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Issued From The Archives, September 2009, this episode of Unraveling Religion, Joel David Lesses speaks with Reverend Mary Masters, then the minister of Unity Church in Buffalo, New York. The conversation examines Unity as a transdenominational spiritual movement and considers its relationship to Christianity, comparative religion, personal spiritual development, interfaith cooperation, and the cultivation of inner wisdom. Within this context, the conversation with Masters considers Unity's effort to move beyond denominational distinctions while maintaining a Christian foundation. Masters describes Unity as a spiritual movement centered on the belief that there is one God and multiple paths toward knowing God. Unity emphasizes the divinity within each person and seeks common principles among diverse religious traditions rather than emphasizing theological division. Masters discusses the history of Unity and the work of its founders, Charles and Myrtle Fillmore. She describes Myrtle Fillmore's experience of illness and subsequent spiritual transformation as formative to Unity's understanding of healing, prayer, forgiveness, and the relationship between consciousness and human experience. The discussion subsequently considers the role of education as more than the transmission of information. Education is presented as a process through which individuals may discover and develop wisdom already present within themselves. Prayer, meditation, intuition, and contemplation become central subjects as Lesses and Masters examine how individuals might develop greater awareness of their internal experience. Their discussion of thought and perception considers the possibility that human beings cannot control every circumstance but can influence their responses to circumstances. This perspective is connected to Unity's emphasis on constructive thought, personal responsibility, cooperation, and the possibility of seeking outcomes that serve the well-being of all. The conversation also examines Jesus as a teacher and way shower. Masters situates Jesus within a broader history of spiritual teachers that includes Buddha, Lao Tzu, and Muhammd. The discussion of biblical parables considers how religious stories may contain multiple levels of meaning and may disclose different insights as individuals develop spiritually. Masters also discusses the Gospel of Thomas and its emphasis on bringing forth what is within, connecting this teaching to creativity, vocation, personal expression, and the consequences of suppressing one's inner capacities. A significant portion of the conversation addresses interfaith cooperation. Masters describes her involvement with the Network of Religious Communities and its work bringing together people from different religious traditions around education, social service, community welfare, and peace. The discussion presents interfaith engagement as a practical form of religious cooperation rather than merely theological dialogue. The episode concludes by examining religious conflict and the importance of listening as a foundation for reconciliation. Masters discusses compassionate and nonviolent communication as methods for approaching interpersonal and intergroup conflict. The conversation ultimately returns to the importance of inward and outward listening, suggesting that greater understanding may begin when individuals become willing to encounter perspectives different from their own. The episode closes with Masters offering Unity's Prayer for Protection, bringing together the conversation's central themes of divine presence, spiritual awareness, compassion, and the possibility of human transformation.

In this episode of The Labyrinth reposted on Unraveling Religion as a part of an ongoing collaboration, Lisa Carley introduces Joel Lesses and Rich Grego and engage in a deeply personal narrative exploring purpose, spirituality, identity, and the role of solitude in living an authentic life.  Lisa begins by reflecting on a question that has become central to her life: how can she use her time in ways that are meaningful not only in the present moment but also in service of a larger purpose? She explains that while she values mindfulness and presence, she is equally interested in understanding how everyday choices contribute to a deeper calling. As an educator, she extends this question to modern education, asking whether schools prepare students simply for careers or whether they help people discover lives of meaning, purpose, and authentic contribution. The conversation turns to Lisa's recent experience with an Akashic Record reading, which confirmed intuitions she already held about her life direction. Rather than predicting the future, the reading encouraged her to trust an emerging sense of purpose as she considers moving into a larger artist community. She describes feeling called to become a gathering place for ideas—a person who brings together diverse perspectives, synthesizes them, and shares them in ways that serve others. Joel reflects on his own philosophical journey from a worldview that questioned whether life possessed any inherent meaning to one shaped by years of Buddhist practice and the Dharma. He explains that purpose is not something imposed upon life but something discovered through careful attention to one's inner landscape. As people recognize their natural gifts, passions, and values, they begin to understand how they are uniquely called to contribute. Echoing the familiar saying often attributed to Picasso, Joel reminds listeners that the meaning of life is to discover one's gift, while the purpose of life is to give that gift away in service to others. Lisa also shares how her understanding of identity has changed. Much of her life had been shaped by defining herself through close relationships, particularly romantic partnerships. Increasingly, however, she is discovering who she is independent of those roles. This deeper relationship with herself has brought greater clarity to her vocation and a stronger sense of alignment with her own path. The conversation explores the value of solitude within spiritual traditions, particularly Buddhism, and questions whether time alone can become an essential part of personal transformation. Rather than viewing solitude as isolation, the speakers suggest it offers space for creativity, self-discovery, and deeper listening. Lisa proposes expanding the idea of relationship itself, suggesting that we can learn to be in relationship not only with other people but with life, the universe, and reality itself. Asking what life is calling us toward becomes just as important as asking what others expect from us. Throughout the discussion, the speakers emphasize that purpose is rarely discovered through dramatic moments of revelation. More often, it emerges gradually through self-reflection, meaningful work, community, creativity, and service. Authentic living is less about arriving at certainty than about remaining attentive to the patterns that unfold throughout one's life and choosing actions that increasingly align with one's deepest values. Ultimately, this episode invites listeners to reconsider conventional ideas of success and fulfillment. Rather than measuring life solely through achievement or external recognition, Joel, Lisa, and Rich encourage a lifelong exploration of calling, authenticity, and service. Purpose is not simply a destination waiting in the future—it is something revealed through the choices we make, the lives we touch, and the willingness to remain open to the unfolding mystery of...

