Parliament of Worlds Religion 1999 Capetown SA

Author(s): Parliament of the World’s Religions
Publisher: USA Parliament of the Worlds Religions

Page 163

Dialoque
1999 PARLIAMENT O F
DIALOGUE
4:00 PM-5:00 PM IN COMMERCE 1.37
Pope John Paul II on Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism
Prof. Harold Kasimow
Pope John Paul II is the world's foremost spiritual leader. His views on the world's religions are of utmost importance for those committed to interfaith dialogue. The Pope sees his own tradition as sacred and as a divine message for all humanity. Precisely for this reason, his views are of such importance for non-Catholics; understanding them helps us to see the difficulties confronting those of us who are committed to serious interfaith relations. The presenter will focus on John Paul's vision of Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism, three nonChristian traditions on which the Pope offers commentary in his recent book, Crossing the Threshold of Hope.
Harold Kasimow is the George Drake Professor of Religious Studies at Grinnell College where he teaches courses in Judaism, Islam, and Asian religions. He received a Bachelor of Hebrew Literature from the Jewish Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. from Temple University in comparative religion. He has published articles dealing with Judaism and other religions and coedited, with Byron Sherwin, John Paul II and Interreligious Dialogue, published by Orbis Books, 1999.
4:00 PM-4:45 PM IN COMMERCE 2.54
Promoting Dialogue and Education in a Grassroots Interreligious Organization: The Long Island MultiFaith Forum
Dr. Matthew Foster; Robert Reber
The purpose of this lecture and videotape presentation is to present information about, and reflection on, the work and experience of the Long Island Multi-Faith Forum, an example of a young grass roots organization created to facilitate mutual understanding among the religiously diverse members of the forum, and to educate local groups about Long Island's religious diversity and about the importance of promoting tolerance of, and appreciation for these religious communities. The lecture will be in five parts: an overview of the structure and activities of the Forum; the internal activity of the Forum; the external activity of the forum; reflections from the experiences of the Multi Faith Forum and a discussion with questions and answers.
Dr. Matthew Foster, An American Christian, presently teaching religion and ethics at Molloy College. Raised by missionary parents in Japan. Member of the Presbyterian Church (USA), and of the Long Island MultiFaith Forum's Education Project. He received his Doctorate from the University of Chicago Divinity School, and he is the author of Gadamer and Practical Philosophy. Scholarly interests in: the practice of dialogue, the meaning of religious diversity, environmental ethics, and religion and science.
Robert Reber is the Dean of Auburn Theological Seminary in New York City and the director of its interreligious programs. He has chaired the Education Committee of the Long Island Multi-Faith Forum and the design team for the year long course on Spirituality and the Different Religious Traditions that is offered jointly by Auburn Seminary, the Temple of Understanding, and the Psychotherapy and Spirituality Institute. He is also the author of Linking Faith and Daily Life and co-author of Wisdom in Action: A Handbook on Continuing Theological Education.
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WORLD'S
MONDAY,
RELIGION S
6
DECEMBER
4:00 PM-4:45 PM IN THEATER 4
Syracuse USA: An Interrreligious City
Rev. Bob Hanson; Dr. Richard Schwartz The panel will describe the Interreligious Council, the community-wide dialogue on race, and specialized dialogues (e.g., Fellowship of Congregations, Syracuse Area Middle East Dialogue). It will also describe faith based programs in housing. job connection, and family assistance. The audience will be asked to offer suggestions and comparisons.
Bob Hanson is the newly appointed Executive Director of the Interreligious Council of Central New York. He comes to Syracuse from Michigan, where he was pastor of three interracial inner-city churches. Dr. Richard Schwartz holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from Yale. He has taught law and sociology at Yale and Northwestern. He co-founded the Law & Society Association and was Dean of the law school at SUNY/Buffalo. He is volunteer executive director of NESCO, the Near East Side CommunityDevelopment Organization of Syracuse.