{"podcast":{"title":"Common Threads: An Interfaith Dialogue","slug":"common-threads-an-interfaith-dialogue-450462","podcast_index_feed_id":450462,"rss_url":"https://feeds.simplecast.com/4g1jyNuN","website_url":"https://www.wgvunews.org/programs/common-threads","image_url":"https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/73e87d5a-7bcd-4521-9f32-3647c0cd2aae/c2b9340d-e286-40b9-8c87-d12eadd050a9/3000x3000/common-threads.jpg?aid=rss_feed","author":"Fred Stella","episode_count":356,"summary":"Rated as the #1 podcast on all matters interfaith by Feedspot (https://blog.feedspot.com/interfaith_podcasts/), this is a weekly program that airs on Michigan NPR affiliates WGVU and WGVK. These 2 stations cover the entire western portion of the state. The show is hosted by Fred Stella, President of Interfaith Dialogue Association, an affiliate of Kaufman Interfaith Institute, which operates out of Grand Valley State University, the license holder of both stations. Each week Fred invites clerics, authors, activists and the occasional mystic into conversation about the role of spirituality and religion in politics, world affairs, societies and individuals. The parameters are quite wide. Besides his passion for all things transcendent, Fred Stella has an extensive resume in the world of media. Since his graduation from college Fred has worked in multiple radio formats, including news/talk, where he developed his skills in the art of the interview. He also has extensive experience in TV, stage, web entertainment, audiobook narration and more. He lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-05T06:19:20.949167+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/common-threads-an-interfaith-dialogue-450462"},"episode":{"title":"If It Were Not For Buddha I Could Not be a Christian Parts 1 & 2","slug":"if-it-were-not-for-buddha-i-could-not-be-a-christian-parts-1-2","published_at":"2026-02-03T07:10:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/common-threads-an-interfaith-dialogue-450462/if-it-were-not-for-buddha-i-could-not-be-a-christian-parts-1-2","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/common-threads-an-interfaith-dialogue-450462","url":"https://www.wgvunews.org/programs/common-threads","audio_url":"https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/920008cb-7530-4ec5-b363-8198629c298e/episodes/38b2f0e9-cbea-4f29-819e-236344049ed4/audio/aebeb9e0-bc34-4120-a22d-6ac71d632f99/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=4g1jyNuN","summary":"Without Buddha I Could not be a Christian narrates how esteemed theologian, Paul F. Knitter, overcame a crisis of faith by looking to One more from the newly found archive! So let's set the Wayback Machine for 2009 again. This time we spoke to Dr. Paul Knitter, the author of \"If It Were Not for Buddha I Would Not Be a Christian.\" I recall really enjoying this conversation. This book narrates how esteemed theologian, Paul F. Knitter, overcame a crisis of faith by looking to Buddhism for inspiration. From prayer to how Christianity views life after death, Knitter argues that a Buddhist standpoint can encourage a more person-centered conception of Christianity where individual religious experience comes 1st, and liturgy and tradition 2nd. Theme music \"Nigal.\"","meta_description":"Without Buddha I Could not be a Christian narrates how esteemed theologian, Paul F. Knitter, overcame a crisis of faith by looking to One more from the ne…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3320,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/common-threads-an-interfaith-dialogue-450462/episodes/if-it-were-not-for-buddha-i-could-not-be-a-christian-parts-1-2/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/common-threads-an-interfaith-dialogue-450462/if-it-were-not-for-buddha-i-could-not-be-a-christian-parts-1-2.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}