Part 2 continues panel discussion by exploring the lived experience of unity, spirituality, and what it means to feel 'at home' in the universe, beginning with reflections on whether healing and awakening dissolve the sense of separation. Andy, drawing from his 12-step recovery background, describes spirituality as a relationship with a higher power understood personally, sharing that his connection takes shape through Christian symbolism rooted in his upbringing. He emphasizes that this framework is not exclusive, but a language through which he experiences alignment, meaning, and a sense that everything in existence is placed in right relationship. Central to his path is humility—learning to recognize value in all people and to move beyond ego-driven identity. The conversation expands into spiritual awakening as both gradual and sudden, drawing on William James’ distinction between 'educational' awakenings and sudden insight, with participants noting that suffering, hindsight, and breakthrough moments all contribute to a growing awareness of interconnectedness. Themes of non-separation emerge across traditions, including Zen and Advaita Vedanta, where suffering is understood as rooted in the illusion of a separate self, and healing arises through re-experiencing unity—both psychologically and physically in the body. Humility as a balance between recognizing higher forces and maintaining personal agency The idea that all relationships—including with the divine—are reciprocal rather than one-directional A Sufi perspective, influenced by Inayat Khan, describing the universe as moving toward love, harmony, and beauty The concept of a 'pull of the future' shaping evolution alongside past causes Parallels to scientific ideas of uncertainty and unfolding potential within the universe Joel offers a complementary perspective on karma, rooted in mystical traditions, emphasizing that every thought, action, and intention generates corresponding effects that return 'measure for measure,' shaping future experience. He frames reality as an interplay between seen and unseen dimensions, where intentionality—especially loving-kindness—acts as a generative force. The panel reflects on the interplay of karma, grace, randomness, and free will, suggesting that human life unfolds within a dynamic system of influence and choice, where individuals both shape and are shaped by experience. Closing reflections highlight the importance of shared inquiry and spiritual community, with participants emphasizing that these conversations create space for meaningful exploration beyond solitary practice. The discussion concludes with a Zen teaching offered by Joel, pointing to the enduring challenge of ethical living—avoiding harm and cultivating virtue—not as abstract ideals, but as practices that must be lived moment to moment.

Part 1  Alchemical Dialogues and Unraveling Religion co-hosts Joel Lesses and Henry Cretella convene a panel exploring spirituality, recovery, philosophy, and science through lived experience, centered on the theme of transformation as an embodied, ongoing process. Ben, a therapist and former addiction counselor, reflects on his journey through trauma, psychosis, and recovery, including an ego death experience that reframed his life through the lens of rebirth. He describes moving from feeling unsafe in his body to cultivating grounding through breath and meditation. Andrew, trained in physics, shares his experiences with bipolar disorder, atheism, and long-term substance use, ultimately finding recovery and a return to a sense of inner peace, identifying addiction as an attempt to fill a deeper spiritual void. Rich Grego, a philosopher and Professor of religion and metaphysics, introduces his scholarly background while emphasizing his continued existential questioning, highlighting the gap between intellectual understanding and lived spiritual experience. Henry Cretella, a psychiatrist influenced by Inayat Khan, describes a syncretic approach to spirituality, drawing from multiple traditions while seeking a unifying thread, and challenges the idea of 'pure' traditions by pointing to nature as inherently evolving and interconnected. Joel builds on this by referencing Eihei Dogen’s idea of 'many languages, one tongue,' suggesting that different traditions express a shared source, and introduces the central inquiry 'What am I?' as a core spiritual question. The discussion explores addiction as existential longing, reframing the restless search for meaning as a potential catalyst for transformation, and examines the relationship between humans and nature, questioning whether any true separation exists. Joel emphasizes language as a uniquely human capacity that shapes reality, while Henry dissolves the distinction between humans and nature, asserting that all phenomena arise from the same natural processes. Themes of unity and non-dual awareness emerge, with connection understood as internal rather than dependent on external conditions, and Ben reflecting that true connection can be found even in solitude. Joel introduces the metaphor of the world as a garden, drawing on teachings associated with Menachem Mendel Schneerson, describing humans as caretakers responsible for cultivating and tending both inner and outer life.

