Host: Eboo Patel
Interfaith America
I could listen to Eboo Patel all day. His rich baritone, respectful demeanor and sophisticated grasp of many American religious traditions make Patel an ideal host for this new series, which started October 11 and will release one episode weekly through December.
Patel founded Interfaith America in 2002 with a vision to promote inter-religious cooperation and understanding among young people through service projects instead of just discussion groups and roundtables. But this podcast shows that discussion is still important — and can focus on deep listening rather than scoring points or even “educating” others. The first two episodes are good examples: In the first, Patel interviews Krista Tippett, host of the On Being radio program. In Episode 2, Patel’s guest is Simran Jeet Singh, a young Sikh scholar with a heartbreaking story about learning to see the humanity in the perpetrator of a racist attack on a Sikh temple.
Patel brings out the best of his interviewees, making me eager to hear the rest of the episodes in this promising new podcast series. Listening to these fruitful conversations left me wanting to talk to someone about them — perfect fodder for a church discussion or book group.
