Parliament of Worlds Religion 2009 Melbourne Australia

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

Page 244

PROGRAM DI
Sunday, December 6, 2009
11:30am-1:00pm INTERRELIGIOUS SESSION
Religious Dual Belonging: The Future of the Dialogue of Experience? Gwenda Rait, Moderator Dr Stewart Sharlow Vicki Clark Christina Fox Brni Nivedita Chaitanya Charlotte Hain-Sharlow Paul Knitter Room 210 Panel Discussion The concept of religious dual belonging has had a long tradition with varying degrees of acceptance. Since the Second Vatican Council, Christians worldwide have engaged with various Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic and Jewish spiritual practices. In the 20th century, two key examples of dual belonging were Fathers Bede Griffiths and Abishiktananda, both Catholic Benedictine monks who became sannyasi (Indian Holy Men), while retaining their Christian heritage. Spiritual scholars, such as the great Turkish theologian, Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, spoke about Christian-Muslims in the future. For many, such dialogues of experience are anathema, while for others, experiencing another faith in all its richness can help them discover anew the depths and riches of their primary faith tradition. Gradually, one recognises and experiences the parallels and the differences between faiths without losing one's primary identity. A panel of speakers will explore the significance of this religious experience and what it offers to people in other faith traditions. The panel will address the following questions: Is dual belonging one of the experiences which will herald a new age in cross-cultural and cross-religious relations? Is this a religious path for only a few or will it become a pattern for interfaith dialogue in the future? Mrs Gwenda Rait is a member of the Melbourne Catholic Ecumenical and Interfaith Commission. Dr Stewart Sharlow is a member of the Janssen Spirituality Centre for Interreligious and Cross-cultural Relations and a follower of a ChristianSufi path. Vicki Clark is an Aboriginal elder of the Mutthi Mutthi people of New South Wales and Co-ordinator of the Melbourne Aboriginal Catholic Ministry in Victoria Christina Fox is a Christian Spiritual Director and follower of a ChristianBuddhist path Brni Nivedita Chaitanya is a Hindu Nun and teacher of Hindu Scriptures at Chinmaya Dhain in Melbourne Charlotte Hain-Sharlow is a member of the Melbourne Catholic Interfaith Committee and follower of a Christian-Sufi path. Paul Knitter is the Paul Tillich Professor of Theology. World Religions, and Culture at Union Theological Seminary, New York. Previously, he taught theology at Xavier University in Cincinnati. His groundbreaking 1985 book 'No Other Name?' addresses interreligious dialogue, as well as human and ecological well-being. Knitter is on the Board of Trustees for the International, Interreligious Peace Council, which was formed after the 1993 Parliament of the World Religions.
Role of Religion and Spirituality in the Public Discourse Penny Mulvey, Moderator Archbishop Philip Freier Rabbi David Saperstein Room 211 Panel Discussion The best way to achieve and maintain societal change for the greatest good is through the art of persuasion. When people of deeply-held convictions and widely-divergent values can engage in honest and fruitful dialogue about what matters most, and find ways to co-exist and cooperate for the common good, the benefits are mutual and transformative. How can religious and spiritual communities insure that the public discourse in their respective societies serves these ends? What are the unique contributions that communities can make to the conversation? What boundaries and limits should inform their participation? This program offers the opportunity to hear seasoned leaders explore the meaning of civil discourse, and identify the urgent conversations to which religious and spiritual communities must add their voices. Dr Philip Freier became the Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne in December 2006, following seven and a half years as Bishop of the Northern Territory, Dr Freier has been working towards engag ing the Church with the wider community, particularly through his "Prayer 4 Melbourne quest, in which he has visited a range of public spaces, welfare centres and shopping malls. He is deeply involved in social justice issues affecting Indigenous peoples. Designated in Newsweek's 2009 list as the most influential rabbi in the United States and described in a Washington Post profile as 'the quintessential religious lobbyist on Capitol Hill', Rabbi David Saperstein represents the national Reform Jewish Movement to Congress and the Administration as the Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism.
Towards the Heart of Humankind: Critical Considerations of Unity, Diversity and a Declaration of Global Spirituality Dr Christoph Quarch Abdulaziz Sachedina Rabbi Michael Lerner Hue Gioi Ines Talamantez Room 212 Open Space Forum Some contend that humanity is entering a new phase in spiritual evolution; some herald a new consciousness of global responsibility and compassion, growing in response to global crises. Is there an underlying spiritual common ground that might bring people together, that might support dialogue? And if so, how do we honor and attend to the particularities of our differences? A Declaration on Global Spirituality has been designed, proposed by a diverse group of representatives of different spiritual
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