After skipping two months due to the Annual Banquet and the holiday season the Monthly Talk Series return with another distinguished speaker from academia. Dr. Jay McDaniel of Hendrix College will be with us on Thursday, January 19, 2012 and talk about one of the unique aspects of interfaith dialog. The title of his talk is "The Wisdom of Multiplicity". Below you will find a short bio of Dr. McDaniel.

Please note that the event is free and open to everyone BUT do not forget to RSVP/register.

Dr. Jay McDaniel:

Trained in the philosophy of religion and theology, his specialty is Process or Whiteheadian thought. Dr. McDaniel's dissertation was on Whitehead and Buddhism. Since writing his dissertation many years ago, he has had the privilege of teaching the religions of the world, and his interests have grown to include them all. He is impressed with the various kinds of wisdom that each contains: wisdom that seems relevant not only to their adherents but also to the wider world. He is simultaneously impressed by the need on the part of people in the many different traditions to engage in dialogue with one another for the sake of peace and mutual transformation.

Accordingly, Dr. McDaniel has written books on religion and ecology, religion and inter-religious dialogue, and spirituality in an age of consumerism. His current interest is to see how these myriad concerns might unfold in China. 

His aim as a teacher at Hendrix is to help students understand how people live and think in different parts of the world when they are shaped by religious points of view. It is also to help students develop "philosophies" and "theologies" of their own in dialogue with the many religions and also with people who are not interested in religion. Understanding others and creatively responding to what one learns: these are the guiding ideals of my teaching.

He has written five books and edited three. These include With Roots and Wings: Christianity in an Age of Ecology and Dialogue; Living from the Center: Spirituality in an Age of Consumerism; and Gandhi's Hope: Learning from Other Religions as a Path to Peace. 

On Sunday, January 22nd, The Institute of Interfaith Dialog is organizing "Noah's Pudding Day".  The volunteers of IID will be serving this special pudding at several locations as well as to their neighbors.
 
Noah's Pudding stands for the harmony of differences. Different ingredients come together, without losing their original taste, to serve a unique delight in Noah's Pudding. Likewise, we invite and encourage people from diverse cultural backgrounds to dialogue with each other, without losing their own cultural tastes.
 
A&M United Methodist Church  (At 9.30 am and noon)
417 University Drive College Station, Texas  
 
Peace Lutheran Church (Noon)
2201 Rio Grande, College Station, TX 77845
 
 
Raindrop Turkish House (At 2 pm)
4021 E. 29th. St. #114 Bryan, TX 77802

Anniversaries of special events have a life and impact that go beyond the actual dates themselves. Many are specific to individual families: wedding anniversaries; birthdays; memorials of the deaths of loved ones. Various nations also have various special dates that are prominent in their corporate memories and celebrations. Cinco de Mayo in Mexico celebrates an unlikely victory over French colonial troops by the Mexican Army in 1862. Indonesia's Proklamasi, celebrated on August 17, is the date in 1945 when the armed resistance to the colonial Dutch regime was begun. (September 22, 2011 Kansas City, MO)

The Institute of Interfaith Dialog and the Office of Diversity and Access at UMKC along with Raindrop Turkish House held its 8th Annual Dialog and Friendship Dinner on November 9, 2011 at the University’s sparkling new Student Union to promote mutual understanding, friendship, and reiterate the importance of common human values in pursuing peace among all humanity.   (November 9, 2011 Kansas City, MO)