Rainn Wilson - Soul Boom & Starships, Why the Future Needs Faith
Rainn Wilson, best known for playing Dwight Schrute on The Office, has leveraged that fame and wealth that came to him in his forties to better himself and, perhaps, the world. Rainn talks with Scott about his 2023 book SOUL BOOM: WHY WE NEED A SPIRITUAL REVOLUTION, in which Rain makes a case for the radical re-conceiving of humanity. Rainn also recounts his leaving and return to the Baháʼí faith.
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Claire Hoffman - Preachers, pretenders, and the price of belief
Claire Hoffman is a journalist, author, and a journalism professor at the University of California, Riverside. Her new book, Sister, Sinner: The Miraculous Life and Mysterious Disappearance of Aimee Semple McPherson was hailed by The New Yorker’s Casey Cep as “magnificent,” “gripping”, and “wonderfully thorough, the type of biography in which you learn just the right amount of everything.” In her book, Claire dives into the story of how, for two months in 1926, Pentecostal superstar Sister Aimee’s disappearance from a Southern California beach dominated headlines across the world.Claire also grew up in the 1980’s and ‘90’s in Fairfield, Iowa - ground zero for the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s Transcendental Meditation movement in America. Since her parents were devout practitioners, Claire and her brother were raised also as meditators. She recounts her childhood experiences in her 2016 book, Greetings from Utopia Park: Surviving a Transcendent Childhood
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Bob Costas - From Pews to Press Boxes, and the meaning behind the mic
Renowned American sportscaster, Bob Costas talks about growing up on Long Island, how his introduction to the world of sports was inextricably linked to his father’s addiction to gambling, how his Catholic upbringing shaped his world view, how he pursued his dream of becoming a sports broadcaster, the people he most admired and how he decided to retire from being the best play-by-play baseball announcer of his generation.
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Rabbi Sharon Brous: Reclaiming Religion, Spiritual Consciousness and the Dual Nature of Faith
Rabbi Sharon Brouse, named America's most influential Rabbi by Newsweek in 2013, shares her journey from an unaffiliated Jewish upbringing to co-founding the progressive IKAR Temple in Los Angeles. She delves into the profound wisdom of her 2024 bestseller, The Amen Effect: Ancient Wisdom to Heal Our Hearts, emphasizing ancient rituals and their relevance in modern times. The conversation highlights a sacred pilgrimage ritual from the Mishnah and its teachings on compassion and communal support. Rabbi Brouse addresses the challenges of maintaining tradition while advocating for inclusivity and justice. She recalls her emotional connection to Jewish practices, her parents' initial shock at her rabbinical path, and how Ikar aims to integrate spirituality with social activism. The episode also touches on broader themes of faith, human connection, and the transformative power of ancient wisdom.Watch Scott Carter’s 2024 TEDx talk “Indivisible” on YouTube.
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Martin Short - Nine Ways to Sunday
‘Humble comedy legend’ Martin Short has a distinguished career across five decades of work. But the jewel in the crown of Marty's career is his current mega hit Only Murders in the Building in which he stars and executive produces. It starts its fifth season on Hulu September 9, 2025. If Marty Short has lived a charmed life, it's because he's charming in life and because life charms him. He's a leprechaun who's earned his pots of gold by granting his audiences an infinity of wishes. In this interview with Scott Carter, Short reflects on his early influences, his Irish roots, and his approach to setbacks, emphasizing the importance of positivity, love, and humor inherited from his family. He reveals his structured approach to life through 'the nine categories,' a self-evaluative system he uses to maintain balance across various life areas, such as career, creativity, and personal relationships. Watch Scott Carter’s 2024 TEDx talk “Indivisible” on YouTube.
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Host Scott Carter, an award-winning executive producer and writer, known for his work on Real Time with Bill Maher and Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, explores codes of religious, cultural and secular conduct. Among Carter's diverse celebrity guests are Martin Short, Bob Costas, Ken Burns, Patricia Heaton, Killer Mike, Sam Harris, Rabbi Sharon Brous, Larry Wilmore, Moon Zappa, Rainn Wilson, Yvonne Orji, Rabbi Steve Leder and Tim Gunn.
Ireland