Part 2 of 'Echoes of the Tao, Seeking Truth Across Traditions,' starts with 'what does it mean to Serve and Love God (or Tao)? God (Tao) says, 'be what I made you to be!' God (Tao) is found in relationship. Does God want us to know Him (or ourselves) most intimately? Dependent Co-arising? 'Simultaneously, I and all beings attain the Way' (Awaken to Reality) ~Buddha 'Essentially, outside of me, nothing exists' Verse 18 What does it mean to let go? What do we let go of? To be human is to be attached? Closes with Verse 81, and then Joel reads two poems by Ikkyu. Biographies of Panel: Dr. Bob Insull is an New York State Licensed Psychologist with more than 60 years experience teaching, training, and treating in the arena of human behavior. In his clinical practice, he has worked across the developmental stages (children to golden-agers), across the diagnostic spectrum (chemical dependency, severe mental illness, relationship issues, depression, anxiety, and PTSD), and treatment settings (clinics, inpatient psychiatric centers, and private practice). During the closing years of his practice, he became interested in the area of psychological trauma and worked with survivors in individual and group settings. He has been retired from active practice for about 15 years and spends his time engaged in self-discovery on the Sufi Path and social-change activities with his church. ------ Brian Mistler enjoys communing with fellow inquirers and reflecting together on revealed perennial wisdom. Hari Om Tat Sat. Peace, peace, peace. ------- Richard Grego is Professor of philosophy and cultural history at FSCJ. His research interests focus on cross cultural themes in religion and science - including philosophy of mind, comparative world religions/world civilizations, and the metaphysical - theological implications of theoretical physics and cosmology. His publications have included studies in the history - philosophy of science and conceptions of nature in the history of western philosophy, as well as cross-cultural perspectives on mind/ consciousness in western philosophy - psychology and the neo-Vedanta Hindu tradition. Prior to his academic career, he was a criminal investigator - polygraph examiner for the Florida Office of the Public Defender and in the private sector Instructor at the Criminal Justice Institute and International Academy of Polygraph Science in Florida, and national Academic Director of the Criminal Defense Investigation Training Council. ------- Joel David Lesses is President and Executive Director of Education Training Center, Inc. and his work experience is in education, psychology, and counseling for people marginalized by trauma, addiction, and psychological distress. He is deeply vested in addressing the effects of mental health distress and its marginalization including, incarceration, homelessness, and institutionalization. Joel is dedicated to reframing mental health distress as a potential spiritual marker and existential opportunity. He holds dual Master of Science degrees from University at Buffalo in Rehabilitation Counseling and Biomedical Sciences with a concentration in Epidemiology.    ------- Henry Cretella, M.D. studied and practiced Tibetan Buddhism for several years along with training in martial arts.  He then immersed himself in the more universal Sufism of Inayat Khan, an Indian mystic, for close to twenty years. He functioned as a senior teacher in the Inayati Order and the Sufi Healing Order before pursuing  his independent practice and study of mysticism. He now integrates what he has learned and experienced over these many years. He graduated from Vanderbilt Medical School and completed his psychiatric training at Strong Memorial Hospital of the Univer...

