The 2018 Parliament of the World's Religions: Reflections on Approaches for Interfaith Dialogue

Furman Hall 127

In November 2018, 6 students from Dr. Claude Stulting's Senior Seminar on Religious Pluralism, attended the Parliament of the World's Religions held in Toronto, Canada. This was a gathering of some 10,000 people from all over the world and from virtually every religious tradition practiced around the globe. Under the guidance of Dr. Stulting and JoAnn Borovicka (author, teacher, leader in the Greenville Baha'i community), these students helped to run a Parliament workshop demonstrating an approach to interfaith dialogue called the Amazing Faiths Dinner Dialogue. Sponsored by the Furman University; the Interfaith Forum of Greenville; the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee; and the Buckminster Fuller Institute, this Parliament workshop was an opportunity for the students themselves to learn how to serve as moderators for the small groups characteristic of this method of interfaith dialogue. In serving as moderators for small groups of workshop participants, the students themselves enabled a first-hand experience of how it is possible to mindfully listen to others and understand their faith perspectives. The six students on this panel will each share their experiences of serving as moderators for this workshop. They may also include reflections on what they learned from attending the rich offering of sessions offered during the 5 days of the Parliament.