Religion and Ethics Newsweekly

This Week on Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly

Following is a brief outline of the stories Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly will be covering this week. Every Friday evening, the transcript and streaming video of each report will available on our Web site . Please note that in case of breaking news, stories may be subject to change.

FEATURED SEGMENTS

A Look Back at the Year 2008
What were the top religion stories of 2008? In this annual wrap-up, host Bob Abernethy is joined by Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne, Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly managing editor Kim Lawton and CNN commentator Roland Martin for a studio discussion and analysis of the year's top religion news stories.

Among the topics the panelists address are: the election of America’s first black president and Barack Obama’s message of unity to rebuild the country; the role of religion in the presidential campaign; the ethical implications and impact on religious institutions resulting from the recession; divisions within the Anglican Communion and the Episcopal Church over homosexuality and interpretation of Scripture; reaction to Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the U.S.; and the consequences of California’s vote to ban gay marriage.

Churches and the Foreclosure Crisis
More American homeowners than ever before have fallen into foreclosure as a result of the nation’s worsening economy. California has one of the hardest-hit housing markets in the country, with an average of one out of roughly every 200 homes being foreclosed. The situation has been especially tough in the outer suburbs of San Francisco, such as Antioch and nearby Stockton, which has been dubbed the nation’s foreclosure capital. But, in the midst of these serious economic woes, faith-based groups are taking a lead role in trying to find solutions.

Kim Lawton looks at efforts by churches and the faith community to help troubled homeowners and stop preventable foreclosures. “We think it’s important that the faith community really create a vision for this society where there’s a focus on the common good,” says Tom Amato, director of People and Congregations Together (PACT), an interfaith group in San Joaquin County. “So many families are being hurt by this, and families are really key, of all types, to our society.”

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ONLY ONLINE

Read about the beloved service of Christmas readings, prayers, and carols that millions of radio listeners around the world tune in to hear every year and listen to the opening of the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from Kings College Cambridge:
Lessons and Carols

Revisit some of the poetry of Christmas, from T.S. Eliot and W.H. Auden to Alfred Lord Tennyson and Lawrence Ferlinghetti:
Christmas Poetry

Read writer Chaim Potok's memories of one Hanukkah when darkness almost overpowered the light:
Watch for the Light

And read about the significance of Hanukkah menorahs and candle lighting:
On Hanukkah

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WHAT'S AHEAD

January 2: "A Look Ahead at the Year 2009” — Bob Abernethy is joined by National Catholic Reporter correspondent John Allen, Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne and Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly managing editor Kim Lawton for a discussion of their predictions of the major stories expected to make news headlines in 2009.

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ONE NATION

Hear more from religious leaders about their hopes for the first 100 days of the Obama administration.

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THE LIFE OF MEANING

The companion book to Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly, now available in paperback in bookstores nationwide, can also be ordered through Shop Thirteen. “The Life of Meaning,” edited by the program’s executive editor and host Bob Abernethy and longtime journalist William Bole, features a collection of insightful, moving and eloquent observations on life and how to live it by some of the most thoughtful men and women in America, and beyond. Among them are Desmond Tutu, Francis Collins, Marianne Williamson, Irving Greenberg, Barbara Brown Taylor, Harold Kushner, Madeleine L’Engle, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Jimmy Carter and the late William Sloane Coffin.

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