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Bob Dylan has a Christmas album out this year, replete with “O Come all Ye Faithful.” Irving (“Israel”) Berlin wrote “White Christmas” before Bing Crosby made it famous.

But Jews writing or singing Christmas songs doesn’t begin to catch the depth of interfaith dialogue my guests today are calling for.

They’re a Christian preacher, a Jewish rabbi, and a Muslim sheik — an imam. They call themselves the Interfaith Amigos. And they want to get the world really talking, understanding, across lines of religion.

This hour, On Point: a Christmas Eve conversation with the Interfaith Amigos.

You can join the conversation. Tell us what you think — here on this page, on Twitter, and on Facebook.

-Tom Ashbrook

Guests:

The Interfaith Amigos are the authors of “Getting to the Heart of Interfaith: The Eye-Opening, Hope-Filled Friendship of a Pastor, a Rabbi, and a Sheikh, (published by Skylight Paths).

Ted Falcon is founder and senior rabbi at Bet Alef Meditative Synagogue in Seattle. He’s co-author of “Judaism for Dummies,” and author of “Journey of Awakening: Kabbalistic Meditations on the Tree of Life.”

Don Mackenzie is a minister in the United Church of Christ. He recently retired from leading the University Congregational U.C.C. in Seattle.

Jamal Rahman is a Muslim Sufi minister and co-founder of Seattle’s Interfaith Community Church. An adjunct faculty member at Seattle University, he’s co-author of “Out of Darkness, Into Light: Spiritual Guidance in the Quran With Reflections from Jewish and Christian Sources,” and author of “The Fragrance of Faith: The Enlightened Heart of Islam.”

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Later this hour, we’ll hear from Los Angeles Times reporter Noam Levey in Washington about this morning’s vote on health care reform.

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Award-winning journalist William Lobdell grew up an indifferent Episcopalian. Drifted from faith. By age 28, his life was a mess. He couldn’t stand the person he’d become. A friend told him, “You need God.”

Lobdell found Jesus. Felt his heart split wide open. Was born again, to the tune of Amazing Grace. Was saved.

And then, over fifteen years, it all fell apart. Now, Lobdell puts himself in the ranks of American atheists. And he’s telling the wrenching story of his journey into and out of faith.

This hour, On Point: William Lobdell and his new book, “Losing My Religion.”

You can join the conversation. Have you found religion? Lost it? Why? Tell us what you think — here on this page, on Twitter, and on Facebook.

-Tom Ashbrook

Guest:

William Lobdell joins us from Culver City, California.  He covered religion for the Los Angeles Times for eight years, first as a columnist, then as beat reporter. His new book is “Losing My Religion: How I Lost my Faith Reporting on Religion in America – And Found Unexpected Peace.” Christianity Today chairman John Huffman calls it a “must read filled with warnings and wake-up calls” for the faithful.

You can read excerpts from “Losing My Religion” at his website. You can also browse excerpts at HarperCollins.com.

Varanasi, India, December 2001. (AP Photo/Amit Bhargava)

Science and faith aren’t at war with each other, says renowned Harvard psychiatrist George Vaillant. They’re just in different parts of the brain.

We’re hardwired for faith, hope, love and joy, Vaillant says. There’s more spirituality in our genes than perhaps even our Sunday School classes.

Does this sound like sacrilege? Or, solid science?

Either way, it’s a big, bold controversial view. And Vaillant comes armed with data from the lab and his own pioneering research into adult development. We’ll hear him out.

This hour, On Point: Faith, science, and “Spiritual Evolution.”

- Guest host Jane Clayson

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George Vaillant, research psychiatrist and professor at Harvard Medical School, he has directed Harvard’s Study of Adult Development for 35 years. His new book is “Spiritual Evolution: A Scientific Defense of Faith.”

Peter Manseau, editor of Science and Spirit magazine and co-author of “Killing The Buddha: A Heretic’s Bible.”