By the final years of the twentieth century, nuclear weapons policy in the United States was governed by the dictum of Mutually Assured Destruction. The US stockpiled nuclear weapons in hopes of assuring that nuclear weapons would never be used against us.

Our guest this week, Rev. Tyler Wigg-Stevenson, insists this policy of nuclear deterrence is outdated and morally problematic. Deterrence cannot account for the possibility of nuclear terrorism. It is also impossibly expensive and ecologically ruinous.

How should churches respond in light of these realities?  Is there a Christian message of hope for a humanity that now possesses the power to end itself?  This week, we wrestle with these unsettling but vital questions.

Rev. Tyler Wigg-Stevenson is the chairman of the Global Task Force on Nuclear Weapons, an initiative of the World Evangelical Alliance, and is the founding director of the Two Futures Project, a movement of American Christians for the global abolition of nuclear weapons.  He is the author of the forthcoming book, The World is Not Ours to Save: Finding the Freedom to Do Good (IVP Books, March 2013) and Brand Jesus: Christianity in a Consumerist Age.  He writes frequently for the Huffington Post and Christianity Today.

Also on the show, our senior producer, Katy Scrogin, reviews Christian Anarchism: A Political Commentary on the Gospels, by Alexandre Christoyannopoulos.

This is extra audio from show # 1219: Congregations and Health

The Christian tradition has long had an interest in the care of the sick and the suffering, starting with the actions of Christ himself, reported in the Gospels as a series of miraculous healings.  Through the subsequent two millennia, Christians have established hospitals and engaged in mission work for the poor and the sick. 

Here in Memphis, Tennessee, one example of this Christian mission in action involves a program of the Methodist LeBonheur Healthcare System called the Congregational Health Network.  Begun in 2006, the Congregational Health Network now partners with over 500 faith communities in order to improve the patient journey through the healthcare system and to help build healthier communities.

Dr. Teresa Cutts is Director of Research for Innovation at the Center of Excellence in Faith and Health at Methodist LeBonheur Healthcare here in Memphis, and the Reverend Bobby Baker is Director of the Congregational Health Network for Methodist LeBonheur Health Care.

Also on the show, our senior producer, Katy Scrogin, reviews At Liberty to Die: The Battle for Death with Dignity in America, by Howard Ball.

This is extra audio for episode #1218: Mormonism and America.

You can hear the full interview at ThingsNotSeenRadio.com

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (also known as Mormonism) is one of the fastest-growing religious groups in the United States today. Mitt Romney’s presidential candidacy has once again brought Mormonism into the public eye, as did Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid before him.  

Whether we look at the realms of entertainment, politics, or religious identity, the history of the Mormon Church is deeply entwined with the history of America.  

On this week's show, our guests discuss the history of the Mormon religion, the connection of the Mormon church to American history, and the role of religion in the 2012 Presidential election. 

Dr. Norm Tolk is professor of physics at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, and has served as a Bishop and stake president for several Mormon congregations.  Jared Halverson is director of education for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Middle Tennessee Region.

Also on the show, Katy Scrogin, reviews Farther Away, essays by Jonathan Franzen.

This is extra audio for our interview with Rachel Held Evans, author of A Year of Biblical Womanhood.  We talk about the effects of 9-11 on Evangelicalism, and Evans's work at a small town newspaper.

Rachel Held Evans grew up in Dayton, TN, the town made famous by the Scopes Monkey Trial. From the heart of the Bible Belt, where faith at first seemed certain and simple, she grew more comfortable with questions and doubt.  Now considering herself a more progressive (but still evangelical) woman, she tries to live her beliefs, as she puts it, with her "head and heart fully engaged."

Rachel Held Evans is the author of Evolving in Monkey Town (Zondervan 2010) and A Year of Biblical Womanhood (Thomas Nelson 2012).  A popular blogger, you can keep up with her latest posts at rachelheldevans.com.

Also on the show,producer Travis Ables talks about Revolution, both on television and in life.

This is twelve minutes of extra audio from our interview with Fr. Bruce Cinquegrani, about the history of Vatican II

October 11, 2012, marked the 50th anniversary of the opening convocation of the Second Vatican Council.  Called by Pope John XXIII, the decisions made at the council affected every aspect of theology and worship within the Church.  In the wake of Vatican II, the Catholic Church began to worship in native languages, reaffirmed the centrality of the Bible in the life of the faithful, and began to reach out to the modern world and those of other faiths in unprecedented ways.

Our guest, Fr. Bruce Cinquegrani, looks back over a lifetime spent in the priesthood.  Fr. Bruce's ministry parallels the last half century of the post-Vatican II Church.  Deciding to become a priest in the years immediately before the council, he entered the pastorate in a Church profoundly different than what he expected.  Yet for Fr. Bruce, and many priest like him, his feelings are not of disappointment, but of hope for what is still to come as the effects of Vatican II continue to unfold.

Fr. Bruce Cinquegrani is pastor of St. Brigid Parish, TN, and is Episcopal Vicar for Divine Worship, Spiritual Life, and Catechesis in the Diocese of Memphis.

Also on the show, Katy Scrogin reviews the Salesman and the Shark, by Sean Rowe.

Katherine Clay Bassard is the author of Transforming Scriptures: African American Women Writers and the Bible.  We speak about her book and the history of biblical interpretations that orbit the African American experience.  Dr. Bassard will be speaking at the University of Memphis on Thursday, October 18th, 2012.