Krista Tippett

Some reporters seem to be gluttons for covering tinderbox topics. Krista Tippett is one of those reporters. She was a foreign correspondent for years, covering both East and West Germany. After becoming a diplomat in the region, she finished with politics and decided to take on religion by attending the Yale Divinity School. After trying to understand her own beliefs (and at times the lack thereof), and the beliefs of others, Tippett started Speaking of Faith, a radio show distributed by American Public Media. On the show, she manages to prevent the touchy subjects of religion and faith from becoming too controversial or confusing by discussing them with people through first-person narrative; they give personal insight into their most deeply held beliefs. Her companion book to the show studies religion in the same way. In it, she tells the story of her faith journey and how she has come to better understand others by listening to them discuss their own faith. Simply by being open-minded and longing for understanding, Tippett manages to get people to open up to readers and listeners about their thoughts on God without letting her own faith interrupt the discourse. It's something religious and non-religious people alike can value and enjoy.
Sun., Feb. 17, 2 p.m., 2008