Rated as the #1 podcast on all matters interfaith by Feedspot (https://blog.feedspot.com/interfaith_podcasts/), this is a weekly program that airs on Michigan NPR affiliates WGVU and WGVK. These 2 stations cover the entire western portion of the state. The show is hosted by Fred Stella, President of Interfaith Dialogue Association, an affiliate of Kaufman Interfaith Institute, which operates out of Grand Valley State University, the license holder of both stations.
Each week Fred invites clerics, authors, activists and the occasional mystic into conversation about the role of spirituality and religion in politics, world affairs, societies and individuals. The parameters are quite wide.
Besides his passion for all things transcendent, Fred Stella has an extensive resume in the world of media. Since his graduation from college Fred has worked in multiple radio formats, including news/talk, where he developed his skills in the art of the interview. He also has extensive experience in TV, stage, web entertainment, audiobook narration and more. He lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Publisher
Fred Stella, Kaufman Interfaith Institute, WGVU-FM, Interfaith Dialogue Association, Grand Valley State University
Category
news · religion & spirituality · society & culture
No Compulsion in Religion, No Exceptions! Parts 1 & 2
The Qur’an famously declares, “There is no compulsion in religion.” But there is much compulsion today in the name of Islam — from apostasy laws to enforced veils — from Iran to Afghanistan. In his groundbreaking book, "No Compulsion in Religion, No Exceptions"" Mustafa Akyol elucidates the Islamic arguments against these deadly “exceptions” to freedom. It advocates for a faith grounded in free choice, not coercion.
In these episodes, Host Fred Stella discusses with Mustafa how traditional Islamic legal sources include various measures of religious coercion. Apostates and blasphemers are sentenced to the death penalty, and “religious police” forces are called to enforce piety. Moreover, some self-defined “Islamic” regimes of today, such as the Taliban, enforce these verdicts rigidly, shocking the conscience of many people, including many Muslims. So, is there really no compulsion in Islam? Or are there serious exceptions to that Qur’anic maxim, as some authorities explicitly argue? Listen and find out.
8 Oct 2026
y Everyone Wants To Think They're Open-Minded. Here's Why Most People Aren't Parts 1 & 2
Most people think they are open-minded and would like others to perceive them as such. But for the things that matter most – religious beliefs, for example, or the meaning of life – few of us are genuinely willing to consider that we might be wrong, let alone do the hard work of revising beliefs. At a fundamental level, we humans are somewhat closed-minded.
As a social psychologist, Prof. Daryl VanTongeren researches big questions, such as what makes life meaningful and the nature of humility. I’ve had a long-standing interest in why people are so resistant to changing their cherished core beliefs. After all, isn’t it better to remain open-minded when you may be wrong or can’t know for certain? These and other questions are discussed in these episodes. Listen, with an open mind, of course.
30 Sept 2026
Oracle's Daughter Parts 1 & 2
On a cool fall night in 1999, twenty-six-year-old Sarah Green crept out of her house, retrieved a backpack from its hiding place, and ran for her life. She was escaping not just the Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps, a paramilitary religious cult based in the New Mexico desert, but also the cruelty of the cult’s leader—her mother, Deborah. In his book ‘The Oracle's Daughter’ Harrison Hill traces the “extraordinary” twists and turns of the group’s development, from its early days as an outgrowth of the 1960s counterculture, through its descent into conspiracy-fueled abuse, to the explosive trial that would lead to its downfall.
Fred Stella engages with Harrison Hill, discussing this specific organization and the social and psychological dynamics that make such destructive cults appealing to a wide variety of people.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Contact Common Threads: An Interfaith Dialogue
Guest appearances
Does not typically book guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
