“Many Faiths, One World” is topic of MC’s fall Community Conversations

Nov. 12, 2009
Contact: Penny S. Gibbons, Staff Writer - Office of Communications
865.981.8209; penny.gibbons@maryvillecollege.edu

Talking across boundaries of faith is the topic of Maryville College’s fall Community Conversations, which will be held Nov. 17 and 18 on campus in the Samuel Tyndale Wilson Center for Campus Ministry (CCM).

“We live in an age of religious diversity, both among and within different faith traditions. Learning ways to better talk with each other across those traditions will help us in our relationships with our neighbors and our world,” said Dr. Will Phillips, chairperson of the Community Conversations Committee and associate professor of English.

Hannah McConnaughay, an outreach education and training associate at Interfaith Youth Core, will be the presenter during the two-day event.

Interfaith Youth Core helps build bridges between people of different faiths in a complex world, providing young people and the institutions that support them with leadership training, project resources and a connection to a broader movement.

McConnaughay will speak during chapel at 1:15 p.m., Tues., Nov. 17.

“Religious Pluralism 101” is the title of McConnaughay’s 7:30 p.m. presentation, which will focus on the basic idea of religious pluralism, its current threats and the urgent need for its realization today. She will also encourage the audience to become “interfaith advocates” who reframe conversations about religion.

On Nov. 18, McConnaughay will lead a dialogue facilitation workshop around topics of religious diversity from 3 until 5 p.m. Those interested in attending the workshop should contact Anne McKee, campus minister at the College, at 865.981.8298 or anne.mckee@maryvillecollege.edu.

The Community Conversations series exists to foster dialogue at Maryville College and the surrounding community as part of the College’s mission of intellectual inquiry and service to our community and the world.

A spring series of discussions are planned around the topic of interfaith dialogue from a variety of perspectives.

All events are free of charge and open to the public. For more information, contact Phillips at 865.981.8239 or will.phillips@maryvillecollege.edu.

Maryville College is ideally situated in Maryville, Tenn., between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Knoxville, the state‘s third largest city. Founded in 1819, it is the 12th oldest institution of higher learning in the South and maintains an affiliation with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Known for its academic rigor and its focus on the liberal arts, Maryville is where students come to stretch their minds, stretch themselves and learn how to make a difference in the world. Total enrollment for the fall 2011 semester was 1,078.