, activists, and religious leaders, among many others.
“It’s time for the next chapter in the great history of American religion. ‘Judeo-Christian’ did good work for nearly a century, but it is no longer an accurate description of our changing faith landscape,” Patel says. “This podcast will explore how we are becoming interfaith America and help us understand how faith can be a bridge of cooperation rather than a barrier of division.”
The podcast is inspired by the Islamic concept of “Deen” — our lives of faith, and “Dunya” — our lives in the material world, which has anchored Patel’s approach to building Interfaith America, the nation’s premier civic organization focused on the positive engagement of religious diversity.
Patel is a civic leader who believes that religious diversity is an essential and inspiring dimension of American democracy. Under his leadership, Interfaith America has worked with governments, universities, private companies, and civic organizations to make faith a bridge of cooperation rather than a barrier of division. Most recently, Patel facilitated a conversation at the United We Stand Summit hosted by the White House, where President Biden announced a new partnership between Interfaith America, YMCA of the USA, and Habitat for Humanity International.
Patel is the author of five books, including the recent “We Need to Build: Field Notes for Diverse Democracy” from Beacon Press. He served on President Obama’s Inaugural Faith Council and has given hundreds of keynote addresses. He is an Ashoka Fellow and holds a doctorate in the sociology of religion from Oxford University, where he studied on a Rhodes scholarship.
Photos of Eboo in the studio, cover art for the podcast, podcast logo
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Contact:
Silma Suba
Interfaith America
312 573 4770
[email protected]
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Religion News Service or Religion News Foundation.
