Ray Kirstein
State of Belief Producer

Ray Kirstein

Ray Kirstein has served as producer for The State of Belief since 2010. That’s somewhere in the area of 750 episodes and counting. Previously, Ray held diverse positions in radio including production, program director, and announcer at several country music stations, and leadership roles at Sirius Satellite Radio and the Air America Radio Network. (He’s also worked for the State Department at one point but that’s still kind of hush-hush.)

This all began early in his life with helping his parents produce a Lithuanian-language radio program for expats in Ray’s hometown of Rochester, NY. (First time on the air? Age 3, reciting a poem as the easter bunny…) The experience of building community using the spoken word in that setting has been a component of every job on his resumé – and nowhere more so than at Interfaith Alliance.

Ray’s been living in Germany since 2012, and loves being in nature, exploring new places in Europe, and telling everyone who will listen about how amazing his little dog is.

Vanita Gupta on Public Trust and the Role of Law in Our Democracy
State of Belief
May 23, 2026

Vanita Gupta on Public Trust and the Role of Law in Our Democracy

Sacred Stories for Our Moral Compass with a former US Associate Attorney General and lifelong civil rights champion.

Dr. Matthew Taylor: Following Jesus in a World of Christian Antichrists
State of Belief
May 16, 2026

Dr. Matthew Taylor: Following Jesus in a World of Christian Antichrists

Exploring how religion and worldview shape our political chaos—and how faith calls Christians (and others) to battle tyranny and authoritarianism.

The Black Church and the Gutting of the Voting Rights Act with Rev. Thomas L. Bowen
State of Belief
May 9, 2026

The Black Church and the Gutting of the Voting Rights Act with Rev. Thomas L. Bowen

"DC's Pastor" weighs in on American democracy after SCOTUS dismissed the VRA, and the claims of the Presidential Commission on Anti-Christian Bias report.

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