New, Intriguing Topics on Interfaith Voices

For those interested in interfaith issues and aren't aware of the Interfaith Voices radio program, there are some intriguing and stimulating topics recently covered on the show.

1) Last week, host Maureen Fiedler interviewed Stephen Prothero, professor of religion at Boston University, who has just come out with a book called God is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World - and Why Their Differences Matter.

This is a very important book and interview. For one, Prothero is a wonderfully clear and interesting speaker and writer. But also, his points are extremely crucial for students, practitioners and leaders of religions and interfaith groups. He argues that there are very significant, very real differences among the world's religions and that we need to start recognizing this.

Indeed, he's right - many of us, especially in the liberal-progressive wings of religions and those involved in interfaith efforts have often been overly focused on the similarities or convergences between faiths. But, we can't ever ignore the beliefs, practices, rituals, myths, and textual traditions that set our religions apart in divergence. Acknowledging and lifting up the similarities is quite necessary for building trust and rapport between religious peoples, but solely focusing on these without recourse to the real distinctions actually does a disservice to the uniqueness and special quality of each religion. This is not to mention the notion that it's the differences that makes each religion so interesting to study, for me. If Confucius was the same as Jesus, if Buddhism was no different than Judaism, if the beliefs of Advaita Vedanta were identical to that of Islam, then studying and engaging the world's religions would be quite boring!

What we need is a good dose of an analogical imagination (to use a term coined by Fr. Dr. David Tracy of University of Chicago Divinity School). That is, rather than the relation between religious perspectives being seen as either totally the same or completely disparate, he suggest the category similarity-in-difference, which is essentially the mode of analogy. Neither a watered-down, lowest-common-denominator kind of sameness, nor an irreconcilable, unrelated disparity, what is needed is a creative, imaginative ability to perceive and understand both simultaneously -- similarity-in-difference.

2) Also, the latest episode is a very controversial topic - don't ask, don't tell and gays in the military. Very provocative stuff. Maureen mediates two opposite positions on the repeal bill in the House currently -- Daniel Blomberg of the Litigation Council of the Alliance Defense Fund (anti-repeal) and Rev. Dr. Welton Gaddy, president of the Interfaith Alliance (pro-repeal). Listen to this show for an excellent crash-course on the topic and to experience religious perspectives on both sides of the issue.

3) And lastly, later in the latest episode there is a brief segment concerned with the 2010 World Religions Summit in Canada, an effort to push the UN to follow through on its commitment to fight poverty, AIDS, and other global difficulties. Maureen interviews Karen Hamilton of the Canadian Council of Churches. She answers tough questions on how to move beyond religious finger-wagging and inspire the UN to get the ball rolling.

All these shows can be streamed and listened to at Interfaith Voices. Check them out!

Buddha Doc on PBS

Yesterday a new PBS documentary about the Buddha was shown. Filmmaker David Grubin conveys the story of the life of Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) which is narrated by Richard Gere (a Buddhist and advocate of Tibet), which I feel is not only relevant for people interested in learning more about this monumentally influential figure in world history but also provides instructive insights addressing our times frought with turbulence, confusion, cultural diversity, and religious ambiguity.

The documentary features interviews with religious scholars on the Buddha and Buddhism as well as with practitioners and adherents of Buddhism (including a few monastic renunciants). Though a bit watered down for time's sake (and I do admit my prejudice as an extra-scrupulous perspective as a religious studies scholar), it's a great historical-cultural overview of the life of the Buddha and the origins of the great Eastern (and increasingly Western) spiritual tradition.

Watch the whole documentary online here.

Parialment of World Religions Names First Muslim Leader

The Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions elected as its chair Imam Abdul Malik Mujahid, a Chicago Muslim.

Adelle M. Banks has the whole story at RNS.

Prayers and Meditations of World Religions Course

I just started teaching/facilitating a class at Unity Church of Peoria, IL called "Prayers and Meditations of the World's Religons." The aim of the course is to introduce church-goers to some of the more prominent and representative contemplative expressions of faith in order to facilitate deeper interreligious understanding and perhaps transform ourseves and our own prayer practices.

Last night the first class met and, while we didn't actually read or pray any prayers yet, it was a wonderful and lively discussion of what prayer and meditation is, the diversity of prayer and contemplation in the various world religions, what mysticism is and its central role in the forming and development of religious traditions, the strengths and weaknesses of language and conceptions, etc.

Anyway, though I've facilitated the class before at other Unity churches, I'm very excited about how this particular incarnation has begun and look forward to the promising fruitful conversation that will come about.

If you happen to be in the central Illinois area come and join us for some stimulating and intriguing discussion and reading of the prayers and meditations of the world's religions. We meet on Wednesday evenings from 7-8:30pm at the Unity Church of Peoria.

Peace.

Patheos Launches Interfaith Dialogue on Religion and Education

Patheos.com, one of the world's foremost online forums for global dialogue on issues of religion and spirituality, recently launched a "Public Square" examination of the challenges and issues facing religious education from the perspective of the world's seven largest religious traditions.

To read a review of the recent dialogue forum see this article of the Religion News Service.

To find out more go to Patheos.com.