In this exploration of the Tao Te Ching and other traditions, the conversation opens to introductions  of the five Panelists and a invocation of hope of others to investigate the Tao Te Ching.  Bob, Brian, Rich, Henry and Joel share Verse 1 and questions arise: What is Reality? Is the Tao Reality? What is the Tao? What does the term Anti-foundational mean? Reversal Yin/ Yang in relation to Tao. Paradox and the Tao. Everyday consciousness is the pathway to the Tao. What is the relationship with Buddhism, Hinduism, Christiainity and Tao? What does silence offer in relation to the Tao? The Beginningless Beginning? Is the Tao directly knowable? Tibetan Buddihsm and the Tao. Verse 17 and Verse 38 are explored. Wu Wei.  How do we serve God? How do we serve Tao? Why did God create? Biographies of Panel: Dr. Bob Insull is an New York State Licensed Psychologist with more than 60 years experience teaching, training, and treating in the arena of human behavior. In his clinical practice, he has worked across the developmental stages (children to golden-agers), across the diagnostic spectrum (chemical dependency, severe mental illness, relationship issues, depression, anxiety, and PTSD), and treatment settings (clinics, inpatient psychiatric centers, and private practice). During the closing years of his practice, he became interested in the area of psychological trauma and worked with survivors in individual and group settings. He has been retired from active practice for about 15 years and spends his time engaged in self-discovery on the Sufi Path and social-change activities with his church. ------- Brian Mistler enjoys communing with fellow inquirers and reflecting together on revealed perennial wisdom. Hari Om Tat Sat. Peace, peace, peace. ------- Richard Grego is Professor of philosophy and cultural history at FSCJ. His research interests focus on cross cultural themes in religion and science - including philosophy of mind, comparative world religions/world civilizations, and the metaphysical - theological implications of theoretical physics and cosmology. His publications have included studies in the history - philosophy of science and conceptions of nature in the history of western philosophy, as well as cross-cultural perspectives on mind/ consciousness in western philosophy - psychology and the neo-Vedanta Hindu tradition. Prior to his academic career, he was a criminal investigator - polygraph examiner for the Florida Office of the Public Defender and in the private sector Instructor at the Criminal Justice Institute and International Academy of Polygraph Science in Florida, and national Academic Director of the Criminal Defense Investigation Training Council. ------- Joel David Lesses is President and Executive Director of Education Training Center, Inc. and his work experience is in education, psychology, and counseling for people marginalized by trauma, addiction, and psychological distress. He is deeply vested in addressing the effects of mental health distress and its marginalization including, incarceration, homelessness, and institutionalization. Joel is dedicated to reframing mental health distress as a potential spiritual marker and existential opportunity. He holds dual Master of Science degrees from University at Buffalo in Rehabilitation Counseling and Biomedical Sciences with a concentration in Epidemiology.    ------- Henry Cretella, M.D. studied and practiced Tibetan Buddhism for several years along with training in martial arts.  He then immersed himself in the more universal Sufism of Inayat Khan, an Indian mystic, for close to twenty years. He functioned as a senior teacher in the Inayati Order and the Sufi Healing Order before pursuing  his...

The I Thou Video Series' host Richard Wicka has a conversation with Joel opening with the posited question, 'What Is?' or 'What Is, existentially?'  The discussion response from Richard offers Panta Rhei (i.e., everything changes). What is identity? Identity and a Real Self, are there two aspects within each of us? Is only one real? Kireeragard: real world self (work self), imaginary self (the self you desire to be), true self (the one you don't know be discover) The question of First Principles (i.e., don't question, axiom) Richard as a mentor to many, including Joel, at Home of the Future The beginning of Unraveling Religion podcast, when Richard asked Joel 'would you like to do a radio show?' Arguments of Philosophy can sharpen one another Chavruta and sharping one another  Thomas Aquinas  Do things exist outside of time? Zen (i.e., in China Ch'an, the Mind Only School of Buddhism) is discussed Bodhidharma and Joshu, and the koan 'does a dog have Buddha nature?' Joshu started teaching at age of 80 and lived to be 120, he taught for 40 years Does this contradict Hieggerder's Being and Time that everything exists in Space and Time Is economics the basis of consciousness? Richard and Joel deconstruct that premise The reciprocity of energy is the basis of healthy community How do we support people who do not value the importance of recipocity Father Greg Boyle, Gangs Service and Kinship Judaism's emphasis on care for the widow, stranger, and the orphan The Lubavaticher Rebbe emphases on care of those without parents How is this emphases is embeded in Torah? From Richard Wicka's notes: Kierkeggaard spoke about the concrete self (where you are today), the ideal self (the self you aspire to be) and the true self (the self that contains all your potential) 'Expanse' (a type of experience) is in contrast to words you use to describe the world.  You are observing. (Identity is a verb not a noun).  I can't think of anything that exists outside of time. People who think there are such things are following in the footsteps of Plato.  Krista Tippets has a podcast called 'On Being'.  The widow, the stranger and the Orphan vs. The Alienated, the ostracized and the damned.  I am where I am now because of good mentorship.   Biography Richard Wicka is a Buffalo, N.Y.-based media artist and photographer and the proprietor of "The Home of the Future,"a media access center and production/recording studio based in his Kaisertown home. Wicka has been providing a forum for artists in all media, activists, and everyday...

