Weekend All Things Considered

We've heard much about big money pouring into some of the congressional races around the country, and now some of that money is breathing new life into the campaign of one unlikely candidate.

Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, author of books such as Kosher Sex and Kosher Jesus, and the host of Shalom in the Home, a reality show that worked with struggling couples, is running for Congress in New Jersey's 9th District.

Boteach is hoping to unseat Democrat Bill Pascrell in a district that is overwhelmingly Democratic.

This week, an American-made film mocking Islam sparked violent anti-U.S. protests across the Middle East and beyond. Weekends on All Things Considered host Guy Raz gets the latest from NPR's Leila Fadel who is in Benghazi, Libya. And while the unrest appears to be abating for now, the question becomes whether the backlash is about something deeper than the film. Raz talks about it with Steven Cook of the Council on Foreign Relations and Rami Khouri of Harvard's Belfer Center.

Time magazine named author and pastor Brian McLaren one of the 25 most influential evangelicals in America.

McLaren has written more than 20 books, and he is a principal figure in the Emerging Church, a Christian movement that rejects the organized and institutional church in favor of a more modern, accepting community.

McLaren's new book is called Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha and Mohammed Cross the Road?: Christian Identity in a Multi-Faith World.

There's an old shorthand for likeability in politics: "Which candidate would you rather have a beer with?"