Speaking of Faith: Why religion Matters and How to Talk About It is a quick paperback book composed of the intricately woven personal reflections and intellectual journeys of public radio personality and talk show host Krista Tippett.
Krista hosts a public radio show about religion that shares the same title as her book. Speaking of Faith – the show – is intelligent, meaningful, pluralistic and postmodern. It is an intellectual and spiritual hodgepodge of religion, meaning, beauty, ethics and ideas. Speaking of Faith – the book – is more of the same, of course.
Tippett’s book reads like a spiritual memoir. It is narrative bathed in personal story, emotion, journey and expression. It is the story of one woman’s journey away from the expressed Evangelicalism of her Southern Baptist preaching grandfather, to a form of global secular politicking, and then back to a place existing somewhere beyond the two wherein expressed spirituality is very, very important, but not fundamentally petrified or petrifying. Tippett is a wonderful writer and religious communicator. She thinks on “big-picture” or “universal” plains.
Tippett’s motivation for her pluralism is noble. Simply put, she desires to facilitate productive spiritual conversation. That’s simple and honorable! The day in which we live would benefit from a rise in open and productive religious conversation and a quick cessation of the popular versions which are more often than not destructive because authentic conversation is not its priority, superiority is.
Tippett’s obvious desire to facilitate a constructive religious conversation in the public square is honorable. We need such conversation. This conversation, however, should always be founded upon the celebration of unique religious distinctives in spite of any real separation these distinctives may cause as concerns religious, cultural, or social expression. After all, the goal of interfaith conversation is to build authentic relationships and encourage mutual respect between different people of different faiths so that we all may celebrate the unique identities and expressions that make us and the world we share so colorful. Krista Tippett is one of the special people who is working hard to make this happen. Kudos, Krista.
/Check out Speaking of Faith
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“The day in which we live would benefit from a rise in open and productive religious conversation and a quick cessation of the popular versions which are more often than not destructive because authentic conversation is not its priority, superiority is.” Keep saying it loud and clear.
Even if none of the usual suspects are listening, we have friends on the edge of faith who refuse to let themselves believe or search because of the ugliness of the debates. They and we may find salvation. peace
Well said, Greg! If only more of us took that approach. :)