Program Particulars
*Times indicated refer to web version of audio

(01:29–03:00) Music
"The Multiples of One" from Awakening, performed by Joseph Curiale

(02:12) Religion in a Modern World
In the 1960s, Berger and other experts believed in secularization theory, which predicted that the power of religion would decrease across the globe with growing prosperity and modernization. This theory came to the forefront of American popular culture with Harvey Cox's 1965 best-selling book, The Secular City: Secularization and Urbanization in Theological Perspective, "The rise of urban civilization and the collapse of traditional religion are the two main hallmarks of our era."

By the early 1980s, Cox had conceded in Religion in the Secular City: Toward a Postmodern Theology that religion indeed remained a force in the modern world. He became especially fascinated by the vigorous rise of Pentecostal Christianity and liberation theology in Latin America. In the foreward to his 1999 book The Desecularization of the World: Resurgent Religion and World Politics, Peter Berger described the same conclusion:

The assumption that we live in a secularized world is false… The world is as furiously religious as it ever was.

(07:03) Most Secular to Sweden
Many indicators suggest that Sweden is an extremely secularized culture, while India is a religiously infused culture. In this Web-exclusive audio, Berger further reflects on his analogy of America as a country of "Indians" (the world's most religious culture) ruled by "Swedes" (the world's most secular culture).

(08:53) 16th Street in Washington D.C.
Washington DC's 16th Street is the longest and probably most religiously diverse avenue in the United States. There are myriad places of worship: Baptist, Buddhist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Russian Orthodox, Christian Science, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Unitarian, and Jewish. View a photo essay of the microcosm of this street that illustrates Berger's commentary on the religiously diverse nature of the United States.

(9:45–10:12) Music
"Datura" from Fascinoma, performed by Jon Hassell

(11:07–12:45) Music
"Bay of Bengal" from Hollow Bamboo, performed by Jon Hassell, Ry Cooder, and Ronu Majumbar

(11:40) Study on Globalization
At the Institute on Culture, Religion and World Affairs at Boston University, Peter Berger and Samuel Huntington directed a three-year study on globalization and culture in ten countries: China, Taiwan, Japan, India, Germany, Hungary, South Africa, Chile, Turkey, and the United States. Their new research did not focus primarily on religion, but it yielded vivid examples of religion interwoven in practical ways as globalization settles in many cultures. The project resulted in a book, Many Globalizations.

(14:38) The Origins and Growth of Pentecostalism
The first modern Pentecostal was a woman, Agnes Ozman. She spoke in tongues on the first day of the 20th century at the original Pentecostal community in Topeka, Kansas. In 1906, an African-American preacher, William Joseph Seymour, led what became known as the Azusa Street Revival in downtown Los Angeles. This unprecedented gathering of people from every class and race lasted for three years. It's from here that Pentecostalism began to spread across the United States and throughout the globe.

Experts estimate that there are 300-400 million Pentecostal/charismatics in the world today, and forecast that Pentecostals will account for one of every three Christians by 2010. The movement's tremendous growth can be seen in regions and groups outside the mainstream who are well-suited to features of modernization, especially in traditionally Catholic countries in Central and South America. Read a transcript of a Pew Forum roundtable discussion entitled "Faith and Conflict: The Global Rise of Christianity" with Mark Noll, Michael Nazir-Ali, and Walter Russell Mead. They discuss the tremendous growth taking place in the developing world, especially the Pentecostal movement in Africa and Asia.

Harvey Cox notes the allure of this liberation theology in The Myth of the Twentieth Century: The Rise and Fall of Secularization:

There are already nearly 400,000 Pentecostals in Sicily. But in that epitome of traditional Catholic, patriarchal, southern European culture, the Pentecostal movement is often associated (in the traditionalist mind and quite unfavorably) with women. In particular, it is associated with the women who opt out of the existing religious culture, often against the express wishes of husbands and fathers, to become healers and prophetesses. Studies have shown that Pentecostal sermons and testimonies in Sicily markedly alter existing patriarchal images of God, emphasizing God as lover and companion. It will be important to notice whether the growth in other parts of the world of this movement will have an effect not just on the roles traditionally assigned to women in more conservative areas but on the hegemonic religious symbol system itself.

In France, on the other hand, the charismatic movement (a milder form of Pentecostalism) has appeared within the educated-technical classes, a sector not usually considered "marginal." Why? Perhaps in part because these people must spend so much time immersed in the flat, homogeneous "language" of the computer world. For them, the charismatic practice of glossolalia (speaking in tongues) provides an alternative, emotionally rich but less denotative idiom for expressing human emotion. It could be a protest against the technological reduction of language.

To learn more about the origins of this burgeoning movement, listen to the Speaking of Faith program Pentecostalism in America and read an annotated guide that fleshes out details of the radio program featuring scholars Margaret Paloma and Robert Franklin.