Pádraig Ó Tuama joins Joel and shares a conversation from the heart about poetry, spirituality, community, and communion. The conversation opens to how Joel and Pádraig met, and what informed Pádraig's life as a Poet and Theologian. Pádraig recalls the influences of Ireland and school and the foundation of poetry in that experience, and poetry as resistance, and the role of Peacemaker in the world. Pádraig reads from his new book of poetry Kitchen Hymns' poem, 'The Long Table.' The conversation opens to many faces of poetry and existence: Are we irrelevant to the Universe or is the human being the center point of existence? Do we understand what Love Is? Joel reads from the Mountains and Rivers Sutra of Dogen Zenji's Shobogenzo Coming together for the point of comprehension and not necessary agreement The Church views of LGBTQ+ Community Beyond formal belief and nurturing the heart Pádraig and mentoring the younger generation Pádraig's Kitchen Hymns and On Being's Poetry Unbound Anthology released in 2025: 44 Poems on Being with Each Another  Jewish Mysticism and Kabbalah Kabbalah is for Humankind Plato's Soul with Two Faces The importance of Good Questions is rooted in Judaism and is applicable to all spiritual traditions Midrash in Judaism  The body and the erotic in relation to spirituality and the deeper questions of existence Star of David deconstructed In Judaism a single person is known as half a human being The Garments of the Soul: Intention, Thought, Action, and Speech The Zohar and the thirst for deeper esoteric secrets Pádraig examines the relationship between poetry and prayer 'You' in poetry, most prayers include the word 'you' Pádraig reads from Kitchen Hymns, 'Do You Believe In God?' Close examination of a text will lead you into infinitity  Are Jewish soul's always in Jewish bodies? Joel reads Gary Synder's 'Why Log Truck Drivers Rise Earlier Than Students of Zen' Poetry transports us to other time and place, poetry as a time-machine Rooted spirituality is in the body

Crazywise Documentary Filmmaker Phil Borges joins Joel for a discussion of Phil's life post Crazywise and together they explore mental health and its relation spirituality, beginning with how does one define spirituality.  Phil's history of experiences into spirituality, beginning with the death of his father and Phil's Aunt returning from a psychiatric hospitalization to Phil's home when Phil was a boy. Also discussed, Phil's career development and choice and his search for meaningful work; from Orthodontistry to Photography and shooting covers of Romance Novels, Phil begin an ascent into work and exploring indigenous cultures. His first project was working on a project in Tibet which he meet a young man identified as a Tulku (i.e., channeler of the Nachung Oracle, the Oversoul Protector of the Tibetan People Culture and Heritage).  Phil interviewed the Tulku and learned how he came to his position in the Tibetan community. The indicators of this position were seen in his Tibetan Community as positive signs of a gifted person and included mood swings, personality changes, hearing voices, and seeing visions. This mental health crisis was the mark of a gifted person in Tibetan community.  In other work, Phil worked with Amnesty International and the Samburu Tribe in where he met a young woman who at 14 started hearing voices and seeing vision. Her grandmother recognized she had the gift to become a predictor, healer, and shaman in her community and took her under her wing and mentored her and these gifts into a skillset to benefit the community. As Phil worked with many indigenous communities he began to interview the shaman, seers, healers, and predictors of these communities and found about 85% of the shaman had an an initiation into the path of the Shaman by a mental health crisis, defined by what the West would call psychosis.  The community understood the mental health crisis as the beginning of a process of developing a person to become a leader, healer, and teacher in their community, and an elder would take them under their wing and mentor and guide them. The mental emotional crisis is known by many shaman as 'The Little Death' or Ego Death. Phil also in his career worked with neuroscientists to research the pathways of the brain. Sudden awakening versus slow awakening was discussed across cultures (i.e., Mahayana school of Soto and Rinzai). Phil also discusses his own experiences with psychedelics and micro-dosing and the importance of integrating those expericences into daily life require effort and work. Phil and Joel discuss that we each have a specific kind of work and the human's journey is to search and find what that work might be.  Liminal Space was defined as a threshold or a doorway and rebuilding after a breakthrough. Phil reflects on his life now and his work on his memoirs documenting where his quest for meaningful work took him through his life.     Biography Phil Borges, has been documenting indigenous cultures and striving to create an understanding of the challenges they face. Phil has spoken at multiple TED talks; including TED in 2007, TEDxRainier in 2012 and TEDxUMKC in 2013 and hosted television documentaries for Discovery and National Geographic.

