Coming of Age: Individual Identity and Community
Monday, September 26 / 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. / Boyd Dining Hall
How do our religious traditions help us establish our identities as individuals? How do they make us part of a faith community? At what point are we considered “ready" (biologically, mentally and spiritually) to become full participants? How do we mark our passage into this role? Is this a one-time happening or a lifelong growth process?
Panelists: Rev. Clarence R. Brown, Jr. (United Methodist), Roberta Brassell (Morman), Kathryn Morton (Jewish), Dr. Ahmed Noor (Muslim)
Recorded by Cox Communications for future airing on cable channel 11.
Marriage: Old Truths and New Problems
Monday, November 28 / 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. / Boyd Dining Hall
How do rituals around marriage and family formation reflect religious beliefs? How do they contribute to faith identity? What happens when someone marries "outside the faith"? If our concept of marriage is deeply tied to religion, can it be expanded to include same-sex couples?
Panelists: Tahani Amer (Muslim), Rev. Marty Luna-Wolfe (New Life Metropolitan Community Church), Rabbi Michael Panitz (Conservative Jew), and Rev. Robert M. "Chappy" Chapman (United Methodist, Virginia Wesleyan College chaplain).
Recorded by Cox Communications for future airing on cable channel 11.
Spiritual Transformation Throughout our Lives
Monday, January 30 / 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. / Boyd Dining Hall
How do our faiths help us find meaning and sustain our spiritual growth in
our day-to-day lives? Some faiths speak about being led by a divine spirit. How do we discern between being led by this spirit or by our own subconscious wants and desires? From your faith perspective, how does it feel to be led by the divine spirit? Does our faith have rituals or practices that assist us in our spiritual growth?
Panelists: The Rev. James Brinkley, Jr. (Pentecostal), Imam Vernon M. Fareed (Muslim), Barbara Hughes (Roman Catholic), Salila Kulshreshtha (Hindu)
Growing into Wisdom
Monday, March 27 / 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. / Boyd Dining Hall
What does it mean to become a "senior" member of a religious community? What does it mean to be “wise”? How is accumulated wisdom passed on? Does our faith provide a means for elders to mentor younger members in their faith journey? Does our faith have rituals or practices that acknowledge the accumulated wisdom of certain members?
Panelists: Dr. Barry Einhorn (Conservative Jew), Rev. Drema Baker (Wiccan/Pagan), Grace LeClair (Quaker), Kamlesh Kapur (Hindu)
Death and Beyond
Monday, April 24 / 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. / Boyd Dining Hall
How do religious communities find meaning in death? What role do beliefs about afterlife play? How is death related to ideas about salvation? How do our faith’s funeral rites and practices reflect our views death and afterlife?
Panelists: Larry Barclay (Buddhist), Lillian Wolfsong Casper (Native American Spirituality)), Rabbi Larry Forman (Reform Jew), Betsy Wright Rhodes (Roman Catholic)