Religion

Author Garry Wills. The Pulitzer Prize winner has written a new book criticizing the Catholic Church. It’s called “Papal Sin: Structures of Deceit.” (Doubleday) Wills is a practicing Catholic and studied with Jesuit priests, though he was never ordained. In Papal Sin, Wills describes a papacy that seems unable or unwilling to admit its mistakes. He writes, “Given so much to hide, the impulse to keep hiding becomes imperative, automatic, almost inescapable.” He addresses topics such as birth control, the ordination of women, and views on the Holocaust.

Actor Edward Norton. His first major role was in the 1996 film "Primal Fear" as a quiet, stuttering altar boy accused of a brutal murder. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his portrayal. Norton went on to roles in Woody Allen's "Everyone Says I Love You," "The People vs. Larry Flint" and "Fight Club." He was nominated for an Academy Award again for his role in "American History X." He directed and stars in the new film "Keeping the Faith."

Religion scholar and former nun Karen Armstrong. She’s the author of the bestselling book, “A History of God.” Her new book, “The Battle for God” examines the fundamentalist movement in Christian, Jewish, and Islamic faiths that began to emerge in the 1970s. She writes that today’s fundamentalist movements differ from previous ones, in that they are no longer throwbacks to the past, but are complex movements that are shaped by the modern culture they also decry.

Psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton is an expert on cult groups. His new book is about the Japanese cult group that released sarin nerve gas in the Tokyo subways: "Destroying the World to Save It: Aum Shinrikyo, Apocalyptic Violence, and the New Global Terrorism" (Metropolitan Books).

Scientist Jane Goodall. She's devoted her life to studying the lives of chimpanzees in the wild. Her new book is "Reason for Hope: A Spiritual Journey" (Warner Books) about her beliefs in science and faith. There's also a companion PBS special which airs nationwide on October 27th. (THIS INTERVIEW CONTINUES INTO THE SECOND HALF OF THE SHOW).

Syndicated columnist Cal Thomas and pastor Ed Dobson. Both previously worked with the Moral Majority: Thomas was Jerry Falwell's spokesman, and Dobson was Falwell's personal assistant. The two are now critical of the emergence of conservative Christian groups into politics, and they've collaborated on the new book: "Blinded by Might: Can the Religious Right Save America?" (Zondervan Publishing).

Marcus J. Borg and N.T. Wright are co-authors of the new book "The Meaning of Jesus: Two Visions." The two scholars offer dramatically different views on Jesus and his teachings. Marcus. J. Borg provides liberal interpretation of Jesus. He is the author of "Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time." N.T. Wright takes a more traditional view of Jesus. He is author or Jesus and the Victory of God."

Music historian Craig Monson talks about 17th century nun Lucrezia Vizzana who was part of a little known group of women composers. Monson is author of the new book "Disembodied Voices: Music and Culture in an Early Modern Italian Convent." (University of California Press) He is a Professor of Music at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

Writer Gail Godwin. Her latest novel "Evensong" (Ballintine) is about the inner spirituality of a modern woman and continues the story of Margaret Bonner began in "Father Melancholy's Daughter." Godwin's other books include "The Odd Woman," "Violet Clay," and "A Mother and Two Daughters." Godwin is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and the 1981 Award in Literature from the National Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters.

Visotzky who last examined The Bible's Book of Genesis, now interprets Exodus. His new book is "The Road To Redemption: Lessons from Exodus on Leadership and Community." (Crown) Visotzky's work on Genesis, led a Cover story in Time Magazine and PBS' Genesis series. His work on Exodus caught the attention of Dream Works. The film studio hired him to be a consultant on the animated feature on Exodus, "The Prince of Egypt." Visotzky is chairman of Inter-religious studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary in America.