Institute for Religious and Cultural Understanding

Reading America Together: Faith, Democracy, and the Nation's 250th - As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, a national initiative called faith250 is bringing faith communities together to study the nation's founding documents. In the Lehigh Valley, a cluster of congregations led by four co-conveners is holding a series of gatherings that combine textual study and community building. The conversation with them considers the gap between the founding documents' aspirations and the nation's realities, the complicated relationship between religious faith and democratic governance, and the challenge of genuine inclusivity when diverse communities try to speak together about shared values.

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Faith, Failure, and Humanitarian Work - Maurice Bloem has spent nearly four decades in development work, from leading the Church World Service's humanitarian efforts in Indonesia to representing CWS at the United Nations. He now leads the Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities (JLI), a network that encourages collaboration with local religious communities in development initiatives. Our conversation covers his path from cultural anthropology in the Netherlands, to a decade of work in Indonesia, to his current global initiative. We also discuss what Bloem calls his "resume of failures" and why inner development matters as much as policy frameworks.

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Rethinking Religion, Nationalism, and Pluralism - Scholars keep predicting nationalism will fade, and it keeps surprising us. Slavica Jakelic argues we're asking the wrong questions. Drawing on her experience in Croatia during the Yugoslav wars and her research on religious-secular alliances in Poland and South Africa, she makes the case for 'ethical nationalism,' a form of belonging that serves pluralism rather than undermining it. We discuss why particular attachments matter, how religious and secular actors can work together, and what it might mean to reclaim symbols like the American flag for more expansive visions of national identity.

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The Nonviolent Jesus: A Conversation with John Dear - What if the center of Jesus' teaching isn't the cross but the Sermon on the Mount? Father John Dear, peace activist, author, and Nobel Peace Prize nominee, has spent four decades living out that claim and challenging the church to take nonviolence seriously. In this conversation, Dear shares his journey from witnessing jets drop bombs over the Sea of Galilee to facing 20 years of incarceration for hammering on an F-15 fighter jet. Now leading the Beatitudes Center for the Nonviolent Jesus and hosting "The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast," Dear continues to build a community around Gospel nonviolence. We talk about his book The Gospel of Peace, the cost of his convictions, and what ordinary people can do to follow the nonviolent Jesus.

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Religion in the Age of Artificial Intelligence - Artificial intelligence is forcing engineers to define concepts that philosophers and theologians have wrestled with for centuries: consciousness, personhood, and morality, to name a few. The technology may be new, but the questions it poses are ancient. In this conversation with Mark Graves, Research Director at AI and Faith, we discuss what AI development reveals about humanity and what we can learn from the conversation between religion and technology.

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A Systems Approach to Faith and Pluralism - Michael Trice combines theological training with an executive MBA to engage business leaders, nonprofits, and diverse religious communities. As founding director of Seattle University's Center for Ecumenical and Interreligious Engagement, he works at the intersection of faith traditions and public life. Our conversation explores what "public theology" means in practice and the tensions inherent in pluralistic engagement.

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Beyond Belief: Considering the World's Religious "Nones" - The religiously unaffiliated, often called "nones", represent one of the fastest-growing segments of populations across North America, Europe, and beyond. Jonathan Evans, Senior Researcher at Pew Research Center and lead author of a groundbreaking 22-country study, joins us to discuss surprising findings about what "nones" believe, how they practice (or don't), and what their growth means for religious life around the world.

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Breaking Records and Building Bridges: A Tale of Religious Diversity - In September 2025, Vicki Garlock set a Guinness World Record by visiting 185 places of worship in Chicago in just one month. But this wasn't just about breaking a record—it was about experiencing the extraordinary religious diversity of one American city and promoting religious literacy. Join us as we explore what she learned, the communities she encountered, and how this ambitious project connects to her broader mission of cross-religious understanding and education.

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From Theory to Practice: Academic Expertise and Counter-Extremism - Dr. Damon Berry, associate professor of religious studies at St. Lawrence University, regularly consults with federal law enforcement agencies. In this conversation, we explore the challenges of translating academic research into practical guidance for investigators, including the difficult work of understanding belief systems and worldviews that are dangerous and toxic to pluralistic society. Berry discusses what law enforcement agencies understand well about these movements and how empathetic scholarship can inform their efforts.

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Since You Asked: More on Our Methods and Mission - In this episode, Institute for Religious and Cultural Understanding Director Chip Gruen becomes the guest as producer Christine Flicker poses questions drawn from audience feedback. The conversation explores the methodological approaches, underlying assumptions, and programming decisions that shape the Institute's work in fostering religious understanding and a healthier public conversation on religion. Listeners get an inside look at how the Institute navigates the complexities of religious diversity in public life and the intentional choices behind its programming initiatives.

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