Program Particulars
*Times denoted refer to web version of audio

(01:32–03:25) Music:
"The Multiples of One" from Awakening, performed by Joseph Curiale

 

(02:33) Number of American Muslims
The Pluralism Project at Harvard University provides an array of statistics estimating the Muslim population in America. According to Ibrahim Hooper, Communications Director at the Council on American-Islamic Relations, six million Muslims live in the United States, making Islam the third largest religious constituency behind Christianity and Judaism. The United States Department of State provides a interesting list of demographic facts about American Muslims.

(03:26) Statistics on Church Attendance and Voting
A June 2004 Gallup poll sponsored by USA Today and CNN reported that 54 percent Americans who said they attend church once or more per week viewed themselves as Conservatives, whereas only 13 percent thought of themselves as Liberals. And, in the 2000 election, these numbers increased: 68 percent of churchgoers who attended more than once per week voted for George Bush while only 32 percent voted for Al Gore.

(04:18) Reference to Holiness Tradition
In the United States, the Holiness Movement grew out of the Methodist tradition and emerged during the 19th century. Holiness churches emphasized the doctrine of perfection put forth by John Wesley. Congregants believe that "entire sanctification," which involves the removal of inbred sin, follows conversion and is experienced instantaneously by faith.

The Holiness movement differs from fundamentalism and evangelicalism in that it is more oriented to ethics and the spiritual life than to a defense of doctrinal orthodoxy. The earliest issue of the Holiness movement was abolitionism. Another recurrent theme in Holiness churches has been involvement with, and ministry to, the poor and oppressed. Early abolitionist literature has striking parallels to today?s "liberation theology." The "free" in Free Methodist also stood for opposition to church pew rentals, which served to exclude the poor. Such concerns were held to be required by a proper reading of the Scriptures. The Salvation Army is an outgrowth of the Holiness Movement.

(04:45) John Wesley and Social Holiness
John Wesley (1703-1791) was the founder of the Methodist movement, which originated in England during his fellowship at Oxford University. In his preface to Hymns and Sacred Poems, published in 1739, Wesley writes about the necessity of engagement and community in religion:

"Holy solitaries" is a phrase no more consistent with the gospel than holy adulterers. The gospel of Christ knows of no religion, but social; no holiness but social holiness. "Faith working by love" is the length and breadth and depth and height of Christian perfection. "This commandment have we from Christ, that he who loves God, love his brother also"; and that we manifest our love "by doing good unto all men; especially to them that are of the household of faith." And in truth, whosoever loveth his brethren, not in word only, but as Christ loved him, cannot but be "zealous of good works." He feels in his soul a burning, restless desire of spending and being spent for them. "My Father," will he say, "worketh hitherto, and I work." And at all possible opportunities he is, like his Master, "going about doing good."

(04:52) Citation from Bible
Sanders cites a passage from the New Testament gospel of Matthew, chapter 5, verses 13 through 16 (from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible), in which Jesus speaks to his disciples:

You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. "You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

(07:55) Christianity and Slavery
During the American colonial period, many plantation owners opposed the practice of converting slaves to Christianity because they feared baptism would change a slave's legal status. It wasn't until the religious revivals of the early 1700s that the slave population began converting to Christianity. Over the next 100 years, slaveholders came to hold a different opinion, coming to believe that Christianity would make the slave population more submissive and orderly, easier to manage.

In Christianity, slaves discovered a faith that gave them hope with its message of deliverance from an oppressed, earthly bondage. During this time, slaves gravitated toward the churches and ideas of the Baptists and Methodists because of the emphasis placed on the individual, that God works directly through him or her.

Listen to "Joe Carter and the Legacy of the African-American Spiritual", as Speaking of Faith explores the religious sensibility of the spiritual — its hidden meanings, as well as the beauty, lament, and hope of this singular musical tradition.

(10:45) African Americans and Party Affiliation
For many African-American voters, Barry Goldwater's opposition to the 1964 Civil Rights Act sealed the fate of the Republican party. His social and political conservatism, and aggressive stance against communism appealed to many white Southern voters but alienated the black electorate. Ever since Lyndon Johnson soundly defeated Goldwater in the 1964 election, African Americans have consistently voted for Democratic candidates in presidential elections.

(11:38–12:05) Music:
"Just Keep Still" from The Great Gospel Women, performed by Mahalia Jackson

 

(12:04) Statistics on African Americans
Over 36 million people, equating to 13 percent of the total population, reported being of African American heritage. In a report by the U.S. Census Bureau issued in February 2002, nearly 57 percent of the eligible African American population voted in the 2000 Presidential election. Of the 13 million blacks who voted in 2000, nearly 19 percent comprised Al Gore?s total vote count, up from 17 percent for President Clinton in his 1996 re-election.

According to a poll co-sponsored by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life and conducted in spring 2004, "American Religious Landscape and Political Attitudes, 2004," 40 percent of black Protestants thought that homosexuals should have the same rights as other Americans, which represents a 19 percent drop from a 1992 survey. Support increased for every other group surveyed.