(18:02–19:54) Music
"Variation 25 (Miserere)" from J.S. Bach: Goldberg Variations, performed by Andras Schiff

(18:09) Reading from The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
The German sociologist Max Weber published an influential series of essays in 1904 and 1905 showing how Protestant Christianity had contributed to the development of Western capitalism — not by design but by an ethic instilled in the faithful through habits of self-discipline and self-denial, and a readiness to attribute positive moral meaning to worldly activities. This extended version of the reading was excerpted from the collection of Weber's essays, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism:

Now naturally the whole ascetic literature of almost all denominations is saturated with the idea that faithful labor, even at low wages, on the part of those whom life offers no other opportunities, is highly pleasing to God. In this respect Protestant Asceticism added in itself nothing new. But it not only deepened this idea most powerfully, it also created the force which was alone decisive for its effectiveness: the psychological sanction of it through the conception this labor as a calling, as the best, often in the last analysis the only means of attaining certainty of grace. And on the other hand it legalized the exploitation of this specific willingness to work, in that it also interpreted the employer's business activity as a calling. It is obvious how powerfully the exclusive search for the Kingdom of God only through the fulfillment of duty in the calling, and the strict asceticism which Church discipline naturally imposed, especially on the propertyless classes, was bound to affect the productivity of labor in the capitalistic sense of the word. The treatment of labor as a calling became as characteristic of the modern worker as the corresponding attitude toward acquisition of the business man. It was a perception of this situation, new at his time, which caused so able an observer as Sir William Petty to attribute the economic power of Holland in the seventeenth century to the fact that the very numerous dissenters in that country (Calvinists and Baptists) "are for the most part thinking, sober men, and such as believe that Labour and Industry is their duty towards God."

(21:26) Puritans and Democracy
To learn more about the role religion played in the development of democracy in the United States, listen to philosopher Jacob Needleman in the Speaking of Faith program, "The Religious Roots of American Democracy." Needleman says that it was a profound sense of spirituality that was, and is, at the core of the democratic ideals and virtues in the United States today.

(21:49–22:15) Music
"A Psalm of Life" from Mark Twain's America: A Portrait in Music, performed by Jacqueline Schwab

(21:56) Reading from The Dignity of Difference

The Chief Rabbi of of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, Jonathan Sacks, has participated in Peter Berger's projects on religion and globalization. In his prologue to his 2002 work, The Dignity of Difference: How to Avoid the Clash of Civilizations, Rabbi Sacks describes his understanding of the reason for religion?s enduring power as a social and political force:

In the weeks and months that have passed, it has become ever more clear that we face great dangers in the coming century, and that we are not adequately prepared for them. On the one hand, globalization is bringing us closer together than ever before, interweaving our lives, nationally and internationally, in complex and inextricable ways. On the other, a new tribalism — a regression to older and more fractious loyalties — is driving us ever more angrily apart. One way or another, religion is and will continue to be, part of these processes. It can lead us in the direction of peace. But it can equally, and with high combustibility, lead us to war. Politicians have power, but religions have something stronger: they have influence. Politics moves the pieces on the chessboard. Religion changes lives. Peace can be agreed around the conference table; but unless it grows in ordinary hearts and minds, it does not last. It may not even begin.

Rabbi Sacks continues, noting that peace is a modern invention while war itself has a long legacy in the annals of human history. For him, the interrelated nature of global cultures requires religious leaders around the world to speak up in order for peace to be realized:

At such times, religious leaders have to take a stand. That is not to say we have the power to prevent extremism. Manifestly, we do not. The campaign against terror will not, in the first instance, be religious. It will be a complex operation involving intelligence-gathering, selective military action, the tracking of funds, weapons and lines of communication and sophisticated methods of screening and security. Yet religious believers cannot stand aside when people are murdered in the name of God or a sacred cause. When religion is invoked as a justification for conflict, religious voices must be raised in protest. We must withhold the robe of sanctity when it is sought as a cloak for violence and bloodshed. If faith is enlisted in the cause of war, there must be an equal and opposite counter-voice in the name of peace. If religion is not part of the solution, it will certainly be part of the problem.

A global age poses a difficult yet inescapable question to those who are loyal adherents of a religious tradition. Do we speak to and within the circumscribed loyalties of our faith, or does our sense of the all-encompassing nature of the divine lead us to recognize the integrity of the search for God by those outside faith?

(22:21–25:56) Music
"Cãruke'sï" from Tabula Rasa, performed by Vishwa Mohan Bhatt with Bela Fleck and Jie Bing Chen

(28:22) Reference to Wahhabism and Islam in Indonesia
The Wahhabi movement is an ultra-conservative, puritanical movement of Islam. It originated as a reform movement in the Arabian Peninsula in the 18th century and was founded by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahab. Tribal leader Muhammad ibn Saud, the forerunner of the Saudi royal family, championed al-Wahab's teachings, and the Saudis have historically remained the movement's base. Wahabbism is the dominant school of Islam in Saudi Arabia today.

Devout Wahhabis believe that other Muslims, particularly the Shiites, have abandoned their faith in one God, tawhid, and have distorted Islam. The Wahhabis accept only the Qur'an and the authentic Sunna, customary practices of living modeled on the life and teachings of the prophet Muhammad. They reject 1,400 years of the development and interpretation of Islamic theology and mysticism. They oppose veneration of saints and relics, prohibit decorating of mosques, and ban luxury. Anyone who does not accept these tenets is considered a heretic.

