St.
Bartholomew's Church Editorial
The
horrific events of September 11, 2001, shocked New Yorkers and
plunged them into anxiety about the future. At the same time,
city residents from the various faith communities came together
to mourn and to find solace in each other's presence. Houses of
worship were filled to capacity in the days following the terrorist
attacks on the World Trade Center. Now more than ever, New Yorkers
from all walks of life are eager to explore new avenues of interreligious
discourse and shared spiritual experiences. The Center for Religious
Inquiry (CRI) has offered an education program for intellectually
and spiritually curious members of the greater New York City community
since 1999. Under the direction of Rabbi Leonard A. Schoolman
and William McD. Tully, rector of St. Bartholomew?s Church, the
Center offers major public lectures, concerts and adult-education
courses taught by leading theologians and professors. From its
inception, CRI has offered courses such as "Understanding Islam,"
"Basic Buddhism," and a variety of survey and topical courses
on everything from Christianity and Judaism, to Sikhism, Hinduism,
and Confucianism. CRI also presents free lectures on pressing
topics such as the religious roots of international conflict with
speakers including Sen. George Mitchell and Ambassador Dennis
Ross. Some of American's leading teachers of religion have lectured
at CRI, including Harvey Cox, Diana Eck, and Peter Gomes (Harvard);
Martin Marty (University of Chicago), and Avery Cardinal Dulles
(Fordham). CRI also sponsors the Summer Institute of Sacred Languages,
offering introductory courses in courses in Greek, Latin, Hebrew,
and Arabic. For more information visit www.stbarts.org or call
212-378-0290.
Education Update, Inc., P.O. Box 20005, New York, NY 10001. Tel:
(212) 481-5519. Fax: (212) 481-3919. Email: ednews1@aol.com.
All material is copyrighted and may not be printed without express consent of
the publisher. © 2001.
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