Our 7 Neighbors: Religion and Resistance in America

InterReligious Institute at Chicago Theological Seminary

32 episodes listed below

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In their own words

Under the backdrop of our nation’s 250th anniversary, Our Seven Neighbors, season 5, explores the long, contested history of religious diversity in the United States—not as a feel-good celebration of pluralism, but as a hard-won achievement forged through conflict, exclusion, resistance, and moral struggle. Hosted by Reza Aslan.

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Best episodes of Our 7 Neighbors: Religion and Resistance in America

Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.

Season 1: Ep. 3: Immigrant Matters

A grounded look at immigrant and refugee life, Muslim identity, and community organizing.

Immigrant Matters brings together Sumai Maqsoudi, an Afghani refugee recently resettled in Georgia; Hoda Khatabi, an Iranian fashionista and community organizer in Chicago; and Suzanne Salool, founder and executive director of the Syrian Community Network.

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Episodes

  1. 1

    Season 1: Ep. 2: Acting Local

    This episode explores religious diversity in America through interviews with activists like Okolo Rashid, who founded an Islamic museum in Mississippi, and Mayor Ted of Clarkston, Georgia, highlighting community resistance and interfaith efforts.

    ·34m·3 clips
  2. 2

    Sneak Peek into Episode 6

    This sneak peek features a brief conversation with Reverend Brian E.

    ·11m
  3. 3

    Season 3: Ep. 5 Media in the Movement

    This episode explores the role of media in the Chicago civil rights movement through archival interviews and contemporary reflections with journalists.

    ·33m
  4. 4

    Our 7 Neighbors Season 4 Trailer

    This trailer for Season 4 of Our 7 Neighbors explores the intersections of immigration and diverse religious experiences through Latinx voices, examining legal, political, and ethical dimensions of migration in America.

    ·2m
  5. 5

    Season 1: Ep. 7: Changing the Narrative

    This episode explores how to change harmful narratives around race and religion through interviews with diverse experts, including an Iranian-American artist and a social justice media founder.

    ·31m
  6. 6

    Season 1: Ep. 6: At the Intersections

    This episode explores intersectionality through interviews with Muslim activists, focusing on how identities like race, gender, and faith intertwine in America.

    ·32m
  7. 7

    Season 2 Trailer

    Dr.

    ·3m
  8. 8

    Season 4: Ep. 4 Organic Orbits

    This episode discusses the intersections of immigration and diverse faith traditions through Latine voices, highlighting insights from previous guests on U.S.

    ·35m
  9. 9

    Season 4: Ep. 3 Where Do We Belong?

    This episode features Dr.

    ·27m
  10. 10

    Season 3: Episode 6 Legacy

    This final episode of Season 3 features an interview with Reverend Dr.

    ·49m
  11. 11

    Season 3: Ep.2 Decolonizing Your Imagination

    This episode features an interview from the Jesse Jackson Oral Archive Project with Reverend David Wallace discussing his involvement in the Chicago civil rights movement and the Chicago Breadbasket Movement.

    ·40m
  12. 12

    Season 3: Ep. 1 A Family Based Movement

    This episode introduces Season 3 of the podcast, focusing on the Jackson Oral History Project which features interviews with six Chicago civil rights activists including Reverend Jesse Jackson to preserve their stories and insights.

    ·44m
  13. 13

    Season 2: Ep.6 The Two R Words

    The host reflects on discovering Black history through books during Black History Month as a child, which sparked anger and a deeper connection to their African-American identity.

    ·38m
  14. 14

    Season 2: Ep.5 Spiritual Food

    Najah Young discusses the profound influence of Octavia E.

    ·34m
  15. 15

    Season 2: Ep. 3 From Mississippi to Egypt

    A personal reflection on a family photograph of a great-great-grandmother that serves as a powerful connection to slavery, inspiring gratitude and a commitment to living an extraordinary life in honor of ancestors who survived immense hardship.

