The Wisdom of Faith with Huston Smith; 103; Christianity and Judaism
Date: 1996-04-09The religious historian considers the "dense and palpable" spirit of Christianity and the intimate relationship between Jews and their God.
The religious historian considers the "dense and palpable" spirit of Christianity and the intimate relationship between Jews and their God.
Zen Buddhism is a sect that is beginning to exert a noticeable influence on a number of Western minds, Dr. Smith points out. Zen has an unusual flavor, he reports, for it contains wisdom, urbanity, sophistication, and genuine spirituality. (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche)
Dr. Smith will explain why, a century after Buddha's death, the need for a new interpretation of his teachings arose. The original version is essentially a religion for monks today; the interpretation is for laymen.
A discussion on the Jewish perspective of the Bible.
This is the first of three episodes on Hinduism, one of the major living religions of the world. Its adherents claim it to be the oldest, as well, with historical roots dating back to 2500 BC. There are over 200,000,000 Hindus today, almost all of whom live in India. The first episode takes up the what, why and how of Hinduism. (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche)
A lecture on the history of the Roman Catholic Church.
The law of Judaism is divisible into two groups: ethical and ritualistic law, according to Dr. Smith. He discusses each and explains the Torah and the Ten Commandments of the Jewish faith. (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche)
Dr. Smith introduces his discussion of Judaism with a consideration of the chosen people concept which the Jews preserve. He discusses the creation of the prophets, the covenant and the individual morality believed in by this religious group. (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche)
On Dec. 24th, Jewish communities across the country begin celebrating Hanukkah. The annual holiday celebrates the victory of the Jews over the Greeks, and marks the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd century BC. Roughly 2% of the U.S. population is Jewish, but the influence of American Jews far outweighs their relatively small numbers. In this episode of BackStory, the Guys (along with guest host Joanne Freeman of Yale University) explore the history of Judaism in America.
Today, Americans generally view Buddhists favorably, according to the Pew Research Center. Meanwhile, terms like “zen” and “mindfulness” are often used as buzzwords to evoke the religion. However, over the last century, Buddhism wasn’t always viewed as a peaceful practice by a mainstream population. On this episode, Brian, Joanne, and Nathan, explore the ways the religion adapted and evolved throughout the 20th century into a distinctive form of “American Buddhism.”
The second episode on Islam is based on the social teaching of that religion. From the beginning Islam was intensely concerned with social issues, Dr. Smith points out. Eight of the religions precepts deal with interpersonal relationships such as taxation, banning of usury, inheritance laws and exclusion of rights to unearned money. (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche)
Called "the world's leading authority on contemporary Islam" by the BBC, Dr. Ahmed Akbar has served as the high commissioner from Pakistan to Great Britain, and has advised princes and presidents alike. As chair of Islamic Studies at American University in Washington, D.C. Ambassador Akbar spoke at the Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas.
With David R. Loy (Professor at the Faculty of International Studies, Bunkyo University and a Zen teacher)
The fastest growing major religion in the world today, Islam has some 1.6 billion followers practicing a wide array of religious traditions and speaking hundreds of different languages. And yet, even as more and more Americans convert to the faith and foreigners emigrate to the U.S. from all over the Islamic world, Muslims are still often caricatured in the American imagination. This time on BackStory, we look at the longer history of America's relationship with Islam, from the Barbary Wars a......
In the aftermath of the 1993 bombings of the World Trade Center in New York City, three Muslims discuss the inherent scapegoating that will likely plague the Islamic community and why. Panelists are: Director of the Islamic Education Center Mohammad Al-Asi, Imam Abdul Alim Musa of Masjid Al-Islam, and owner of Pyramid Bookstore Hodari Abdul Ali. A few speculations as to why the Islamic community will be targeted are talked about. Among them are an American political need to fill the vacuum le......
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Dr. Smith explains the sacramental system of the Catholic Church, discusses the role of the Pope and the Greek Orthodox Church and examines the idea of life after death. (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche)
This is the April 15, 1996 episode of "Chicago Matters: A Muslim Mosaic." "Host John Callaway examines Chicago's Muslim community, now the second largest religion in the city, in this hour-long special edition of Chicago's popular public affairs program."--supplemental material.
The religious historian takes us from India to Tibet to Japan to explore two great religions — Hinduism and Buddhism.
The doors of Islam were opened to Huston Smith when he was an adult, after discovering the Sufi mystics. He became enamored with Islamic conceptions of order, justice, mercy and compassion. He still prays five times a day as Muslims do. Smith discusses misconceptions about Islam held in the West today.