Historic document on mission issued

Recently, the Vatican, the World Council of Churches and the World Evangelical Alliance issued an historic document on mission, questioning many traditional practices and agreeing on standards of integrity about such issues as coercion, cultural hegemony, and “conversion”. The document is the result of five years of consultations by some 40 experts in ecumenical and … Continue reading →

NEWS: Parliament of the World’s Religions 2009 Global Conference

The Chicago-based Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions has begun confirming programs scheduled for its fifth global conference scheduled Dec. 3 – 9, 2009 in Melbourne, Australia. The Parliament’s theme of Make a Difference: Hearing Each Other, Healing the Earth will offer over 500 programs distributed among seven major subthemes. 8,000 to 10,000 … Continue reading →

NEWS: Indian Response to Indonesian Yoga Debate

The recent decision by the Indonesian Ulemas Council to issue a fatwah declaring Yoga as incompatible with Islam has been met with disbelief by Indian religious commentators.  A fascinating viewpoint outlined in a ‘comment’ piece by Firoz Bakht Amhed, written as a rejoinder to the current debate, argues that Yoga is fully compatible with Islam, … Continue reading →

NEWS: The Inauguration of President Obama: An Opportunity for Interfaith Dialogue?

Today, America will witness the inauguration of her 44th President, Barack Obama. Arguably, the media frenzy that has accompanied Obama’s campaign trail and subsequent election will not abate just yet. Hidden among all of the column inches is a recent article by Eboo Patel, who attempts to answer the question, set by The Guardian: ‘Will … Continue reading →

NEWS: Pontiff Defends WWII Predecessor

Pope Benedict XVI, speaking at the interfaith group meeting (Pave the Way Foundation at Castel Gandolfo) has defended the actions of his predecessor, Pious XII, during World War Two and the Nazi’s annihilation of European Jewry. The speech has been heralded as the strongest Vatican defense of Pius’s role during the holocaust. The Pontiff from … Continue reading →