In a Post-Pandemic June 2022, Joel and Chris sat together at Network of Religous Communities in Buffalo, New York and examined and reflected on Chris' travels to Seattle and San Fransisco via train, a pilgrimage. Chris discusses his recent trip and the lessons, resolutions, and insights from his travels to the west coast, focusing on the spiritual aspects. The conversation tends toward defining 'Pilgrimage' as setting an intention of questions and seeing what happens or unravels with the experience as an answer or response to the questions and intention.  After graduation from college, his path opened to extended compassion to the marginalized, the poor, and after college Chris entered into another phase of life, he lived in solidarity with people who were homeless, practicing presence and 'present-ness' with these communities. Chris cites in his life the transformation from service to devotion: born into a challenging family, his compassion for others was cultivated, later manifesting into activism with the homeless communities and prisoners and inmates, seeking to address the Prison System. Chris intentionally placed himself in the heart of suffering as an act of mercy to fulfill an aspect of his understanding of spirituality, and this helped him bridge his own suffering into compassion for others in community who are marginalized and suffer. Chris was inspired reading the Buddhist Sutras and the New Testament, influenced by Buddha and Jesus. Chris' understanding of activism and advocacy lends itself to cultivating and amplifying voices of the marginalized.  Chris shares he has been working with Jesus the Liberatory Seminary for over a decade, utilizing creativity and theology to amplify voices. Prisoners share writings though Jesus the Liberator Seminary of Religous Justice, which has three books published: Prison Theology (Published, 2013) Dreamers, Romans and Prisons: Meditations on Crime, Illness, Healing and Liberation (Published, 2015) More to this Confession: Relational Prison Theology (Published, 2020) Chris found that communal living developed skill building toward activism, repair, and restoration.  Chris talks about the 'why' of his activism, work, and devotion; the 'why' of activism identified by Chris is 'the general compassion for others, that is the 'why' of activism.' This general compassion for people ties into activism and his pilgramages:  helps Chris in addressing suffering 'pilgrimages' uncover how and why one acts the way they do  Chris reflects on his initial pilgrimage, the Tenderloin District in San Fransisco   Chris took an early pilgramage to Wounded Knee (i.e., 1890 Massacre), also reflecting on Sitting Bull and Black Elk Chris reads from his writings. The discussion turns to The Ten (10) Ox Herding Dipictions and the Marketplace as the last of the Ten (10) Dipictions. The conversation opens to a quotation shared by Roshi Philip Kapleau: 'life is not a riddle to be solved, but a reality to be lived.' Many struggle with 'The Why?' of Life, the talk outlines 'the why' is for the Divine and 'the how' is for people to respond to Life's complexities.    Biography of Chris Barbera: Chris Barbera has lived in the backs of empty churches and intentional communities and worked on various social justice movements and has, for many years, administered an educational nonprofit, Jesus the Liberator Seminary of Religious Justice, which focuses upon developing a 'Prison Theology' with people incarcerated. He currently li...

Pulled from the Archives of Unraveling Religion this June 2013 conversation with Chris Barbera explores discussion based on the book Prison Theology, published by Jesus the Liberator Seminary of Religious Justice, and opens the question: 'Can the criminal on the cross be the incarcerated, executed Godhead?'  Chris and Joel address America, Prisoners, and the Prison Industral Complex through a Restorative Justice lens and how to evolve and connect with spiritual teachings and pedagogical through a Restorative Justice framework. 'Prison Theology' is an extension of Liberation Theology: At their core, both express a ‘preferential option for the poor’ Both work to articulate a theology that empowers people disaffected by dominant paradigms of power Both articulations are born among the struggles of oppressed people '…and so we start from where we are.' About the book Prison Theology, eight different writers share their experiences and thoughts regarding incarceration in America. Restorative Justice was born in Latin America, and the Vatican II Era, a grassroots, poor people movement, mobilization to return the spiritual aspect of those who have been marginalized and inprisioned. The discussion moves to these topics: The notion of the Bodhisattva, responding to the cries of the world Jesus as a Bodhisattva, who is considered Jesus? Do money and wealth correlate with character, worth, and human value and dignity? A person is free when they are allowed to work through their trials and tribulations  What is a crime versus what is criminalized? Equality of the Law, a realistic approach to Justice Judgement and Punishment  What is judgement? Who determines the fate of others? To evaluate how to better address the infractions society creates Looking at Society and the Individual Reconciliation: what is it? bringing the sin and the rehabilitation from the sin together, refiguring and understanding it society and inmate, reconciliation  victim and offender, reconciliation  when the victim has the strength, to offer forgiveness to the offender looking at the context and circumstance of life of the inmate Chris emphasizes the work should come from a place of love, concern for another person, regardless of the actions  Forming community, connection in community with theology, religious justice, education and Universities that have prison programs, and utilize them to work toward an equality of voices. Chris' work helps to create a network unifying the connection between the church, the university, and inmate. Chris shares his vision and hope where advocacy addressing the Prison Industrial Complex is going. The Church and the University are within the inmate, Prison Theology and Liberation Theology seek to cultivate this understanding.   Biography of Chris Barbera: Chris Barbera has lived in the backs of empty churches and intentional communities and worked on various social justice movements and has, for many years, administered an educational nonprofit, Jesus the Liberator Seminary of Religious Justice, which focuses upon developing a 'Prison Theology' with people incarcerated. He currently lives intentionally at the interfaith nonprofit, Network of Religious Communities. In short, he has lived and worked with poor people at the intersection of grassroots justice movements, spiritually lived ideas and experiences in relation with institutional structures, traditions, and nonprofit efforts, as well as at the intersection of poetry and theo...