(20:18–21:41) Music:
"Book Of Ways 1" from Book Of Ways, performed by Keith Jarrett

(20:28) Story of Sodom and Gomorrah
In One Electorate Under God?, Sanders writes in her essay, "The Role of Religion in Electoral Politics," about reconciling biblical teachings with political decisions. In the case of the gay marriage debate, Sanders says that instead of focusing on the sexual immorality cast in the book of Genesis, people should look to the message of Ezekiel. Sanders emphasizes that materialism and disregard for the poor should take priority:

What might be instructive for people of faith participating in the debate over same-sex marriage is to observe the broader perspective put forth by the prophet Ezekiel when commenting upon the sin of Sodom in comparison with the sins of Jerusalem: "This was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy" (Ezekiel 16:49).

Sodom and Gomorrah were two ancient towns located in the Jordan River valley of western Asia. According to Genesis 18 and 19, the cities were destroyed by God despite the pleas of Abraham because of their wickedness and immorality. In subsequent books of the Bible, Sanders says, prophets such as Ezekiel provide a greater understanding of the offenses of the cities' inhabitants — a disregard of the obligations of hospitality and charity.

(22:21) Reference to Gospel of Matthew
Sanders cites a passage from the gospel of Matthew, chapter 23, when referring to the need for people of faith to devote their energies to the less fortunate:

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practiced without neglecting the others. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel!

(23:41–24:26) Music:
"Ecstasy" from Kronos Caravan, performed by Kronos Quartet

 

(24:24) Reading from Heschel's Essay
The following edited passage heard during the program was excerpted from Susannah Heschel's essay, "Protecting Religion from Politics," which was published in One Electorate Under God? A Dialogue on Religion and American Politics:

It is hard to be a person of faith in secular America.

It was the work of Martin Luther King Jr. and my father, Abraham Joshua Heschel, that rescued me from despair. In their words the Bible became the most vivid and powerful way to challenge the status quo. Martin Luther King changed the social and political fabric of America, just as my father changed the religious fabric of American Jewish life. Through the speeches and writings of these two men, Amos and Isaiah became perhaps the most important figures of the past, demanding social justice and purity of intention and, most of all, insisting that there is no room for complacency in a religious life. A religious person, my father said, can never say, "I am a good person." And that it is the goal of prayer to be subversive—subversive of our conventional values and of our self-righteousness. The words of Amos unsettle all of us, the pious as well as the cheaters, kings, priests, and merchants.

My first fear is that, if religion can be brought into the public sphere, then the public sphere will more easily infiltrate the realm of religion.

(25:39–28:00) Music:
"Ecstasy" from Kronos Caravan, performed by Kronos Quartet

 

(28:39–30:15) Music:
"For Christos" from The Intercontinentals, performed by Bill Frisell

 

(30:22) Muslim Vote in 2000 Election
The American Muslim Political Coordinating Council Political Action Committee (AMPCC-PAC) endorsed George Bush during the 2000 Presidential election. According to a poll conducted by Zogby International for Georgetown University?s Muslims in the American Public Square (Project MAPS), 42 percent of Muslims voted for George Bush, whereas Ralph Nader received 12 percent and Al Gore only 7 percent. Of Muslim voters surveyed, 85 percent said the endorsement by the American Muslim Political Coordinating Council Political Action Committee (AMPCC-PAC) influenced their decision.

Conversely, a similar poll released on September 22, 2004 indicates that 68 percent of Muslims back Senator Kerry while President Bush picking up 7 percent and Ralph Nader getting 11% percent. Two in three Muslims polled said the endorsement of a candidate by the American Muslim Taskforce on Civil Rights and Elections (AMT) would factor in to their decision.

(35:45) Jesus as Role Model
In Islam, Jesus is considered a revered prophet who came to deliver Allah's message to humanity. Muslims believe in the chaste nature of Mary and the virgin birth of Jesus, which is described in the nineteenth chapter of the Qur'an, Maryam (Mary).

In the third chapter of the Qur'an, entitled "Aal-e-Imran (The Family of Imran, The House of Imran), Jesus is mentioned in a number of passages. Muslims consider Jesus as one of Allah's greatest messengers of mankind:

Behold! the angels said: "O Mary! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honour in this world and the Hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to Allah; He shall speak to the people in childhood and in maturity. And he shall be (of the company) of the righteous." (Qur'an 3:45-46)

Say: "We believe in Allah, and in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Isma'il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and in (the Books) given to Moses, Jesus, and the prophets, from their Lord: We make no distinction between one and another among them, and to Allah do we bow our will (in Islam)." (Qur'an 3:84)

(43:27–44:06) Music:
"Legal Highs: Mister Coffee" from Combo Platter, performed by Marimolin

 

(45:25) Reference to Lieberman
Joseph Lieberman, a Jewish senator from Connecticut, was the vice-presidential running mate of Al Gore in the 2000 Presidential election and an early presidential candidate in the 2004 election. Beliefnet provides a repository of articles and resources discussing Senator Lieberman's Jewish background and its influence during the 2000 election.

(46:30) Bush Rangers
The Bush campaign assigns the title of "Ranger" to a select group of fundraisers during the 2004 election cycle who raise at least $200,000. A second-tier fundraiser is a "Pioneer" if he or she gathers $100,000. For the 2004 campaign, Texans for Public Justice estimates that there are 225 individuals classified as Rangers and 323 as Pioneers.

(49:33–51:15) Music:
"In Time's Unfolding" from Contemporary Eclectic Music for the Piano, Vol. 7, performed by Jeffrey Jacob

 

(51:07–52:55) Music:
"Blackwater" from Rain Tree Crow, performed by Rain Tree Crow