Speakers and Programs Announced for the Parliament of the World's Religions in Melbourne

"Chicago, Illinois (September 24, 2009) -- In its role as a leading force for interreligious harmony, global peace and environmental sustainability, the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions announces over a dozen new speakers at the 2009 Parliament of the World Religions. The Parliament will be held in Melbourne, Australia, December 3 - 9, 2009.
In addition to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, NPR journalist Margo Adler and Obama administration official Dalia Mogahed, newly confirmed presenters include Buddhist teacher, author and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh; Yale Professor Mary Evelyn Tucker; Native American leader Chief Oren Lyons; and Timorese spiritual activist Constantino Pinto." (RNS)

With over 500 speakers, events, and workshops the Parliament of the World's Religions, which gathers every 5 years in a different city, is the largest and most diverse interreligious meeting in the world. The Parliament addresses issues that are of significant concern to humanity and the planet as a whole and seeks to find answers to these problems through dialogue and co-working with each other, recognizing the importance of our religious and spiritual traditions and values in the process of addressing these issues. This particular Parliament in Melbourne seems to have gathered a focus on climate change and how the religious traditions are able to help solve this increasing problem.

To learn more go to Parliament of World Religions website.

American Museum of World Religions in the Works

A multi-faith organization offering spiritual/humanitarian assistance to people in distress around the world, Monks Without Borders, Inc. has begun planning a project to create the first ever Museum of World Religions in the U.S. The idea is to facilitate a museum that is dedicated to educating people about the diverse religious cultures, beliefs, practices, languages, rituals, architecture, etc. lived by people around the globe.

Though Monks Without Borders is only in the fund-raising stage of development, they aim to provide an online interactive museum in the meantime. Both the virtual and actual museums will have exhibits on a variety of themes, including Creation Stories, End Times Prophecies, Afterlife Realms, Spiritual Experiences, The Golden Rule, Music & Sacred Sounds, and Peace Prayers.

The U.S. has museums and online interactive exhibits of many types and styles. However, a museum that is geared towards learning, understanding, and experiencing the living world religions is something that is greatly needed in our country. Indeed, since Americans tend to be less religiously literate than other nations (see Prothero's "A Country of Religious Illiterates," Christian Science Monitor, Jan. 20, 2005), an attractive and interesting place where people can visit to learn more about the plurality of religious traditions would be a monumental step in the right direction (though it certainly wouldn't solve the problem -- that's where changes in education and public policy come in).

Check out the Museum of World Religions website.

(Above photo from Museum of World Religions website.)

New Thought Discount for Parliament of World Religions Melbourne 2009

The Association for Global New Thought (AGNT) will be attending the Parliament of the World's Religions in Melbourne Dec. 2-9, 2009 and is offering a group discount for those affiliated with New Thought organizations.

Register for the New Thought group discount, lodging reservations, travel packages, fares, tours, and the Dec. 2 New Thought Delegate Pre-Conference at the AGNT website.
For more information: conference@agnt.org, or call (866) 821-3886.

Huston Smith in Newsweek

The May 18, 2009 edition of Newsweek features the highly influential American religious studies scholar Huston Smith. At 90 years old, Smith is retired and living in Berkeley, CA but is about to publish a memoir, Tales of Wonder, of his life steeped in the study and practice of the world's religions.

The book is to recount his life: growing up in Dzang Dok, China in a Methodist missionary family; becoming a philosophy professor; meeting Martin Luther King, Jr. and befriending Aldous Huxley and H.H. the Dalai Lama; participating in Acid experiments with Timothy Leary; spending 30 years going out and practicing many different religions with people in their culture; and introducing Americans to religious traditions U.S. culture largely knew little about through academic writing, popular books, and public television and speaking.

Smith has said that he ascribes to the so-called "perrennial philosophy," which argues that though there are apparent differences with the world's religions they are nonetheless the same at their mystical core. Smith's scholarly work is often dismissed or even derided by top scholars in religious studeis today (in an academic environment where particularization and specificity of scholarly interest is the rule of the day) for allegedly being overly focused on the sameness or similarities among the world's religions and not acknowledging enough of their obvious and important differences that make them unique traditions in their own right.

While they certainly have a point, I still believe Smith is relevant today because of the need to make the American public more aware of the plurality and diversity of religions in the world (especially in the U.S.) and to do this in a way that is sensitive and approachable to this audience. This means the task must be done with practicality, liveliness, comparison, and conciseness, all of which Huston Smith exudes immensely.

Lisa Miller writes the feature of Huston Smith in Newsweek.

(Photo by Robyn Twomey of Newsweek.)

This Week on World Spirituality UnityFM

This week's World Spirituality radio program hosted by Rev. Paul John Roach on Unity.fm is on the subject "The Phenomenon of Rastafarianism." The guest will be Dr. Darren Middleton who is an acknowledged expert in the Rastafarian tradition. Join us in this two-part series where the origins, traditions, music and spirituality of this highly influential group will be explored.

Listen on Unity.fm on Tuesday at 11 am PST/2 pm EST.

Mahatma Gandhi -- World Spirituality on Unity.fm

Listen to WORLD SPIRITUALITY on Unity.fm this week when host Rev. Paul John Roach discusses Mahatma Gandhi with guests Andy Fort and Mark Dennis. In this program, they will look at some of the myths surrounding Mahatma Gandhi, his message and power, and his meaning for us today.

Listen to World Spirituality on Tuesday at 11am PST/2pm EST on Unity.fm.