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Trinity Institute opens on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, addresses religion and violence
January 22, 2008 Presiding Bishop delivers opening homily Issue: Section: By Daphne Mack Corrected: [Episcopal News Service] Coinciding with the nation's celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Trinity Institute's 38th National Theological Conference -- Religion and Violence: untangling the roots of conflict -- began on January 21 with an interfaith Evensong. Trinity Institute, running January 21-23 at Trinity Church Wall Street in New York City, is a conference which presents emerging and inclusive theological perspectives and engages participants in inquiry, dialogue, and reflection. In delivering the homily, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said, "We remember today the birthday of a prophet who was also something of a mystic." "[Dr. King was] a man who sought to deliver his people from Pharaoh, who knew himself born from above, despite his feet of clay, who, at least toward the end, was not loath to make common cause with his brothers and sisters in other faith traditions," she said. "At their best" Jefferts Schori said religious traditions have "always sought to lead human beings into greater understanding and knowledge of the divine." "Each of the world's great religions was birthed in a unique context and time, yet each affirms a truth that reaches beyond that initial, limited context," she explained. However, the "self-justified truth claim," religious or otherwise, she said, "is the source of all violence." She noted that violence results when we "lose sight of that larger reality, whether in the person next to us or the folk in the next valley. "If we would embrace the fullness of life for which we were created, we must learn to love God and neighbor with our whole being, with mind, heart, soul, and means," she added. The Presiding Bishop's full homily can be heard on-demand here (http://www.trinitywallstreet.org/education/?institute-2008&p=telecast). During the next three days, an interfaith panel of prominent Christian, Jewish, and Muslim thinkers will explore the connection between religion and violence and illuminate each faith's vocation as a force for peace. Keynote speakers will include James Carroll, bestselling author of fiction and nonfiction, a former Roman Catholic priest, and a lifelong activist for peace; James H. Cone, the Charles A. Briggs distinguished professor of systematic theology at Union Seminary in New York City; Susannah Heschel, Eli Black chair on Jewish studies at Dartmouth; and Tariq Ramadan, senior research fellow at St. Antony's College (Oxford), Doshisha University (Kyoto, Japan), and the Lokahi Foundation (London). Cone and Heschel will speak on January 22 and Carroll and Ramadan will speak on January 23. This year, 46 partner sites located in the United States, Canada and England will have access to the full conference experience including all of the keynotes via webcast and facilitated small group reflections. Partners may also choose to download presentations for later use, due to time-zone scheduling issues. They include:
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