Stephen Prothero on Religious Literacy; Lupe Fiasco Food and Liquor; Elaine Pagels on Reading Judas

Getting Religion
To The Best of Our Knowledge (Wisconsin Public Radio)

SEGMENT 1:



Stephen Prothero chairs the religion department at Boston University and is the author of "Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know - and Doesn't." He tells Steve Paulson why he thinks it's imperative that Americans have a working knowledge of religious traditions at home and abroad to understand other peoples and our own politicians. Also, Lupe Fiasco is a devout Muslim whose album "Food and Liquor" went to number one of the rap album charts and won three Grammy Nominations. Fiasco tells Anne Strainchamps why his album begins with a prayer and how he reconciles his Islamic beliefs with the rap tradition of gang violence and degrading women.



SEGMENT 2:



Religious historian Elaine Pagels talks to Steve Paulson about the book she's written with Karen King. It's called "Reading Judas." Pagels says Judas was the favorite disciple, and the only one Jesus trusted to carry out his final command: to hand him over to the Romans.



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