Baha'i Blogcast With Rainn Wilson

Hello and welcome to the Baha’i Blogcast with me your host, Rainn Wilson. In this series of podcasts I interview members of the Baha’i Faith and friends from all over the world about their hearts, and minds, and souls, their spiritual journeys, what they’re interested in, and what makes them tick. In this episode, I catch up with Sean Hinton again (here's part 1 of our conversation in case you missed it: https://bit.ly/2YMdi8x), and sadly, this second conversation takes place after the passing of my father, Robert Wilson. Sean asks about my dad, and we talk about loss, Baha'i funerals, and about our fathers and our upbringing. We also discuss the importance of community building, teaching the Baha'i Faith, careers, and how 'what' we do is not as important as 'how' we do it. I hope you find part 2 of our conversation as interesting and insightful as I did. To find out more about some of the things we covered in this episode, check out the following: * Here's part 1 of my conversation with Sean Hinton: http

Hello and welcome to the Baha’i Blogcast with me your host, Rainn Wilson. In this series of podcasts I interview members of the Baha’i Faith and friends from all over the world about their hearts, and minds, and souls, their spiritual journeys, what they’re interested in, and what makes them tick. In this episode, I'm joined by Sean Hinton, the very first Baha'i to ever go to Mongolia, and therefore be given the title 'Knight of Baha'u'llah' (which you can learn more about in a link below). Sean currently lives in Oxford, England with his family. He trained as a musician, but he's had an extremely varied and interesting career, and life for that matter! I wanted Sean to share the story of how he ended up being the first Baha'i to go to Mongolia, so stop what you're doing and listen to his fascinating story! To find out more about some of the things we covered in this episode, check out the following: * What's a Knight of Baha'u'llah?: https://bit.ly/2YE1hBS * Shoghi Effendi: https://bit.ly/3hBHlHl * The

Hello and welcome to the Baha’i Blogcast with me your host, Rainn Wilson. In this series of podcasts I interview members of the Baha’i Faith and friends from all over the world about their hearts, and minds, and souls, their spiritual journeys, what they’re interested in, and what makes them tick. In this episode, I'm joined by award-winning educator, author and speaker, Dara Feldman, who served as the Director of Education for the Virtues Project for seven years. We talk about food shaming, the power of the 12-step program, and all the ways the virtues can be incorporated into all aspects of our lives. She tells me how she became a Baha'i, her passion for restorative justice, what's she's working on now, and her recent experience in India at the largest school in the world. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did! To find out more about some of the things we covered in this episode, check out the following: * Dara Feldman: http://www.darafeldman.com/ * Virtues Matter: https://www.virtuesmatt

Hello and welcome to the Baha’i Blogcast with me your host, Rainn Wilson. In this series of podcasts I interview members of the Baha’i Faith and friends from all over the world about their hearts, and minds, and souls, their spiritual journeys, what they’re interested in, and what makes them tick. In this episode, I'm joined by our very first mother and daughter duo, Barbara and Radiance Talley, living in Maryland, USA. Both Barbara and Radiance are poets, educators, writers, and passionate about tackling the issue of racism in the US. They tell me about the 'Arise: Pupil of the Eye' conference and the impact it's had. We talk about activism and what we all can do to work towards racial harmony. And by sharing some of their poems with me, we get a raw and heartfelt glimpse into their lives and concerns as African Americans in the US. I hope you find this wonderful conversation as engaging and inspiring as I did. To find out more about some of the things we covered in this episode, check out the following:

Hello and welcome to the Baha’i Blogcast with me your host, Rainn Wilson. In this series of podcasts I interview members of the Baha’i Faith and friends from all over the world about their hearts, and minds, and souls, their spiritual journeys, what they’re interested in, and what makes them tick. As anti-racism protests continue across the United States and in different parts of the world, in this episode I'm joined by Masud Olufani, an African-American multidisciplinary artist, activist, writer, and Baha'i, who hosts a podcast called 'America's Most Challenging Issue', aimed at tackling the subject of racism in the US. Masud and I discuss racism and some of the challenges of eradicating it. He tells me what it's like to be a black man in the US, and the complexities of identity, and some of the mythologies tied into the fabric of American society. We talk about the idea of discomfort and growth, and how we have to be willing to grapple with it and bear the burden for the greater good. Masud tells me how h

