Christianity

Writer William J. Murray. He was raised in the home of atheist and Marxist leader Madalyn Murray O' Hair. In 1963, at age 14, he became the focus of media attention when his mother took her anti-prayer campaign to the U.S. Supreme Court where they later banned school prayer. In 1980, Murray turned away from atheism and became a Christian. His new book Let Us Pray: A Plea for Prayer in Our Schools (Morrow) looks into his past and present religious beliefs. Murray has written other books including, My Life Without God, and The Church is Not for Perfect People.

We speak with two guests about the practice of religion vis-a-vis the Constitution: Keith Fournier, Head of the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ). The ACLJ helped draft the Christian Coalition's Contract with the American Family, which calls on Congress to allow prayer in public places, curb pornography, and restrict abortion. On the other side of the debate, activist and preacher Jim Wallis, editor of Sojourners magazine, has started a new coalition called "Cry for Renewal." It's his alternative to the conservative agenda of the Christian Coalition.

Poet, writer, and teacher Nancy Mairs. She's a Catholic feminist, who started out Protestant, and who late in life became a feminist. She calls herself, "the connoisseur of catastrophe." She's known for writing honestly about her struggles with multiple sclerosis, depression, and the life-threatening illness of her husband, also about being a woman, a mother, and a wife. Her newest book of personal essays is "Ordinary Time," (Beacon). One reviewer calls it "a small miracle of honesty mediated by dignity and humor."

Commentator Maureen Corrigan reviews "Ordinary Time: Cycles in Faith, Marriage, and Renewal" the new autobiography by Nancy Mairs, who is dying of multiple sclerosis.

Green is one of the greats of soul and gospel music. He's probably best known for his hit, "Let's Stay Together." He'll talk about his secular musical career in light of being a born again Christian.

Novelist, essayist, and reporter Barbara Grizutti Harrison. Her new book is called "Italian Days." It's a chronicle of her travels through Italy, but it's also more introspective, influenced by her parents Italian heritage and her conversion to Catholicism after a childhood spent in the Jehovah's Witnesses.

Journalist and screenwriter Dan Wakefield. His new book, Returning: A Spiritual Journey, describes his encounters with alcoholism, atheism, psychoanalysis, and his ultimate rediscovery of spiritual belief.

Father Niall O'Brien. He has worked for over 20 years as a missionary priest in the Philippines. He was imprisoned by the Marcos regime because he helped the poor to start self-reliant Christian communities. He continues his work in the Philippines under the Aquino government.

Rock historian Ed Ward will look at the spiritual struggles of veteran rocker Jerry Lee Lewis and what role they played in his music.

Reverend William Sloane Coffin is known for his activism in the Civil Rights and peace movements. Coffin served as the chaplain for Yale University for 18 years where he was active in leading anti-Vietnam War demonstrations. Coffin left Yale in 1976, and is currently the Senior Minister at New York 's progessive Riverside Church. Coffin's latest book is "Living the Truth in a World of Illusions."

Stewart Hoover is a research scholar at the Annenberg School of Communications at the University of Pennsylvania who specializes in the impact of communications technology on culture. In recent years, many have deemed religious television programming controversial. Many mainline church leaders fear the effect such programming will have on local churches. Hoover, along with George Gerbner, Larry Gross, Michael Morgan, and Nancy Signorielli, has just conducted a study on religious television programming.

Brad Allison is an Evangelical pastor in Philadelphia. John Gordon became a Christian in college. His scholarship led him away from religious fundamentalism. He is now the chaplain at Albright College. The two religious leaders speak with Fresh Air listeners about their faith.

The Pennsylvania Democrat works to counteract the policy positions of the moral majority. He sees hope in the rise of prominent moderate Republicans to steer the direction of the Reagan administration toward less conservative economic and foreign policy decisions. Fresh Air listeners call in with their questions.

Sandra Boston and Raymond Torres are members of the Christian and economic justice group Campaign for Global Justice. They join the show to discuss their work.