One Family The Newsletter of the World Congress of Faiths July, 2005 Website: www.worldfaiths.org Charity Number: 244096
Faith Meeting Faith: a rich resource for life The World Congress of Faiths seeks to bridge the almost unbridgeable: to make bonds of friendship based on knowledge and understanding and to celebrate the differences between religions. While accepting the differences of history and belief between faith communities, we affirm and support each of the faith groups represented at our gatherings. We seek to bring together those who are firm adherents of their own faiths, and who wish to learn from others in a non-judgemental and supportive fashion. In this way, hopefully, we work towards ending the destructive enmity that so tragically dogs the relationships between so many people of faith.
World Congress of Faiths presents: Keith Ward at at the London Interfaith Centre, 125 Salusbury Road, London NW6 on Sunday, July 17 from 4.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m. talking about his new book 'The Case for Religion' Responses by: Gwen Griffith-Dickson and & Raficq Abdulla Entrance: £5.00
WCF future events - Dates for your diary: July 17: Seminar with Keith Ward, who will be discussing his latest book The Case for Religion from 4.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m. at the London Interfaith Centre, 125 Salusbury Road, London, NW6 6RG. Responses will be given by Gwen Griffith-Dickson and Abdullah Rafiq. Cost £5.00. September 18: Interfaith Celebration of Animals: 3.00 to 5.00 p.m. at Golders Green Unitarian Church, Hoop Lane, Golders Green, London NW11 8BS. Speakers include Marcus Braybrooke and Imam Abduljalil Sajid. October 1: Gandhi celebration at the Unitarian Church, Birmingham from 11.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. Speakers include Claire Short MP, Om Prakash Sharma, Daryl Balia, Andrew Brown, Simon Ramsay (Co-sponsors IARF and Unitarian Interfaith Panel). Further details: r.boeke@virgin.net. Cost £5.00 (Co-sponsors: IARF and Unitarian Interfaith Panel.) October 19-23: Brighton Festival of World Sacred Music (Co-sponsors: IARF and Unitarian Interfaith Panel.) Further details: katewhyman@freezone.co.uk November 12: Fideology at the Croydon Unitarian Church. Speakers include: Marcus Braybrooke, Alan Race, Joy Barrow, Imam Abduljalil Sajid, Cal Courtney, Richard Boeke. Further details: r.boeke@virgin.net March 5, 2006: 'Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda and Sir Francis Younghusband: What is their message for today?': from 2.00 to 5.30 p.m. at Golders Green Unitarian Church. Speakers include Prof Hal French. May 12-14, 2006: WCF conference: Fintry House, Nr Godalming, Surrey. For up to date details of all WCF events visit: www.worldfaiths.org

The 2005 Younghusband Lecture: The Devil’s Triangle: Religion, Values, Politics” Harvey Cox, Hollis Professor of Divinity, Harvard University The 2005 Younghusband Lecture was given on 3 May at the Global Cooperation House in London. Brahma Kumaris extended warm hospitality. Our new WCF patron, Dadi Janki, spoke briefly after the lecture. On 4 May, Harvey Cox repeated his lecture in the Examination Halls at Oxford. Thanks to Peggy Morgan, who made the arrangements at Oxford and chaired the event. Cox’s theme, 'The Devil’s Triangle', was inspired by the story of the temptations in the wilderness when the Devil tempts Jesus of Nazareth three times. The theme is repeated in Dostoevski’s 'Legend of the grand inquisitor' and in T.S. Eliot’s 'Murder in the Cathedral'. When the four tempters come to lure Archbishop Thomas a Becket away from martyrdom he cries out, 'This then is the greatest treason, to do the right thing for the wrong reason.' Like T.S. Eliot, Cox examined our struggle with choice today and can we be authentic in the modern world where trust is breaking down? In his lecture, Cox called on each religion to break the habit of thinking it has the only story; in place of religious dialogue he called for religious peacemaking. In interfaith dialogue he found a tendency not to go beyond polite conversation: 'Avoid politics or 9/11 or Israel/Palestine'. Hans Kung states, 'There shall be no peace in the world until there is peace among religions' but Cox adds, 'There will be no peace among religions until there is peace among the nations'. Today, the books by novelists like Tom Le Hay, that are selling millions of copies, move towards the coming battle of Armageddon or end times. Like pioneers faced by warring tribes, we 'circle the wagons' and stick with our own kind. Interfaith dialogue is avoiding the great challenge to reach out to these kinds of leaders who are rapidly increasing in numbers. Harvey Cox is a Baptist Minister with a Jewish wife. He stated, 'When I was attacked by Baptists, I decided

Harvey Cox giving the 2005 Younghusband Lecture to devote at least part of my time to talking with the "closed minded" in my own tradition. We invited Jerry Falwell to Harvard with some of his faculty from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. As a result, they no longer feel they are looked down upon.' The Religious Right in America is serious. They are founding universities and block voting in elections. We have to be just as serious in taking them seriously. In a way, they are 'circling the wagons', feeling they are under attack by an aggressive secularism. They are not monolithic. Cox pointed out that in South America Pentecostalists support the political left, while in North America Evangelicals support the political right. As Cox came to a close, he challenged some of the new spiritual individualism. He quoted Harvard Philosopher George Santayana who wrote, 'If you want to be religious, you have to be religious in a particular tradition.' Cox said, 'You can get generic drugs, but I don’t think there will ever be generic religion.' Harvey Cox challenged us not just to 'circle the wagons', but to reach out to those who reject us. They have hard won convictions just as we do. As they built caring communities, we can learn from them. We can learn again that religion is not just a Sunday morning 'wine and wafer', but is a way of life.