Hello and welcome to the Baha’i Blogcast with me your host, Rainn Wilson. In this series of podcasts I interview members of the Baha’i Faith and friends from all over the world about their hearts, and minds, and souls, their spiritual journeys, what they’re interested in, and what makes them tick. In this episode, I'm joined by my dear friend Mahnaz Aflatooni Javid, CEO of the Mona Foundation, and one of its founding members. Mahnaz tells me the inspiration behind the Mona Foundation, and how a childhood car ride with her mom changed her life forever. She tells me about coming to the US as a teenager in the 1960s, and being one of only 15 youth volunteers at the Baha'i World Centre. We talk about education, attitudes around development work, the importance of grassroots service, and adopting a humble posture of learning in all that we do. I hope you enjoy our conversation! * Please note that this episode was recorded before the pandemic, so it may sound a little strange that there's no mention of it. If yo

Hello and welcome to the Baha’i Blogcast with me your host, Rainn Wilson. In this series of podcasts I interview members of the Baha’i Faith and friends from all over the world about their hearts, and minds, and souls, their spiritual journeys, what they’re interested in, and what makes them tick. In this special episode, I speak with Dr. Nader Saiedi about the Declaration of the Bab, whose revitalizing message prepared the way for the coming of Baha’u’llah, the Founder of the Baha’i Faith. Watch the video version of this episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jPN99xQLOs Dr. Saiedi is a Professor of Baha’i Studies in the department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures at the University of California, USA, and has focused much of his work on the Life and Works of the Bab. I hope you enjoy this special conversation about the Declaration of the Bab. To find out more about Dr. Nader Saiedi and some of the things we covered in this podcast, check out the following links: * You can find out more a

Hello and welcome to the Baha’i Blogcast with me your host, Rainn Wilson. In this series of podcasts I interview members of the Baha’i Faith and friends from all over the world about their hearts, and minds, and souls, their spiritual journeys, what they’re interested in, and what makes them tick. In this episode, I'm with Mohammad AL Samawi, an interfaith activist from Yemen and a best-selling author of 'The Fox Hunt', a page-turning book about his life and escape from Yemen. Mohammed tells me about his life in Yemen and the civil war there. He tells me how his disability helped change the course of his life and how he became an interfaith activist. We learn about the importance of seeking knowledge and the truth for one's self, and the positive power social media can play in the world. He tells us about his harrowing escape from Yemen to the U.S, and celebrates the fact that there are so many good people in the world. I hope you enjoy this exciting conversation with Mohammed as much as I did! To find ou

Hello and welcome to the Baha’i Blogcast with me your host, Rainn Wilson. In this series of podcasts I interview members of the Baha’i Faith and friends from all over the world about their hearts, and minds, and souls, their spiritual journeys, what they’re interested in, and what makes them tick. As Baha'is and their friends around the world celebrate the 12-day Festival of Ridvan, I thought it would be nice to create a special episode about Ridvan and its significance, so I got online with my friend, Tom Price, to have a chat about this special time for Baha'is. I hope you find this little conversation about Ridvan interesting and informative. * Find out more about Ridvan by checking out this Baha'i Blog page full of articles and resources: https://www.bahaiblog.net/bahai-calendar/about-the-festival-of-ridvan/ * Check out the 'Ridvan Is Everywhere' playlist, which brings you family-friendly programming for all 12 days of the Festival of Ridvan: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsn_g0OpWDwIp99WjEHv

Hello and welcome to the Baha’i Blogcast with me your host, Rainn Wilson. In this series of podcasts I interview members of the Baha’i Faith and friends from all over the world about their hearts, and minds, and souls, their spiritual journeys, what they’re interested in, and what makes them tick. In this episode, I'm in Los Angeles with four wonderful sisters who live down the road from me named Vadi, Nava, Nika, and Nura Esmailizadeh. Can't pronounce their last name? Don't worry, I still can't get it right and I've known the sisters and their parents for over 15 years now! I wanted them on the podcast to learn how to pronounce their last name once and for all, and also because they've been such great examples of young Baha'is who are actively engaged in serving their community. They tell me about their studies and the community service they're involved in. We discuss the Institute Process, the importance of service and community-building work, and they share their own personal experiences in this process

