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GOD
IN UNLIKELY PLACES
To The Best of Our Knowledge
from Wisconsin Public Radio
Cross-dressing terrorist angels. LA Gangbangers covered
in Virgin Mary tattoos to protect them from bullets. Prophets in
g-strings and pasties. Next time on To the Best of Our Knowledge
we're going to look for god in some unlikely places - in the middle
of a math equation, and in the lyrics of gangster rap. We'll even
look for, and find, God at Urban Outfitters.
SEGMENT 1:
Alex Gee is the Pastor of Fountain of Life
Church in Madison, Wisconsin and co-author (with John Teter) of
Jesus and the Hip Hop Prophets: Spiritual Insights from Lauryn
Hill and 2PAC. Reverend Gee tells Steve Paulson how rappers like
Tupac Shakur function as prophets for the hip hop generation,
and how he incorporates rap music into his liturgy.
SEGMENT 2:
Stephen Prothero is the author of a book
called American Jesus: How the Son of God Became a National
Icon. He tells Jim Fleming that Jesus has become an American
icon like Mickey Mouse and that the commercial proliferation of
Jesus kitsch indirectly spreads a religious message. Also, Corey
Powell tells Jim Fleming that science has become the only
truly functioning religion. He makes his case in a book called
God in the Equation: How Einstein Became the Prophet of the
New Religious Era.
SEGMENT 3:
John Spalding is a humor columnist for the
on-line magazine Belief Net, and the author of A Pilgrim's
Digress: My Perilous, Fumbling Quest for the Celestial City.
Spalding went for a joyride in the flamingo pink hearse belonging
to Gerri Guadagno and Gayle Stimier, the quirky proprietors of
the Dying-to-Get-in Company. And he tells us all about it. Also,
Peter Manseau and Jeff Sharlet are the authors of
Killing the Buddha - A Heretic's Bible and run an on-line
magazine called Killing the Buddha Dot Com. They tell Anne Strainchamps
about their road trip to religious communities across America.
Cassette copies are available
at 1-800-747-7444. Ask for program number 04-02-22-A.
................................................................
Books:
- Alex Gee, John Teter,
Jesus and the Hip Hop Prophets (InterVarsity Press)
- Peter Manseau, Jeff Sharlet, Killing the
Buddha: a Heretic's Bible (Free Press)
- Corey Powell, God in the Equation: How Einstein
Became the Prophet of the New Religious Era (Free Press)
- Stephen Prothero, American Jesus: How the
Son of God Became a National Icon (FSG)
- John Spalding, A Pilgrim's Digress: My Perilous,
Fumbling Quest for the Celestial City (Harmony)
Links:
Music:
- Diamanda Galas "Burning
Hell" and "Burning Hell (reprise)" off of the La
Serpenta Canta CD. Mute records.
- Ernie Marrs and the Marrs Family "Plastic
Jesus" off of the Best of Broadside: 1962-1988 CD. Smithsonian
Folkways Records.
- Gloria Gayner "I Will Survive" off of
the Best of Gloria Gayner CD. Polygram Records.
- Depeche-Mode "Personal Jesus" off of
the Songs of Faith and Devotion CD. EMI Records.
- Tupac Shakur "Hail Mary," "Brenda's
Got a Baby," "Changes," and "I ain't Mad at
Cha" all off of the 2PAC Greatest Hits CD. Death Row Records.
Distribution dates:
................................................................
Questions and comments can
be addressed to: flemingj@wpr.org
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