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In a religious context, America's motto E Pluribus Unum-Out of Many, One-means not a merging of belief systems, but a joining together of such systems into an interfaith community that honors doctrinal differences while promoting mutual understanding through dialogue and collaboration. This program surveys America's increasingly pluralistic spiritual landscape via The Pluralism Project at Harvard University; the Interfaith Center at the Presidio;...

If religion is viewed as?a finger pointing at the moon,? then preoccupation with that finger?rites, rituals, rules?can actually be an obstacle to spiritual experience. This program considers the idea that religion is a means to sanctity, not an end in itself; the importance, in a time of rising global threat levels, of dissolving strictly sectarian conceptions of God; the profound unanimity of the religious quest; approaches to connecting with one?s...

Huston Smith has devoted his life to study of the ineffable experience. This program opens windows of understanding into the renowned mystic philosopher's unceasing quest for truth about the ultimate nature of reality as he shares the story of his early decades: growing up in China in a missionary family, preparation for a career in the ministry, the "aha!" moment in college that redirected him to a career in academia instead, and the shift in worldviews...

Traditional monotheistic religions are characterized by a hierarchical model in which a paternalistic deity, assisted by ascended saints and angelic beings, oversees the unfolding drama of life on Earth. This program questions the suitability of that model to the challenges of the 21st century as it presents the idea that humankind should step forward to accept greater responsibility for its own actions while becoming more attuned to the transpersonal...

On the fifth anniversary of 9/11, 1,800 delegates gathered at the Congress of World Religions in Montreal to spend a week in ecumenical dialogue. This program captures the wisdom of attendees who, speaking from the podium or offstage, address topics ranging from widespread religious fanaticism, the destabilizing action/reaction spiral of violence, and the misuse of religion for political ends to defusing alienation through acceptance, fighting the...

Barbara Walters hosts this ABC News program about the afterlife, collecting an array of opinions, hopes, and scenarios concerning what, if anything, happens following death. Walters interviews religious leaders from various cultures and faiths, including Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, archbishop of Washington, D.C.; Pastor Ted Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals; Rabbi Neil Gillman of New York's Jewish Theological Seminary;...

Beliefs spelled out in the Apostle's Creed link Christians around the world-but in practice, the faith has fractured. This program presents views from five insightful and widely differing believers who reveal their thoughts on conflict and harmony within Christianity. The participants are Terry Waite, author, humanitarian, and former hostage in Beirut; Ann Widdecombe, conservative British politician and Catholic convert; the Reverend Joel Edwards,...

This program offers the intimate testimonies of eloquent men and women as they discuss their dramatic confrontations with the force of evil-and the discovery that exploring evil leads to revelations about goodness. Among those featured in the broadcast are poet Maya Angelou, who speaks of being raped as a child; scholar Raul Hilberg, who discusses the Holocaust; philosopher Philip Hallie, who speaks of his experiences as a soldier in World War II;...

In this program, Dennis Wholey has a conversation about spiritualism with Lee Jones, founder of the Spiritualist Center in Los Angeles, California. Topics of discussion include the birth of spiritualism in the U.S. in 1848; spiritualism as a philosophy, a religion, and a science; the nature of life after death; the seance experience; anointed healings; and how to recognize an authentic spiritualist experience. In addition, Minister/Medium Richard...

One of North America's most prominent practitioners of Buddhist monasticism, Ani Pema Chodron has written extensively on Buddhist principles in the context of everyday living. Bill Moyers talks with the author of When Things Fall Apart, The Places That Scare You, and No Time to Lose about ideas and teachings that have special significance for western Buddhists-and will resonate with non-Buddhists as well.