In Good Faith

Sabeeha Rehman, an author, podcaster, blogger, playwright, and speaker on the American Muslim experience, is best known for her award-winning book Threading My Prayer Rug: One Woman’s Journey From Pakistani Muslim to American Muslim. She is an op-ed contributor to the Wall Street Journal. She also co-founded the National Autism Association New York Metro chapter, serving as its President from 2008-2011.

James Patrick Thomas, author of Atomic Pilgrim, describes his journey walking thousands of miles for peace and nuclear disarmament. Driven by a profound faith and inspired by a pivotal moment with Mother Teresa, Thomas describes the intersections of faith, suffering, and activism in his life. James Patrick Thomas serves on Pax Christi USA’s Disarmament Working Group and facilitates the Pax Christi chapter at St. Joseph Parish in Seattle. He began advocating for nuclear disarmament in the 1980s, as a member of the Bethlehem Peace Pilgrimage. He spent the next quarter century investigating radioactive pollution from the production and testing of nuclear weapons, mostly focused on the Hanford Site in south-central Washington State.

Diana Butler Bass discusses her new book, which delves into the significance of the Christian liturgical year and its impact on personal faith. She shares the importance of community, conviviality, and the ritual of the table in Christianity. Diana Butler Bass, PhD, is an author, speaker, preacher, and commentator on religion and contemporary spirituality. She holds a doctorate in religious studies from Duke University and is the author of eleven books, most recently A Beautiful Year, based on the Christian Lectionary cycle.

Vineetha Mahayaye shares his experience as a 10-year-old monk in a monastery, choosing a solitary vocation as a young person, and presently counseling university students. The Venerable Vineetha Mahayaye is a Buddhist Chaplain at Tufts University, where he leads meditation programs for students and staff. He holds a Master’s Degree in Divinity from Harvard Divinity School. He is originally from Sri Lanka.

Thomas Long talks about his new book, Proclaiming the Parables, and how these stories from Jesus challenge our perceptions and reveal the unpredictable generosity of the divine. Dr. Thomas Long is professor emeritus at Candler School of Theology, Emory University. His introductory textbook, The Witness of Preaching, is widely used in theological schools around the world. He serves as an editor-at-large at The Christian Century. A Presbyterian minister, Long has served churches in Georgia and New Jersey.

Adam Jortner explains how the American Revolution increased opportunities for Jews, allowing them to achieve citizenship and serve in the military. He also addresses the misconception that America was founded as a Christian nation. Adam Jortner is Professor of Religion in the Department of History at Auburn University. He specializes in the history of religion in the American Revolution and the early nation, with particular emphasis on religious liberty, patriotism and piety, theology, and new religious traditions. He is the author most recently of A Promised Land: Jewish Patriots, the American Revolution, and the Birth of Religious Freedom.

Patricia Matthews, an Episcopal priest in Little Rock, Arkansas, discusses her journey from Southern Baptist roots through a decade-long exploration of various religious traditions to her current role as the director of the Interfaith Center. Matthews highlights the importance of interfaith dialogue and shares personal stories of building interfaith relationships, combating fear, and the impact of a dedicated physical space for interfaith activities. The Rev. Patricia Matthews is Executive Director of The Interfaith Center and Assistant Rector at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church. Under her leadership, the Center moved into its first standalone home and expanded citywide partnerships. She also speaks frequently on faith-in-action and religious freedom, including panels at BYU Law’s Religious Freedom Annual Review and Hendrix College.

David Toole shares lessons he's learned from the example of Maggy Barankitse, a woman driven to care for orphans of the Burundi and Rwanda genocides through her organization Maison Shalom. Today, Maggy lives in exile in Rwanda after narrowly escaping an assassination attempt in 2015. Maison Shalom was declared an illegal organization in Burundi and she was sentenced to life in prison by the Supreme Court of Burundi, convicted in absentia. She has re-established Maison Shalom in Rwanda. Maggy has received multiple humanitarian awards, including the Opus Prize, the UNESCO Prize, and the Aurora Prize. David Toole holds a joint appointment as associate professor in the Duke Global Health Institute and Duke Divinity School. He is author of Love Made Me an Inventor, about Maggy, and founder of Love’s Inventions, a non-profit dedicated to spreading Maggy’s message to the world and supporting her ongoing work in Africa.

J.S. Park, chaplain at Tampa General Hospital, shares his unique role in offering spiritual and emotional support to patients and families during their most traumatic moments, including insights about the nature of grief and the intersection of mental health and faith. J.S. Park is the author of As Long As You Need: Permission to Grieve, part hospital chaplain experience and part memoir. He is also the author The Voices We Carry: Finding Your One True Voice in a World of Clamor and Noise (2020).

Rachel Whipple joins the In Good Faith team for a discussion of Pema Chödrön's When Things Fall Apart--a classic in Buddhist literature for the last 20 years. They explore themes such as dealing with fear, facing discomfort, embracing impermanence, and practicing non-attachment. Pema Chödrön is a Buddhist nun, meditation teacher, and author. In 1981 she became the first American in the Vajrayana tradition to become a fully ordained nun. She has published over 20 books. Rachel Whipple is an attorney and Provo City Councilor, and a former Research Fellow at the International Center for Law and Religion Studies. She is also a member of the Provo Awakening Valley Sangha Board of Directors.