Pulled from the Archives of Unraveling Religion, this September 2009 episode recorded at the studio in the Home of The Future, Chris and Joel speak of the Erie County Holding Center Federal Investigation Findings of Human and Constitutional Rights abuses which open the talk to the practical responses from ancient and spiritual foundations and teachings to point the way and address to the conditions and actions that violated human and constitutional rights that were recorded and documented in the Federal Findings and Report.  Erie County Holding Center under Federal investigation, and Chris discusses the response from the Erie County Holding Center Leadership, 'consider the source' inferring that because the investigation addresses human and constitutional rights abuses of inmates and prisoners, there should be no concern, dehumanizing the reality that inmates and prisoners are human beings. Chris and Joel expand the talk to Native Teachings and how labels and stereotypes dehumanize Native People concealing the deep wisdom and sanctity of Native People, the embodied connection with ecology and Nature, spirituality and honoring relations.  Regarding County Jails and Holding Center, some of the voices coming out of the Holding Center, what the experiences taught people who were/are prisoners and inmates: wisdom born out of suffering  suffering is part of our world suffering has helped created the greatest teachers of the world making wisdom out of the suffering of the conditions of the Erie County Holding Center Chris and Joel discuss incorporating meditation and ancient teachings applied not only to inmate and prisoners but also those as advocates and activists for the prison system. The talk turns toward insights regarding the practical way of understanding projections of the mind toward others (e.g., inmates) as one's own dark aspect (e.g., Prison Leadership). Also discussed, William Blake's Poison Tree: 'I was angry with my friend;  I told my wrath, my wrath did end. I was angry with my foe:  I told it not, my wrath did grow.'  Supermax Prisons seek to deepen isolation techniques for inmates: 'what is that really about?' how is that considered ethical treatment of human beings how does that contribute to the rehabilitation and restoration of people in prison Siddhartha Gautama, 'ignorance is the main cause of human suffering.' we create our own (human) experiencemuch of our choices are based on unconscious aspects of our human experience 'Cause and Effect' (i.e., Karma) is not (another) Law, but rather it is Reality Expressed, a practical expression of the Unity of Existence.   'Be Still and Know that I am God:' what does that mean and how can it be applied to healing our prisons and prisoners karma is also 'work' (i.e., another interpretation) 'you want to know my faith, look at my works' if you want Justice in this world, find injustice and address it spirituality as practical, a practical solution (i.e., spirituality is practical when applied with care) when religion becomes a superstition, too abstract, or metaphysical, people lose genuine connection with God Joel asks Chris what he hopes to see for a vision of the future Community Action, call to action Legal Route, class action law suit Awareness Joel and Chris close the talk referencing the Ba'al Shem Tov ('everything you see is a teaching for Divine Service to God') and Native American Teachings of animal spirit and animal totem.  Biography of Chris Barbera: Chris Barbera has lived in the backs of empty churches and intentional communities and worked on various social justi...