Hello and welcome to the Baha’i Blogcast with me your host, Rainn Wilson. In this series of podcasts I interview members of the Baha’i Faith and friends from all over the world about their hearts, and minds, and souls, their spiritual journeys, what they’re interested in, and what makes them tick. With the recent pandemic of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) spreading globally, and as the situation continues to unfold, I thought it would be timely to get Dr. Robert Kim-Farley on the Baha'i Blogcast. Dr. Kim-Farley is an epidemiologist and a dear Baha'i friend who currently serves as a Professor in both the Departments of Epidemiology, and the Community Health Sciences at the Fielding School of Public Health at the University of California, and from 2004 to 2018, he served as the Director of the Division of Communicable Disease Control and Prevention at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. In this episode, Dr. Kim-Farley (or Dr. Bob as I like to call him), tells us about the Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Hello and welcome to the Baha’i Blogcast with me your host, Rainn Wilson. In this series of podcasts I interview members of the Baha’i Faith and friends from all over the world about their hearts, and minds, and souls, their spiritual journeys, what they’re interested in, and what makes them tick. In this episode, I'm at my home in Los Angeles with my uncle, Rhett Diessner, a Professor of Psychology who has a special interest in aesthetics and beauty. We talk about moral reasoning, materialism, and how he became a Baha'i. We discuss the psychology of beauty, how there's no love without beauty, and that love holds the whole universe together. Rhett tells me how humans are all intimately linked, and how beauty will literally help save the world. I hope you enjoy the conversation! To find out more about some of the things we covered in this episode, check out the following links: * I mention my podcast with Reza Aslan called 'Metaphysical Milkshake’: https://bit.ly/3avGT9K * Rhett mentions the Baha'i princi

Hello and welcome to the Baha’i Blogcast with me your host, Rainn Wilson. In this series of podcasts I interview members of the Baha’i Faith and friends from all over the world about their hearts, and minds, and souls, their spiritual journeys, what they’re interested in, and what makes them tick. In this episode, I'm at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where I interview Brukty Tigabu, a dear Baha'i friend from Ethiopia, and winner of the Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award. As a school teacher, Brukty was concerned with the lack of early childhood education in Ethiopia, so 15 years ago, her and her husband started 'Tsehai Loves Learning', now the most viewed and award-winning children's TV show in Ethiopia. In this conversation, we talk about how the show first started, what is was like being raised an Ethiopian Orthodox Christian, and how she became a Baha'i. She tells us about Ethiopia, what she's currently working on, and she shares some of the challenges she's trying to overcome. I hop

Hello and welcome to the Baha’i Blogcast with me your host, Rainn Wilson. In this series of podcasts I interview members of the Baha’i Faith and friends from all over the world about their hearts, and minds, and souls, their spiritual journeys, what they’re interested in, and what makes them tick. In this episode, I'm in Reykjavik, Iceland with Halldor Thorgeirsson, the Chair of Iceland’s Climate Council, and retired Senior Director of the United Nations Climate Change Secretariat (UNFCCC). We talk about the environment, and Halldor teaches me about how Carbon Matter really matters. He tells me about Iceland, his work, how he became a Baha'i, the importance of consultation and accompaniment, Baha'is who have influenced his life, and the importance of moral leadership and engaging in constructive forces in our society. I hope you enjoy the conversation! To find out more about some of the things we covered in this episode, check out the following links: * Find out more about the UNFCCC here: https://unfccc.

Hello and welcome to the Baha’i Blogcast with me your host, Rainn Wilson. In this series of podcasts I interview members of the Baha’i Faith and friends from all over the world about their hearts, and minds, and souls, their spiritual journeys, what they’re interested in, and what makes them tick. In our 40th episode of the Baha'i Blogcast, we thought we'd do something a little different by sharing an audio version of an animation called 'An Introduction to the Baha'i Faith'. I worked on this animation with Baha'i Blog and our friends at BahaiTeachings.org and SwissVBS, and we published it about a month ago – just in time for the 200th anniversary of the Birth of the Bab celebrations happening around the world. It's been really well received with over a million views so far, and seeing as so many of us are consuming content in audio format nowadays, we thought it would be useful to create an audio version for the Baha'i Blogcast with a little personal commentary from yours truly, at the beginning and at the

