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World Religions Series (5 parts)
"He who knows one religion knows none," it
has been said. So to better understand our own faith journey, we examine
the world's religions as they ask and answer the key question, "What gives
meaning to your life?" By comparing and contrasting the various traditions,
our own paths may be deepened and enriched.
1: Pieces or Pattern? -- Three Sacred Dimensions
The confusing details of the world's faiths
can fit into a rough and ready scheme which suggests wisdom for our environmental,
personal, and social troubles. By asking of each faith, "Where do you go
to find ultimate meaning?" we may find a pattern helpful for our own lives.
2 Primal Faiths -- The Sacred in Nature
Ancient and still-living traditions have honored
and ceremonialized the world in which humans participate, rather
than seeking to change it. From ancient Egyptians to American Indians,
meaning emerges from the order in nature.
3 Asian Faiths -- The Sacred in Personhood
The great religions of India and China, with techniques
such as yoga and meditation, delved deeply into personal spiritual development.
Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism present "therapies"
to recover from the trance of selfishness.
4 Monotheistic Faiths -- The Sacred in Community
The Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Christianity,
and Islam (and other monotheistic religions) find revealed in the history
of covenanted community a power moving toward justice. This involves a
critical view of society and a duty to improve it.
5 Comparative Methods and Questions -- The Sacred
in Mutual Encounter
What effects can mutual
encounter among the faiths have on each of them? What various attitudes
do folks bring to religions other than their own? And how can we as individuals
and a community apply the wisdom of the various faiths to solve the problems
that afflict our age?
Lectures on Individual Religions
a. Hinduism.-- Hindu terms like yoga, reincarnation, and karma are now
popular in the West, but what have they meant in the long and varied history
of India? Was Hinduism "invented" by the British? How did the ancient tradition
change from being a "nature" religion to become a "psychological" faith?
How did their faith shape Gandhi and other modern Hindu leaders? This interactive
lecture deals with the history, art, scripture, theologies, and modern
character of the world's third largest faith.
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Faith Figures Series (4 parts)
This survey of Muslim, Buddhist, Confucian, and Sikh figures presents
their lives and insights for their times and ours. They are not dusty figures
in history but speak to us today about the issues that perplex us.
1. Muhammad: Why He is Loved. How do we align ourselves with a power
moving in history toward justice? -- In the life of Muhammad is the discovery
of a transcendent Power which makes society work.
2. The Buddha: The Guy Who Woke Up. Why is there suffering and what
can be done about it? -- In the life of the Buddha there is compassion
and the wisdom to free ourselves from the trance that keeps us from seeing
reality as it is.
3. Confucius: Say What? How can society be ordered for peace and prosperity?
-- In the life of Confucius the argument between the Legalists and the
Idealists found resolution.
4. Guru Nanak: An Accountant's Truth. Do the differences in religion
really matter? In the life of the first Sikh Guru mysticism and monotheism
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Exploring Spirituality
Spirituality arises from experiences of the
Holy as we seek to understand, honor and share them. This class includes
readings from many sources and practical exercises for learning.
Week 1: What is spirituality? Learn how and why others have answered
and develop your own response.
Week 2: What is the holy and how do I find it? Bring a “sacred” object
to class, an object that has special significance to your personally because
it reminds you of an important occasion, power, connection, relationship,
peak experience or way of understanding.
Week 3: Looking for the holy: What is a pilgrimage? What is a ritual?
Bring to class a chart, map, or diagram of your life’s spiritual journey.
What are the steppingstones and the milestones? The guideposts? The crucial
crossings, the detours, the retracings? The heights and depths? In what
directions have you aimed?
Week 4: Talking about the holy: How do stories and scriptures reveal
their messages? Prepare to tell the class a story that reveals a spiritual
meaning for you (Cinderella, the Tortoise and the Hare, Davey Crockett,
Oedipus Rex, Star Wars, the Prodigal Son, Spider Woman, Hercules, etc).
Week 5: Understanding the unholy: What is the source of evil? Why is
there so much suffering? What does death mean? Describe the greatest evil,
injustice or suffering you know about personally.
Week 6: What is the nature of holy love? What is the spiritual dimension
of sexuality? Write a personal ad to attract or keep your ideal mate.
Week 7: What is the nature of God or the gods, if any? How do we know?
What is our life purpose? What is the destiny of the human race? Prepare
your obituary or write your funeral or memorial service.
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