King’s Chapel, through its Adult Religious Education Committee, will sponsor three free evening lectures in October called “Islam beyond the Stereotypes.” This program is offered to interested neighbors as well as the King’s Chapel community to present an informed view of Islam that avoids stereotypes and acknowledges the wide variety of cultural, social and political contexts that characterize the world’s second largest faith.
At this critical time, with the war against terrorism and an increased attention to the Muslim world, the media is replete with stories that often characterize Islam in simplistic and misleading ways that fail to portray its meaning as a religion or to reflect the diversity of Muslims and their beliefs around the globe. The problem in the United States has been made worse during this election season as American Muslims have been an easy target for politicians who use fear to justify discrimination and exclusionary immigration policies.
Against this backdrop, the church’s Adult Religious Education Committee think it is important to provide an opportunity to better understand and promote interfaith dialogue with Boston’s Muslim community.
The evening lectures will be as follows:
- Tuesday, October 4, 2016. “Discerning Islam: Living Faith, Localized Customs, Political Ideologies” by James W. Morris, Professor of Theology, Boston College. Professor Morris is an expert in Islamic theology, humanities and comparative studies, and lectures widely throughout Europe and the Muslim world. He will speak on the wide range of views that Muslims around the world have about aspects of their faith.
- Thursday, October 13, 2016. “Contemporary Muslim Women: Challenges and Opportunities” by Natana J. Delong-Bas, Professor of Theology, Boston College. Professor Delong-Bas is a recognized expert on contemporary Islamic thought and practice and the editor-in-chief of the Oxford Encyclopedia of Islam and Women. She will speak on issues facing Muslim women and the differing roles women assume in Muslim societies worldwide.
- Thursday, October 27, 2016. “The Challenges of Young Muslims in America” by Imam Taymullah Abdur-Rahman, Muslim Chaplain at Harvard University. He is a colleague of Shaykr Yasir Fahmy, Imam of the Society of the Boston Cultural Center and a regular speaker at the ISBCC. He will speak on issues facing young Muslims and a vision of Islam in America that reflects the tradition as well as the cultural realities of life in Boston and the US.
Each talk will take place from 7:00 and 8:30 pm at King’s Chapel Parish House, 64 Beacon Street, Boston 02108. Light refreshments will be provided at 6:30. Space is limited. Those interested should RSVP to Gretchen Horton, Parish Administrator at [email protected] (or 617-227-2155 ext. 108) indicating the dates of the lecture(s) selected.