Parliament of Worlds Religion 2009 Melbourne Australia

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

Page 203

PROGRAM
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Uganda. He joined the World Faiths Development Dialogue in November 2008 as Program Coordinator.
Science, Spirituality, and Overcoming Religious Conflict (Session 2)
Philip Clayton
Praveen Chaudhari
F LeRon Shults
Dr Sangeetha Menon
Denis Edwards
Pauline Rudd Room 210 Seminar
This second major session on science and spirituality focuses on overcoming religious conflict. Shared spiritual practices help build bridges between religious traditions, even traditions that are deeply at odds due to differences of belief. This session explores the ways that partnerships between science and religion can also help us to 'hear each other' across cultural and religious divides. The speakers represent many different religious and spiritual traditions and a variety of scientific fields. Each is an expert on science, religion, and their relationship. Each has spoken around the world on the power of new partnerships between these two great forces of the human spirit. Each talk will include an honest statement of the difficulties of partnerships between science and religion as well as suggestions for how these difficulties might be overcome. The panel will emphasise the implications for the issues of our day, especially the crisis of global climate change. After the opening presentations, the session will assume a workshop format. Questions and comments from the audience on science and spirituality will conclude the program.
Philip Clayton is Ingraham Professor at Claremont School of Theology and Professor of Religion and Philosophy at Claremont Graduate University. He specialises in conflicts and connections between the sciences and religion, with particular focus on the biological sciences and the environmental crisis. He is the author or editor of seventeen books and over 100 articles, including the recent Oxford Handbook of Religion. and Science' and 'In Quest of Freedom: The Emergence of Spirit in the Natural World'.
Dr Praveen Chaudhari received his PhD in physical metallurgy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He joined IBM in 1996. In addition to carrying out his personal research, he has held various management responsibilities in science and technologies. He retired from IBM in 2003 and became the Director of Brookhaven National Laboratory until 2006, when he returned to science. Dr Chaudhari has published over 160 technical papers and holds over three dozen patents.
F LeRon Shults is professor of theology and philosophy at the University of Agder in Kristiansand, Norway. A leading authority on science and theology, he has published some ten books and dozens of articles in the field. Shults is the editor of the Brill book series 'Philosophical Studies in Science and Religion' and scientific director of the Transforming Compassion project at Stiftelsen Arkivet, a peace-building institute in Norway. His other current research interests include ethics, desire, differentiation and religious symbolism.
Dr Sangeetha Menon earned her doctorate degree in philosophy from University of Kerala. She is a Professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore. Her core research interests are Indian ways of thinking in classical philosophical schools, Indian psychology and Indian dramaturgy and current discussions on consciousness.
11:30am-1:00pm
Denis Edwards is professor of theology at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia. An ecological theologian, he has published widely on the interactions among ecology, environmental science, and religion. Among his best-known books are 'Breath of Life: A Theology of the Creator Spirit. The God of Evolution: A Trinitarian Theology', and 'Jesus and the Cosmos. He will soon publish The Holy Spirit and Ecological Theology'.
INTERRELIGIOUS SESSION
Prof Pauline Rudd, BSc, LRIC, MA (Oxon), PhD, one of the world's leading molecular biologists, is head of the Dublin-Oxford Glycobiology Lab in Dublin, Ireland. She is Honorary Professor at St George's Hospital, London; is affiliated with the SAB Rega Institute for Medical Research, University of Leuven; and is Founding Scientist at Wessex Biochemicals (Sigma London!. Rudd is a lay member of the Community of St Mary the Virgin in Oxfordshire and an internationally sought-after speaker on the world's mystical traditions.
Zain Bhikha
Room 211
The Art of Creative Expression: Youth Workshop
Words can change hearts, and changing hearts can change the world. In this workshop, Zain Bhikha will teach youth about the practical and emotional challenges involved with thinking and writing well. Zain will use guided poetry exercises, life experiences, drama, art, visual and audio guides and instructive examples in order to invite inspiration. The main focus of the workshop will be on self-expression, building confidence, and learning the importance of taking responsibility to help others who are less fortunate. The workshop is geared toward teens and young adults.
Born in Pretoria, South Africa, Zain Bhikha is a singer-songwriter who has achieved fame as a performer of Nasheed songs. Bhikha has collaborated on albums with other artists, released several solo albums and performed around the world. He is a pioneer in the Nasheed genre and, as one of the first Islamic singers in the English language, he has opened the door for many other Muslim artists.
Interfaith Dialogue and Education
for a Culture of Peace: A Workshop for Empowerment and Transformation
Swee-Hin Toh
Room 212
Interactive Workshop
Social and political injustices abound throughout the world, but so do the opportunities for different faith traditions to come together to promote a culture of peace. This creative, hands-on workshop will discuss the importance of personal spiritual transformation and commitment to social action in the interfaith community. Participants will be challenged to develop a deeper sense of compassion for marginalised peoples and their daily struggles to create a better world for themselves. This program will draw insight from the field of peace education in order to empower interfaith leaders to more wholly embrace the principles of compassion, love, justice, kindness, reconciliation, respect and sustainability. Workshop participants will explore how diverse faiths and spirituality traditions
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