Today on Kresta - March 29, 2011

Talking about the "things that matter most" on March 29

4:00 – Was America Founded As a Christian Nation?: A Historical Introduction
John Fea is here to offer an even-handed primer on whether America was founded to be a Christian nation, as many Christians assert, or a secular state, as others contend. He approaches the question from a historical perspective, helping us see past the emotional rhetoric of today to the recorded facts of our past. People on both sides of the issue will appreciate that this book occupies a middle ground, noting the good points and the less-nuanced arguments of both sides and leading us always back to the primary sources that our shared American history comprises.

4:30 – The Passionate Intellect: Christian Faith and the Discipleship of the Mind
Alister McGrath, one of the most prominent theologians and public intellectuals of our day, explains how Christian thinking can and must have a positive role in shaping, nourishing and safeguarding the Christian vision of reality. With this in our grasp, we have the capacity for robust intellectual and cultural engagement, confidently entering the public sphere of ideas where atheism, postmodernism and science come into play. He explores how the great tradition of Christian theological reflection enriches faith. It deepens our appreciation of the gospel's ability to engage with the complexities of the natural world on the one hand and human experience on the other.

5:00 - TBA

5:20 – Authentic Health Care Reform in America
Congressman Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) has sponsored House Bill 1179 to amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to protect rights of conscience with regard to requirements for coverage of specific items and services. Christus Medicus has been advocating this legislation for the last 13 years. Congressman Fortenberry and Mike O’Dea of Christus Medicus join us.

5:40 - Pastoral Letter for Lent / Two New Auxiliary Bishops
We check in today with Archbishop Allen Vigneron of the Archdiocese of Detroit for our monthly discussion. The Archbishop has published a letter to the faithful of the Archdiocese in regards to Lent, focusing specifically on the gift of Divine Mercy and how Pope John Paul II has brought that in a new way to the Church. We also look at the big news for the Archdiocese - the naming of two auxiliary bishops.