The book arrives in a brown paper package. It is a comforting sight — one of the few constants in the pandemic era, like little doorways to the world outside from which we must stay largely hidden. I’m excited about Jeet Thayil’s newest book, not just in the hope of chipping away a little at…
This book identifies frameworks to foster peace, not violence, through diverse religions. A scholar of comparative religion explains how there are possibilities of pluralism in all faiths, despite how much at odds they seem with one another. Half-way through his new book, Arvind Sharma, one of the world’s most noted scholars of comparative religion, makes…
Western converts are often too fanatic to be called good Muslims (Trouw, 2005). This quote is the title of an article in a famous Dutch newspaper. The article, written by a born-Muslim man, criticizes the fanatic manner in which some western converts practise Islam; extreme, and to the letter. Is this image correct? Harmsen (2008),…
With its Buddhist director, religiously-fluid author, and a lead character claiming simultaneous belonging to Christianity, Islam and Hinduism and lecturing on the Kabbalah, Life of Pi might just be the ultimate pluralist movie. Some Jains and Zoroastrians might feel a bit slighted, but the film and book tick the boxes of the world’s major religions,…
By Blaine Tang, UWTSD Harmony Interfaith Scholar Due to the contradictions and conflicts among different ethnic groups, one of the biggest challenges is how to carry out successful religious dialogue. This is not a new problem. For thousands of years of “civilized” history, through countless bloodshed and tears, the will and the ability to create…
We are babies. We come to this program from many different faith traditions – or no faith tradition at all – with a body of knowledge gained over 20, 30, 40 or 50 years. We can answer many questions about our own tradition – where do you stand, where are you flexible, where are your…