In the Speaking of Faith program "Violence and Crisis in Islam," Dr. Vincent Cornell discusses the origins and history of the Wahhabi movement and its role in today's turbulent landscape. The "program particulars" section provides an illustrated map and details the composition of Sunnis and Shiites in the world.

Over 88 percent percent of Indonesians are affiliated with Islam, making it the largest Islamic country in the world with over 210 million followers. Due to the country's complex history and religious legacy, Indonesia has significant variations in the practice and interpretation of Islam. Sufism was most likely introduced to the local people between the 12th and 15th centuries and slowly became integrated with local customs. Islam in Indonesia today is generally considered more progressive and less austere in form than Islam practiced in the Middle East.

(30:43–31:10) Music
"Gas Giants" from Elemental, performed by Tears for Fears

(32:49–33:52) Music
"One More Day" from Music for the Motherless Child, performed by Martin Simpson and Wu Man

(34:58) Russian Church and Democracy
The concept of symphonia — the symphonic relationship between church, state, and society — has historical roots that can be traced to eastern Orthodox Christianity. To learn more about the study Peter Berger mentioned on the Russian church and democracy, see CURA's results in the 2004 publication Burden or Blessing? Russian Orthodoxy and the Construction of Civil Society and Democracy.

(36:46) Reference to Jews for Jesus
Jews for Jesus is an Evangelical Protestant organization founded in 1973 by Martin Rosen, an ordained Baptist minister, whose goal is converting Jews to Christianity.

(37:05–38:05) Music
"One More Day" from Music for the Motherless Child, performed by Martin Simpson and Wu Man

(38:02) World Economic Forum
Founded in 1971, the World Economic Forum was created to shape global, regional, and industry agendas by engaging business leaders in partnerships to challenge conventional ways of doing business and create a better, more sustainable world. The organization is based in Geneva, Switzerland and is under the supervision of the Swiss government. Constituents they work with come from many different groups: academia, government, religion, the media, non-governmental organizations, and the arts.

(41:29) Citation of Article by Rosabeth Moss Kanter
In a biweekly column for the Miami Herald, Rosabeth Moss Kanter wrote an article entitled "Davos Meetings Reflect Uncertainty." Here she reflects on subtle but important new movements she discerned while attending the 2005 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

(44:20–44:49) Music
"Dawn: Rag Kirwani/Maqam Nahawana" from Saltanah, performed by V.M. Bhatt and Simon Shaheen

(44:44) Religion in Turkey
Although Turkey has been a secular state since Kemal Ataturks reforms were implemented in the 1920s, an overwhelming percentage of its citizens are Muslim, most of them Sunni. In name of progress and modernization, Ataturk banned the "disabling" concept of religion and its associated symbols from government. The Turkish Constitution forbade political, social, economic, or legal order based even partly on religious principles. Religious ways of life were reformed — education was restricted, the fez was substituted for the fedora, and beards were disallowed.

(45:40) Ethnic Chinese and Evangelical Christianity
Estimates suggest that there are 92 million Christians currently living in China. Read an interesting interview with journalist David Aikman in the National Review Online (December 22, 2003) about the state of Christians in China and the house-church networks that hearken back to the days of early Christianity.

(47:52) BP Working on Emissions
In May 1997, CEO John Browne of the oil corporation British Petroleum announced that the company would begin tracking and reducing its greenhouse gas emissions, especially carbon dioxide, 10 percent below the 1990 baseline. The company also outlined a plan to increase its solar energy sales a thousand-fold.

(48:21–49:08) Music
"Geocentricity" from Tabula Rasa, performed by Vishwa Mohan Bhatt with Bela Fleck and Jie Bing Chen

(49:09) Reading from The Dignity of Difference
In The Dignity of Difference: How to Avoid the Clash of Civilizations, Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks shares his perspective on the critical responsibility that globalization presents to religious people in every society:

Our situation at the beginning of the twenty-first century is like that of Europe at the beginning of the seventeenth century. Then, as now, the landscape was littered with the debris of religious conflict, the result of the Reformation and the end of an era. It is fair to say that religion did not distinguish itself at that time. It was then that honest, thoughtful men and women began to say to themselves: if people of faith cannot live together in peace, despite their differences, then for the sake of the future we must find another way. The secularization of Europe, first in the sciences, then in the arts, then in politics and the structure of society, grew directly out of the failure of religion to meet the challenge of change. As one who deeply believes in the humanizing power of faith, and the stark urgency of coexistence at a time when weapons of mass destruction are accessible to extremist groups, I do not think we can afford to fail again. Time and time again in recent years we have been reminded that religion is not what the European Enlightenment thought it would become: mute, marginal, and mild. It is fire — and like fire, it warms but it also burns. And we are the guardians of the flame.

(50:04–52:40) Music
"Chi Passa Per'sta Strada" from Silk Road Journeys: When Strangers Meet, performed by Yo-Yo Ma & The Silk Road Ensemble