Sitting down with Chris Barbera at Network of Religious Communities to record this trailer, Joel opens to discuss, introduce, and summarize three recorded conversations, previously archived, and these newly edited talks include: 2009 'Real Flowers Of This Painful World,' Compassion Manifest For All Beings, Spirituality Forged Through Practical Application: A Conversation With Chris Barbera 2013 'Prison Theology,' Restorative Justice and Equalizing Voices, An Examination of The Prison Industrial Complex: A Discussion with Chris Barbera (scheduled release end of July 2025) 2022 A Pilgrimage, Journey Of The Heart: Examining 'The Why' Of Life With Chris Barbera (scheduled release end of August 2025) Reissued, these previously archived talks with Chris are introduced and Joel and Chris address a summary of each episode and arrive at discussing the importance of mentorship in life as a part of societal restoration, the need for positive role models, both mascline and feminine to offer wisdom, guidance, and counsel to people who would otherwise be without it.      Music: Natalie Merchant 'Owensboro' and 'Poor Wayfaying Stranger' both from 'The House Carpenter's Daughter' (© 2003 Myth America Records)

Naomi Shihab Nye opens the talk reading a new, recently penned poem, Current Affairs.   Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish then introduces himself and segways into the realities of his experiences growing up in Gaza, the Jabalia Camp, what he has seen and witnessed, the loss of his three daugthers and niece in 2009 from an Israeli tank shell (i.e., I Shall Not Hate) and his pride in his Palestinan heritage, family, and community.   He shares his deep belief and conviction 'nothing is impossible in life.' He also expresses: Medicine as a great human equalizer Toward human rights, once people step away from the border of the hospitals, they become categorized and labeled 'Palestinian' or 'Israeli' If you believe in Humanity, we must all stand for all Human Rights is deeply tested in Gaza, people must stand up for human rights Advocate not for peace but for dignity, justice, freedom, and human rights for all: peace will follow when these conditions are cultivated  Naomi shares her family history and the experiences of relocating after the Nakba. Naomi also shares: As a poet, every voice is important in the world, every voice represents humanity.  Regarding Gaza, this is an overwhelming tragedy of sorrow The importance of actions based on one's convictions The power of the military industry complex to overide the voice of the majority and humanity's collective voice How can we be heard, how can we be listened to? Who is listening? The idea, our obligation is to our humanity, looking within our selves we recognize our humanity Dr. Abuelaish shares his experiences as an author.    The priority of Palestinians toward education.   Human Rights, respect and dignity for all.   What is our modern sense of responsibility and obligation toward our fellow humans, what is our modern sense of meaning, mission, and purpose.   A human being is a human being [only] through another person.   Truth telling as means of healing.     The situation is Gaza and West Bank harms Israel deeply as well.    Naomi shares Hibu Abu Nabab's poem, Not Just Passing.   The political power and politics contrbuting to the crisis in Gaza and the West Bank.   Dr. Abuelaish reviews the history of Gaza since 2000.   And, Naomi closes with her poem, For Gaza   The children are still singing They need & want to sing They are carrying cats to safe places Holding what they can hold

In Part 2 of this heartfelt talk, David and Joel discuss poetry as a transmission, what the heart of one poet offers to others, and their community, and the notion of transmission from 'mind to mind from mind' within the frame of poetry. David recalls a story of Maj pulling up in David's driveway in Maj's Chevy Nova and Maj reciting Antonio Machado's 'Last Night, As I Was Sleeping.' David and Joel discuss David's forthcoming memoir 'Prayer Wheel' and Maj's influence, open readings in Kent, and death and how it is healthy to openly discuss death as a preparation for its coming. The unique quality of the Kent poetry community and Kent as a epicenter and confluence as a spiritual portal, and Kent's poetry commmunity as wisdom holder and torch-bearer drawing poets to the Kent community. Dreams as a connection with our ancestors and those dreams as a conversation with messages from our ancestors for us, waking us up to what we need to see our lives more clearly. Hearing the voices of the living and the dead, and how we tend to the dead as a reflection of the quality of our life. David offers the Mayan teaching that the other world sings us into being. David and Joel close out the conversation with discussion of the 40th Anniversary Celebration of the Wick Poetry Center, and winding down David reads 'Kissing Lightening.'   Biography David Hassler is the Bob and Walt Wick Executive Director of the Wick Poetry Center at Kent State University and cofounded Traveling Stanzas, a community arts project which brings poetry to the most urgent and evolving needs of our communities through expressive writing interventions, interactive exhibits, and digital platforms. Most recently in May 2023, Hassler presented the Poets for Science project with poet Jane Hirshfield at the Nobel Prize Summit at the National Academy of Sciences. Hassler is the author or editor of ten books of poetry and nonfiction, including Dear Vaccine: Global Voices Speak to the Pandemic. His play, What We Learned While Alone, drawn from the Dear Vaccine anthology, debuted at the National Academy of Sciences in October 2022. Hassler is also the author of the play, May 4th Voices: Kent State, 1970, based on the Kent State Shootings Oral History Project, which was produced in 2020 as a national radio play. Hassler’s awards include Ohio Poet of the Year, the Ohioana Book Award, and the Carter G. Woodson Honor Book Award. His memoir 'Prayer Wheel' is forthcoming. His TEDx talk, “The Conversation of Poetry,” conveys the power of poetry to strengthen communities. In addition to his creative writing publications, he has co-authored articles on poetry, technology, and healing in the Journal of Palliative Medicine, the Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, and the Online Journal of Issues in Nursing.