Hello and welcome to the Baha’i Blogcast with me your host, Rainn Wilson. In this series of podcasts I interview members of the Baha’i Faith and friends from all over the world about their hearts, and minds, and souls, their spiritual journeys, what they’re interested in, and what makes them tick. In this episode, I'm at my home in LA with Derik Smith, a professor in the Department of Literature at Claremont McKenna College in California, and his work focuses on African American literary culture, with a particular interest in poetry. We talk about African American poet and Baha'i, Robert Hayden, plus we look at the concept of black people being likened to the "pupil of the eye" in the Baha'i Writings. We also discuss racism, the prison system, constructive resilience, and the role each one of us can play in ensuring individual and social transformation and justice. I hope you enjoy the conversation! Dr. Smith also teaches and writes about representations of blackness in American film and musical culture. H

Hello and welcome to the Baha’i Blogcast with me your host, Rainn Wilson. In this series of podcasts I interview members of the Baha’i Faith and friends from all over the world about their hearts, and minds, and souls, their spiritual journeys, what they’re interested in, and what makes them tick. In this episode I'm in LA with playwright and author, Tom Lysaght. Tom and I talk about being a hippie and what it really meant. He tells me about the three books he took with him on his mystical journey around the world and how he became a Baha'i. We talk about the history of the Baha'i Faith, music, career-ism, the importance of storytelling, the book he's been working on for over 30 years, and the crucial role love plays in religion. Thanks for listening and I hope you enjoy our conversation! * To find out more about Tom Lysaght and some of the things we covered in this episode, check out the following links: * Learn more about Tom Lysaght and what he's been up to here on his website: http://www.yourcreatives

Hello and welcome to the Baha’i Blogcast with me your host, Rainn Wilson. In this series of podcasts I interview members of the Baha’i Faith and friends from all over the world about their hearts, and minds, and souls, their spiritual journeys, what they’re interested in, and what makes them tick. This is a special episode called "Physics and Mysticism", which we filmed on July 7, 2019 in front of a live audience at Foundation Hall at the Baha'i House of Worship in Chicago. It's a conversation with physicist, data scientist, philosopher and translator, Dr. Steven Phelps, who's also been on the Baha'i Blogcast before. We covered a wide range of topics and there were also some great questions from the audience at the end, which I've also included. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did! Watch the video of this event here: https://bit.ly/2Y3hOkK Find out more about some of the things we covered in this episode using the following links: * Listen to this talk by Steven called Science, Religion &

Hello and welcome to the Baha’i Blogcast with me your host, Rainn Wilson. In this series of podcasts I interview members of the Baha’i Faith and friends from all over the world about their hearts, and minds, and souls, their spiritual journeys, what they’re interested in, and what makes them tick. In this episode, I sit down with the multi-talented Kamal Sinclair, a dancer, percussionist, multi-media producer, and currently the Executive Director of 'Future Architects'. In this conversation we talk about being in 'Stomp', new technology and emerging media, the future of work, meeting Ruhiyyih Khanum, how art generates knowledge and the role beauty plays in the world, the difference between empathy and compassion, and the need to address trauma and abuse in the community. I hope you find this conversation as riveting as I did! To find out more about Kamal Sinclair and some of the things we covered in this podcast, check out the following links: * Learn more about 'Future Architects' here: https://futurearc

Hello and welcome to the Baha’i Blogcast with me your host, Rainn Wilson. In this series of podcasts I interview members of the Baha’i Faith and friends from all over the world about their hearts, and minds, and souls, their spiritual journeys, what they’re interested in, and what makes them tick. In this episode I'm sitting in a cabin in the woods with Michael Karlberg, as we take part in a Baha'i-inspired retreat for youth in White Salmon, Washington called Windstock. Michael is a professor of Communication Studies at Western Washington University, and he's the author of 'Beyond a Culture of Contest', a book I often reference in my podcast. He tells me how he used to make acoustic guitars and how he became a Baha'i, and we talk about the power of media and how we need to rethink some of the fundamental assumptions we have about the world and how it's moving forward. We discuss nonviolent social change through constructive and peaceful resilience, and the challenges of taking collective action. Michael sha