Peter Berger on Interreligious Dialogue

From the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs website:

Dialogue Between Religious Traditions in an Age of Relativity

February 16, 2011 | 04:00PM

Berkley Center third floor conference room, 3307 M Street, NW

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Globalization has dramatically increased communication across religious traditions, raising complex questions about the relative validity of their very different truth claims. Peter Berger of Boston University will address new patterns of dialogue among religious traditions and their wider cultural and political implications in today's world. A reception will follow.

Peter Berger is one of the foremost scholars in the field of sociology of religion. He is Professor Emeritus of Religion, Sociology and Theology and served previously as the founding director of the Institute on Culture, Religion and World Affairs at Boston University. He has also taught at University of North Carolina, Hartford Theological Seminary, Rutgers, and the New School for Social Research. His work has focused on sociological theory, sociology of religion, and issues at the intersection of theology and social science. His recent works include Questions of Faith: A Skeptical Reaffirmation of Christianity (2004), Religious America, Secular Europe (with Grace Davie and Effie Fokas, 2008), and In Praise of Doubt: How to Have Convictions without Becoming a Fanatic (with Anton Zijderveld, 2009). Berger earned his BA from Wagner College and his MA and PhD from the New School for Social Research.

A Busy Week - A Few Items

Philip Johnson is in Utah from Australia leading an intensive course in new religious movements at Salt Lake Theological Seminary. I am a part of this course and am busy with lectures and reading this week. I will catch up with other courses and ministry activities next week and can only make brief entries in blogging this week, but I wanted to note a few items.

First, John Smulo has launched a new website or blog called "Missional Apologetics." Drop by and take a look at how a new model of apologetics is shaping up.

Second, there is an interesting interview with the noted sociologist Peter Berger where he shares his thoughts on religion and globalization. These considerations are relevant to mission in the West, and emerging and contemporary church leaders should take note.

Third, I had an opportunity to observe a Yule Sabbat on December 23rd as a course assignment for the new religions course. The Sabbat celebration involved the Eagles Kindred group, a Neo-Pagan group from the Odinist and Asatru tradition. I would like to thank this group, and my contact from the Ogden Pagan Community Builders Yahoo! Group for allowing a seminary student to observe this celebration and get to know this community. I will post my observations and reflections next week.