Dr. Eben Alexander is a neurosurgeon and the author of the NY Times best seller, Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Afterlife in which he describes his 2008 near-death experience.  Dr Alexander has served on the faculty of Harvard Medical School and Duke University Medical Center.

Dr. Candida Moss is a professor of New Testament and early Christianity at the University of Notre Dame.  

A graduate of Oxford University, Dr Moss earned her doctorate from Yale University.

Her latest book is The Myth of Persecution: How Early Christians Invented a Story of Martyrdom.

Ms. Kelly Rappuchi is known for her work as an instructional consultant, curriculum strategist, researcher, and writer. Ms Rappuchi recently collaborated with Dr. Ron Heifetz, professor at Harvard University and the founder of Adaptive Leadership, on an innovative program for developing advanced leadership skills.

A special rebroadcast of Jennifer Hamilton. Jennifer was trained as a nurse at the University of Iowa. After the passing of her sister, Jennifer was drawn to the study of conscious dying. She has been involved with hospice care for the last twelve years.

Miriam Katz is a New York based curator and writer. She has organized exhibitions and performances for MoMA PS1, The Kitchen, Art21, Columbia University, and Deloitte Consulting. Ms. Katz has written on the relationship between comedy and art and recently conducted a panel discussion at MoMA on Andy Kaufman's Influence on Contemporary Comedians.

Swami Tyagananda is a Hindu monk of the Ramakrishna Order. He is currently the head of the Vedanta Society in Boston and the Hindu Chaplain for Harvard and MIT.

Doug Rauch is the former President of Trader Joe's. His current work is with Urban Food Initiative, a non-profit solution to the issue of “food waste” and hunger/obesity by bringing high quality, nutritious food at affordable prices to the underserved in our inner cities.

Dr. Eric Topol is the former chairman of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic. He is currently the Director of Scripps Translational Science Institute in La Jolla, CA. Dr Topol is considered the world's foremost authority on wireless medicine. 

His new book is titled The Creative Destruction of Medicine: How The Digital Revolution Will Create Better Health Care. It’s about how social networking, smartphones and connectivity will change the medical field.  Dr Topol was recently featured on NBC News with Brian Williams.

THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT MEDICAL STORIES YOU'LL HEAR THIS YEAR.

                           --Station manager James Moore

This week's guests on Speaking Freely's Series: Religion and Spirituality

Brian Finnerty - U.S. communications director for the Catholic organization Opus Dei. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opus_Dei

David Rynick - Zen Master, practicing Zen Buddhism for over 30 years.

Speaking Freely presents a Special Series on Religion and Spirituality.

Jan 15: Dr. Alan Hodder - Professor of religion and literature Hampshire College. | Dr. Llewellyn - world renowned Sufi teacher, author, and lecturer.

Jan 22: Father Thomas Keating, Trappist monk and former Abbot, St Joseph's Abbey. | Rabbi Simon Jacobson - publisher of the talks of Rabbi Menachan M. Schneerson.

Jan 29: Philip Goldberg - author of the book American Veda. | Brother Satyananda - monk with the Self Realization Fellowship of Paramahansa Yogananda.

Feb 5: Brian Finnerty - U.S. communications director for Opus Dei. | David Rynick - Zen Master, practicing Zen Buddhism for over 30 years.

Feb 12:  Mike Otterson -  director of media relations the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints. | Swami Atmavidyananda - swami of the Ramakrishna Order of India.

Ryan Thoreson is the current President of the Harvard Gay and Lesbian Caucus, and an expert in his own right on LGBT civil rights issues. He's a former Rhodes Scholar, has done work in South Africa, is now at Yale Law School.

Jonas Wang was the Co-Chair of Queer Students and Allies while at Harvard. Jonas did a range of things at Harvard, including doing research on LGBTQ asylum and refugee cases.  Jonas also won the prestigious Ames Award, given the the two most outstanding "unsung heroes" of each Harvard graduating class. 

Kate Barnhart is the Director of New Alternatives, a drop-in program for homeless LGBT youth. A long-time member of the AIDS activist group ACT UP, she has worked with at risk youth for over 18 years.

Ging Cristobal the Project Coordinator for the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission for Asia and the Pacific Islands.