You listen to Friends Talking Faith on 90.7 News. Now is your chance to participate in a live version of the show with Rabbi Steven Engel, Rev. Bryan Fulwider and Imam Muhammed Musri–also known as The Three Wise Guys. These three clergy will sit down as friends to discuss with students and audience members What are Millennials Thinking About Religion in the 21st Century.

The hosts of the WMFE 90.7 radio show, Friends Talking Faith with The Three Wise Guys, will record two segments for their radio show at Stetson University on Wednesday, April 9, at 7 p.m., in the Stetson Room, second floor of the Carlton Union Building, 131 E. Minnesota Ave., on Stetson’s DeLand campus. The public is invited to attend at no charge. Seating is limited, so plan to arrive early!

Airing on WMFE 90.7 FM in Orlando every Tuesday at 6:30 p.m., the radio show features: Rabbi Steven Engel, who serves as Rabbi of Congregation of Reform Judaism, a Reform synagogue affiliated with the Union for Reform Judiasm; Reverend Bryan G. Fulwider, president and CEO of the nonprofit organization Building US, served as an ordained minister of a local church for over 30 years in both the United Methodist Church and the United Church of Christ; and Imam Muhammad Musri, founder and president of Islam Inc., and also president and Senior Imam of the Islamic Society of Central Florida.

Each host fills the show with his unique personality: Engel is seen as the serious, learned man; Fulwider is the affable funny guy; and Musri the pensive one.

“I’ve been a follower of the show since 2012,” said Stetson Chaplain Michael Fronk, a Stetson alumnus, class of 1974, who has helped organize this event to be held at Stetson University. “I’m excited about Stetson’s institutional commitment to renewed, growing interfaith education and experiences, as shown by the hiring of our new assistant director of Interfaith Initiatives, Lindsey Graves.”

“It will be very interesting for Stetson’s millennial student population to discuss these important topics,” said Graves.

The discussions might include topics such as:

• Is religion relevant today?
• How should I practice my traditional faith and allow for new scientific information?
• What place should religion play in politics?

“The goal of this event is to reflect on the general theme of the series: Friends Talking Faith,” said Fronk. “It will recognize the differences between the three Abrahamic faith expressions – Jewish, Christian and Islam – as well as approaches we have in common.”

During the interactive presentation, the conversations will cover issues of inclusion and religious authority, fundamentalism, politics, and the future of faith discussions and experiences in a university environment.

Since meeting for the first time 12 years ago as members of the Interfaith Council of Central Florida, the three colleagues of the show have collaborated together in various areas of interfaith work in the greater Orlando community. The show itself started when Rabbi Steven Engel casually mentioned the idea of doing a radio show during one of their many luncheons together at the Park Plaza Gardens Restaurant in downtown Winter Park; food is a celebrated theme of all three religions. Later, and after further encouragement, the idea continued on its way to becoming a reality when a meeting was held in 2011 with Patrick Dalton, program director of WMFE Radio, and former president and CEO. Dalton asked for a 30-minute pilot, which became a success. The first full-length show aired on April 1, 2012.

“This will be the first time their show is recorded from a university venue,” said Fronk. “The coordination of this event has been a full collaborative effort between the Chaplain’s Office, Stetson’s Cross Cultural Center, Yolany Gonell, director for Diversity and Inclusion, and the assistant director of Interfaith Initiatives.”

The recorded sessions will air on WMFE 90.7 radio in May. You can tune in and listen to Friends Talking Faith with The Three Wise Guys here: http://twgradio.com/listen/

For more information about this program, please contact Chaplain Fronk at Stetson University’s Chaplain’s Office at 386-822-7523, or email [email protected], or Lindsey Graves, assistant director, Interfaith Initiatives, at [email protected].

Visit Stetson Today for all university calendar events.

by George Salis