IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN:
* exciting dialogue with people of all religious and spiritual traditions
* shared monthly spiritual practice
* special events highlighting contemporary world issues
* interfaith activities featuring cross-cultural music, poetry, film & dance
* innovative projects to reach out and serve our communities
* opportunities to work with and mentor our community's youth
* fellowship and retreats
THEN SCCPWR WANTS YOU AS A "FRIEND":
Join now. For only $30/year as a "friend" (or $50 for a couple), you will receive an invitation to all of our local events and a newsletter to keep you up to date with our latest and most exciting activities in Southern California. You will also have access to information about the global interfaith community and an opportunity to learn about the "hot" issues in interfaith dialogue all over the world.
Your contribution will help support a leading interfaith organization in Southern California. ADD YOUR VOICE in 2011.
Please send your check (made out to "So Cal Parliament of the World's Religions) to: Anthony Manousos, SCCPWR Treasurer, 3817 Albright Ave, Los Angeles CA 90066.
News of SCCPWR:
AMERICAN VEDA event at the Vedanta Society
by Ruth Sharone
 It as an afternoon of perfect synchronicity, which I will soon explain. On December 5, 2010, Phil Goldberg, an interfaith minister, meditation teacher, and author of 19 books, introduced his latest book, AMERICAN VEDA, to an interfaith audience at an event co-sponsored by the Vedanta Society of Hollywood and our group, the SCCPWR.
The subtitle of Phil's book: From Emerson and the Beatles to Yoga and Meditation How Indian Spirituality Changed the West underscores how profoundly Indian spirituality and philosophy have influenced our American way of life. In his talk to the rapt audience, Phil singled out one of the most important Indian personalities to have visited America, Hindu Swami Vivekananda. The Swami was invited to the United States by the Vedanta Society in 1893 to address the very first Parliament of the World's Religions, held in Chicago. It marked the first time in history that religious leaders from the East and the West met to dialogue together and seek ways to bring harmony and peace to the world.
Thus one of the leading Vedantic religious figures at the turn of the 20th century, a "star" at the first Parliament, was brought back to life for the interfaith crowd at the Vedanta Society in Hollywood 117 years later, at an event co-sponsored by the Southern California Committee for a Parliament of the World's Religions, which promotes the global work of the modern-day Parliament and interfaith engagement in the LA area and beyond. A perfect synchronicity, wouldn't you agree?
AMERICAN VEDA, published by Doubleday and named one of the 10 best books on religion in 2010 by the Huffington Post, is a great read with marvelous anecdotes, fascinating historical accounts, rare archival photos, and cogent commentaries on the influence of Indian spirituality in our daily lives. Who has not heard of Yoga or Meditation? Karma or Darma? Shakti or Nirvanna? These words and the concepts they embrace have entered our vernacular and our psyches forever. We owe India and her teachers a great debt.
And thanks to you, Phil Goldberg, for laboring five long years to write AMERICAN VEDA, a wonderful book for the holidays, to enjoy throughout 2011, and for many years to come.
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State of Formation
A New Forum of Emerging Leaders
Current discourse on religion and ethics is primarily defined by established leaders—ministers, rabbis, academics and journalists. There is an entire population of important stakeholders without a platform: the up-and-comers.
To remedy this, the Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue, Hebrew College, Andover Newton Theological School, and the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions have joined forces to create State of Formation, a forum for up-and-coming religious thinkers to draw upon the learning that is occurring in their academic and community work, reflect on the pressing questions of a religiously pluralistic society, and challenge existing religious assumptions.
State of Formation is a community conversation between leaders in formation. Together, a cohort of seminarians, rabbinical students, graduate students, activists and the like—the future religious and moral leaders of tomorrow—are working to redefine the ethical discourse today.
Writers for State of Formation will demonstrate candor and respect, and State of Formation’s content will reflect the diversity of budding religious and ethical leadership in America and the particular learning that only occurs in religious and philosophical education. Above all, its contributors will address the pressing ethical issues of our pluralistic world.
The Council is excited to be a part of this cutting-edge work. Below you will find a small sample of the conversations that are happening on State of Formation. Over the coming weeks, you'll be able to meet these scholars and engage their work more directly on PeaceNext.org.
Click here to visit State of Formation.
 Muslim-Christian Relations in Pakistan
by Zahid Shahab Ahmed
While growing up in Lala Musa (Gujrat, Punjab) and Islamabad in Pakistan, I witnessed Christians as domestic workers in my home and neighborhood. This job is considered to be one of the lowest forms of work and includes cleaning, washing and cooking. In my youth, due to lack of exposure, I had a feeling that all Christians were economically disadvantaged. But similar to most of the kids my age, I never bothered to think of the reasons behind their economic marginalization. Read More... |
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 Harry Potter and Religious Pluralism
by Honna Eichler
Inspired by Julie Clawson’s Sojourners post, Harry Potter and Social Justice, and still captivated by the recent movie release (which, yes, I did see at 12:01am), I sit here to write what this story has to offer our conversations. Essentially, it is a story portraying the power of self-actualized love against the evil sprung from self-obsession. Read More... |
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 I’m Wondering If I Might Sit and Listen To You For a While…?
by Karen Leslie Hernandez
Last week, as I was driving from Georgetown, Texas to the Dallas/Ft. Worth airport, I noted that I would drive through Waco. As many know, Waco is now associated with the terrible events of 1993 when the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms served a warrant on the Branch Davidian compound and to David Koresh, their leader. Read More... |
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 Nature vs. Culture?
by Adina Allen
This week in our year-long class on Exodus our discussion focused on Moshe’s identity struggle as played out by his early forays out into the broader world, being incensed by the injustice all around him, wondering which side he is on and in to which world he belongs. Read More... |
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 Interreligious Dialogue, take 2
by Brandon Turner
Why did an individual who has never blogged, tweeted, or facebooked (is this the term?) decide to apply to a new interreligious initiative that will exist almost exclusively in the online world? Great question.
Admittedly, I am this individual who, until 2 weeks ago, never did anything online. But, when I received an email (ok, so I did email…) from a friend about the soon to be launched “State of Formation,” I eagerly jumped in. Read More... |
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 To be, or not to be...an atheist
by Allana Taylor
Labels are cumbersome. To self-identify as an atheist, or a Jew, or a Hindu, or a Muslim, and so on, requires that you accept ownership of all that is attached to that label. It is wholly irrelevant whether or not you personally accept the burden of your label, it has been hoisted upon you and strapped down with steel chains by those around you. At least it feels this way sometimes, doesn’t it? Read More... |
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Support the Growing Movement
State of Formation is one more example of how the Council is working every day to bring people together for a better world. Please consider giving to help us continue this crucial work.
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Council Updates
- Executive Director Rev. Dirk Ficca is in Geneva this week for meetings with the Coalition for a UN Decade of Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, Understanding and Cooperation for Peace. Dirk Ficca is serving as Interim Chair of the Coalition.
- The 2014 Parliament Site Selection Task Force has completed successful visits to Brussels and Guadalajara and will be visiting Dallas-Fort Worth next week. A common sentiment in these cities is, "The Parliament has already begun." Relationships and collaborations are being formed that will continue whether or not the city is chosen to hold the 2014 Parliament. Thanks to Brussels, Dallas-Fort Worth and Guadalajara for their inspiring work!
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