Christians share the American religious landscape with many other spiritual traditions. How do Christians understand and assess the truth claims and practices of those other traditions? How do Christians understand the fact of pluralism itself – as a threat, a problem, an opportunity?

In this seminar we will consider first some historical approaches to those questions, and then some newer ideas, comparing them with the way in which some other traditions understand the value of Christian claims and practices. Then, after looking at a particular model of learning across traditions, we will explore the growing American phenomenon of multiple religious participation and even multiple religious belonging: when persons consider themselves a part of more than one religious tradition at the same time.

The presenter for this event is Dr. James Farwell, Associate Professor of Theology and Liturgy at Virginia Theological Seminary. He was formerly Professor of Religious Studies and Philosophy and Chair of Humanities at Bethany College in West Virginia. He teaches in the areas of comparative theology and religion, liturgy, and ritual studies.