    ·33m
  16. 16

    Season 2: Ep.1 Crosstown With Kalia

    The speaker reflects on a vinyl recording of Jimi Hendrix's 1970 Berkeley concert, which connects them to their late father through a story about him sneaking into the show as a teenager.

    ·34m
  17. 17

    Season 2: Ep. 2 The Boxing Buddhist Bishop

    The host reflects on a childhood photograph of their father, brother, and themselves on the Staten Island Ferry, exploring themes of safety, family travel due to military life, and the emotional significance of their father's presence.

    ·24m
  18. 18

    Season 1: Ep. 5: Confronting the Hate

    This episode features interviews with three individuals who have experienced racial, ethnic, and religious bias, focusing on Abdul Jabbar, a Rohingya refugee in Chicago, to discuss confronting hate and building better communities.

    ·38m
  19. 19

    Season 1: Ep. 4: Female While Muslim

    This episode explores gender and sex stereotypes in the Muslim community through interviews with activists and educators, focusing on sexual health education and personal experiences.

    ·35m
  20. 20

    Season 1 Trailer

    This trailer introduces 'Our Seven Neighbors,' a podcast exploring stories of people resisting anti-Muslim bias and xenophobia through interviews and interreligious conversations.

    ·3m
  21. 21

    Season 3: Ep. 4 Trailblazers

    This episode pairs an archival interview with Reverend Dr.

    ·36m
  22. 22

    Season 3: Ep. 3 How a Grocery Store Can Create Equity

    This episode explores how a grocery store partnership with Jewel Foods advanced racial equity through the Chicago Breadbasket Project, featuring interviews from the Jesse Jackson Oral Archive Project and a discussion with a current grocery sales manager.

    ·32m
  23. 23

    Season 4: Ep.7 Queering Orishas

    This final episode of the season explores santeria and Afro-Caribbean religious expressions through an interreligious lens, connecting them to themes of immigration, colonization, and the arts.

    ·39m
  24. 24

    Season 4: Ep.6 The Religion of Hip Hop

    This episode explores the intersection of hip-hop and religion through the unique perspective of Dr.

    ·39m
  25. 25

    Season 3 Trailer

    This trailer previews Season 3 of 'Our Seven Neighbors,' featuring interviews from the Jesse Jackson Oral Archive Project that explore Chicago's civil rights history through voices like Reverend Martin Deppie, Jeanette Wilson, and Jesse Jackson himself.

    ·2m
  26. 26

    Season 4: Ep.5 Community as Resistance

    This episode features an interview with Amor Cron, an indigenous Latina Muslim woman who discusses her work supporting immigrant communities and the intersection of faith and heritage in advocacy.

    ·35m
  27. 27

    Season 4: Ep. 2 The Legal, the Political and the Ethical

    This episode explores the intersections of immigration, mass migration, and diverse faith traditions through Latinx voices, focusing on U.S.

    ·36m
  28. 28

    Season 4: Ep. 1 I'm Trying to Be Nonviolent Here

    This episode introduces Season 4 of the podcast 'Our Seven Neighbors,' hosted by Dr.

    ·37m
  29. 29

    Season 1: Ep. 1: Roadtrips & Allyship

    This episode introduces a podcast exploring religious diversity in America through a Ramadan road trip, featuring guests like Laila Ali and Catherine Orsborne to discuss allyship and intersectionality amid rising anti-Muslim sentiment.

    ·29m·2 clips
  30. 30

    Season 1: Ep. 3: Immigrant Matters

    This episode features interviews with three immigrant and refugee women—Sumai, Hoda, and Suzanne—who share their experiences of resettlement, activism, and community building.

    ·31m·2 clips
  31. 31

    Season 2: Ep. 4 Passports and Parents

    The host reflects on how their first passport symbolizes their family's religious transformation and personal journey to study Islam abroad after their parents' divorce due to religious differences.

    ·25m
  32. 32

    Our 7 Neighbors Season 5 Trailer

    This episode introduces a season exploring the contested history of religious diversity in the United States, emphasizing conflict and resistance rather than a simple celebration of pluralism.

    Mar 21, 2026·2m