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Sister Abraham and Kirsten Pederson
A religious journey of Sister Abraham, from her Lutheran home through the Catholic Church, to the Ethiopian Church. Sister Abraham tells her story of a theological journey that brought her from her home land of Denmark to the holy land. A journey driven by a theological search, academic pursuit and personal experiences that brought her to where she is today. Sister Abraham also explains the history of the Ethiopian church and its particularities. ... More>>
Franz Jozef Van Beeck
Van Beek views the process of conversion as a process of civilization. He illustrates how throughout history, as well as in his personal life, the process of conversion was a process of border crossing. Conversion is a passage between the primitive and the narrow to the wider and deeper. For Van Beek, the Christian believers are divided into three types, which he calls "The Happy Pew", the "Charismatics" and the "Mystics". He goes on to describe conversion as a sear... More>>
Richard Hayes
Hayes presents what some may call 'conversion' in the Buddhist sense. By presenting the fundamentals of Buddhism, such as the "No-Self" doctrine, the problem of "Liberation" and "Dissatisfaction", Hayes attempts to present the listeners with the "Religious Identity" of Buddhism. He presents an exhaustive array of ancient Buddhist literature as well as present day experiences in order to demonstrate the ways by which a Buddhist can achieve "Liberation&... More>>
Akbar Hyder
In the first of a series of related lectures, Hyder embarks upon an examination of the nature of conversion in Islam. Using a personal example, he flushes out some of the problems with modern conversion. He then reviews conversion as represented in early Muslim texts, examining each of Islam's earliest converts case by case. ... More>>
Zvi Zohar
Zvi Zohar analyzes conversion in the rabbinic tradition. He demonstrates how, in the world of the sages, conversion was linked to the process of being born (or re-born). Zohar presents sources showing the emphasis placed by the Jewish legal tradition on circumcision and ritual immersion, rather than on knowledge and acceptance of the commandments of Jewish law. A specific focus of this lecture is legal rulings of central 20th century halachists. Zohar further draws on examples from the Jew... More>>
In examining how South Asia became Muslim, Akbar Hyder investigates four causal theories: the theory of the sword, political patronage, the chance to escape the Caste System, and migration. Hyder rejects the preeminence of any one factor and claims that a combination of all four gave rise to South Asia's Muslim population's conversion. ... More>>
Brenda Brasher
Brenda Brasher answers questions about the Messianic Jews and their connection to both Judaism and Christianity. Brasher presents her research as to the causes of and reactions to Messianic Jews as well as her socio-religious analysis of the community both in Israel and in North America. Brasher goes on to explain the use of the Internet by the movement to recruit, explain and to teach members how to be part of the organization.... More>>
Harvey Cox
Cox surveys the changing environments that brought about and influenced the growth the movement of Messianic Judaism. Cox describes self-perceptions of group members who believe that they are both part of Judaism and of Christianity without the need to convert to or from either of the religions. He goes on to describe the global changes, as well as changes within the Jewish and Christian worlds, that contributed to the emergence of Messianic Judaism. Cox concludes with observations on what belie... More>>
In this lecture Akbar Hyder first defines the identity of mystical Islam within the context of larger Islam and then discusses mystical attitudes towards conversion and other religions in general. Hyder uses the verses of Rumi to demonstrate both the mystics' love of God and the privileged place of verse and music within mystical Islam. In his discussion of conversion, Hyder argues that mystical Islam is characterized by a tolerant and accommodating stance towards other religions.&nb... More>>
Don Seeman
Seeman presents the story of Ethiopian Jewry and the so-called "Falashmura" (Jews who converted or were forced to convert to Christianity). Seeman recounts the history of this distinct Jewish community from its first contact with world Jewry to its present day problems of conversion and bureaucracy in modern day Israel. Seeman shares his personal story of contact with Jews in Ethiopia and their day-to-day dilemmas of identity. Seeman conveys the ways in which the establishment in... More>>
Cox presents us with an overview of Gandhi's view of religions other than his own. Gandhi's inclusive attitude towards these religions manifests both in attitude towards and in study of religious texts and rituals of a variety of world religions. Cox describes the way in which Gandhi came to adopt this attitude towards world religions. He tells stories as to the way in which Gandhi was perceived and perceived himself as having an almost metaphorical connection with Jesus. According to Cox Gandhi... More>>
Vasudha Narayanan
In this talk Narayanan asks three basic questions as to the nature of the Hindu religion and to the question of whether there are aspects of Hinduism that engage in proselytizing. Narayanan gives a historical presentation of Hinduism from its origin to its modern-day manifestations. Narayanan analyses the forms of Hinduism that do seem to be inclusive in their attitude towards other religions and she also offers a critique of their theology. ... More>>
Franz Jozef van Beeck
Prof. Van Beeck presents a historical analysis of the development of Christianity and Christian beliefs in relation to the surrounding beliefs prevalent in the first centuries of the Common Era (CE). The idea of the plurality as well as the unity of God had to be explained to the non-Christian population, both Jewish and Hellenistic, in ways that were comprehensible to these communities. Van Beeck further discusses the different aspects of the trinity and unity of God according to Cathol... More>>
Alon Goshen-Gottstein
Goshen-Gottstein presents the problematic issue of people who posses multiple religious identities. The subject of multiple religious identities is an especially difficult one in Judaism. He suggests different criteria by which one can assess borrowing from other religions while maintaining one's own religion. He also formulates what in his eyes are the components through which religious identity is constructed.... More>>
Harvey Cox and Franz Jozef van Beeck
Franz Jozef van Beeck and Harvey Cox present an ecumenical discussion on the 'pros and cons' of each other's denomination. Each presents the Church that they belong to (Catholic and Baptist). They first present the strengths and weaknesses of their own tradition and then discuss the same in the other tradition. Both provide theological presentations as well as personal stories of how they got to their denomination and how they relate to the other's denomination.... More>>
In this lecture Akbar Hyder gives an account of the development of Islam within the United States, discussing both the organizational history of the Islamic movement and the ideological relationship of African Americans to the religion of Islam. Hyder also discusses African American motivations for conversion, using the double conversion of Malcolm X to demonstrate two different motivations. ... More>>
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