To Affirm Our Humanity with Dave Plisky and Fr. John Gribowich

What did 30 guests from 9 faith traditions teach two Catholics about interfaith dialogue? In our season finale, we sit down to unpack everything we learned. In this episode, Dave and Fr. John reflect on a season of listening across traditions: Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Daoist, Confucian, Sikh, Shinto, and Christian. They trace the threads that ran through every conversation (Thomas Merton, the Jesus Prayer, purification rituals, mind-body-spirit integration), finally reveal where the name Religion to Reality comes from, and ask whether interfaith dialogue might be a sign of the church growing into its "second half of life." If you're new here: don't start with this episode! Start at the beginning of Season 2, this is a good place to end, not to begin. CHAPTERS 0:00 – Welcome to the season finale 2:30 – Why this season was all about listening 5:00 – The season by the numbers: 26 episodes, 30 guests, 9 traditions 9:15 – What is religion, really? Labels, categories, and the word "Hindu" 13:00 – "Participation, not orchestration" 16:00 – Is the church only 21 years old? Rohr, Nostra Aetate, and maturity 26:15 – The names every guest mentioned: Merton, Thich Nhat Hanh, Bede Griffiths 29:45 – Threads across traditions: the Jesus Prayer, purification, illness 34:30 – What Catholicism doesn't teach you (and Shinto does) 39:00 – The oneness of God and experiencing the Trinity 42:30 – REVEALED: where the name Religion to Reality comes from 48:15 – The hardest part of making this show 56:15 – Can you really listen without agenda? 1:03:00 – "You just got lucky to be born into the true one?" 1:11:30 – Final thoughts: humanity and divinity 1:13:15 – What's next: Substack + monthly interfaith gathering LINKS Website, show notes & every episode: https://religiontoreality.org Substack (follow free): https://religiontoreality.substack.com Monthly Interfaith Gathering — free, online, first Wednesday of each month, 8 PM ET / 5 PM PT. Sign up via the Substack. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE • For the Life of the World — Alexander Schmemann • Dominion — Tom Holland • Nostra Aetate (Vatican II) • Falling Upward — Richard Rohr • Theology of the Body — St. John Paul II Religion to Reality is also a free monthly interfaith gathering. Register at https://religiontoreality.substack.com Show notes and resources: https://religiontoreality.org