WCF 70th anniversary: Request for your memories. World Congress of Faiths is celebrating its 70th anniversary. Among the different ways in which the anniversary is being celebrated, we want to collect together memories from WCF members over the last 70 years. If you have any photographs of WCF events, especially those going back to the earlier times, or you have memories of them and would be willing to write a short account - about 250-300 words - please send them to: Dr Joy Barrow, 34 Shorediche Close, Ickenham, Middlesex, UB10 8EB or send them by e-mail on word document only please to JoyBarrow@aol.com Photographs will be returned after being computer scanned. Read future issues of One Family to discover other ways the anniversary is being celebrated.

My Memory of WCF: Brian Phipps About forty to fifty years ago, there were regular weekday evening meetings, very stimulating, held at Younghusband House near Paddington. Some regulars had 'bees in their bonnets', particularly a Mr Jackson, the speakers responding, "Yes, Mr Jackson". In those days there were far more candidates for the Committee than places available, and one year my name was included but I did not get on. Brian Reep, an Executive Officer, encouragingly said, "Have another go, Brian", but my career and promotion in British Gas had to come first, now it is health. It was lovely to meet long-standing acquaintances and friends at the recent a.g.m. Hi to you all and every blessing.

Promoting the Common Good. Marcus Braybrooke, President of the World Congress of Faiths and Co-Founder of the Three Faiths Forum, was invited to say the opening prayer at the recent conference on Africa and Globalisation for the Common Good: 'The Quest for Justice and Peace', which was held at Kericho, Kenya from 21 to 24 April 2005. The Conference was inaugurated by the Vice President of Kenya, Hon. Dr A A Moody Awori. During the opening ceremony the President launched a new book,  'Promoting the Common Good: Bringing Economics and Theology Together', which was written by Revd Dr Marcus Braybrooke and Dr Kamran Mofid, founder of 'Globalisation for the Common Good,' with a foreword by Rt. Revd Richard Harries, the Bishop of Oxford. The book argues that economics and especially the spread of global capitalism cannot be divorced from morality. 'The idea of an economics which is value-free is totally spurious', says Bishop Harries. 'Globalisation needs to be harnessed and made to work for the well-being of human society as a whole.' African speakers emphasised Africa's determination to solve its own problems. What is wanted from the West is justice not charity - especially a cancellation of the burden of debt, an end to dumping of subsidised food surpluses and fair prices for raw materials. In a closing declaration participants emphasised the importance of 'Globalisation for the Common Good', which means the promotion of ethical, moral and spiritual values, which are shared by all religions, in the areas of economics, commerce and trade. A visit to an orphanage in Nairobi reminded participants of the terrible suffering caused by HIV/AIDS Promoting the Common Good: Bringing Economics and Theology Together will be published in the UK in June by Shepheard-Walwyn (Publishers) Ltd, www.shephearwalwyn.co.uk

Revd Professor Geoffrey Parrinder: A Tribute Revd Dr Marcus Braybrooke writes: It was on my first visit at Younghusband House [then the headquarters of WCF] that I met Geoffrey Parrinder. His subject was the relevance of Indian religions to issues raised by John Robinson’s controversial book 'Honest to God'. Soon, Professor Parrinder agreed to supervise my post-graduate studies. Amongst his other students were Professor Ursula King, [later to be a Professor at Bristol University and a Vice-President of WCF] and Lord Combermere, who made an outstanding contribution to the University of London’s Extra-Mural programme and was for several years chair of WCF. Geoffrey was born in 1910 and trained for the Methodist ministry at Richmond College, where even in the thirties there were lectures on the world religions. In 1932, the College received an urgent appeal for missionaries to work in the Methodist church in the, then, French colony of Dahomey. After a year at the University of Montpellier to improve his French, Geoffrey set out for Africa, teaching at seminaries in Dahomey and the Ivory Coast and then lecturing at the University College of Ibadan (1949-1958). In his 'In the Belly of the Snake', Geoffrey vividly describes his life during the time in Dahomey. Because of the rule that Methodist ministers could not marry for seven years from their acceptance for training, Geoffrey had to set out alone and was only allowed to marry Mary, who was to share so fully in his ministry, in 1936. During his time in Africa, Geoffrey studied for several higher degrees and his first of many books, 'West African Religion', was published in 1949. Before they finally left Africa, he and Mary and their son Stephen, paid a last visit to the area. He was told the rumour went around that 'the old lion is back'. In 1958 he returned to Britain to teach at King’s College, London, where he became Professor of the Comparative Study of Religions. His books, written with great clarity and wide knowledge, reached a far larger audience and Geoffrey was active in societies for the study of religions and interfaith understanding. For many years, he was President of the London Society of Jews and Christians. He was a Vice-President of the World Congress of Faiths and made a major contribution to the WCF booklet, 'Interfaith Worship'. In his lecture 'Light from the East', Geoffrey expressed surprise that in the debate about 'Honest to God', there was no reference to any other religion, although most had faced the problem of religious mythology. "The meeting of religions", he said, "is new but is now an unavoidable fact." To look at contemporary problems in the light of world religions, "may help toward a realisation of the need to co-operate, to learn from each other, in charity and humility, and to be fellow-seekers after truth." Geoffrey Parrinder, by his teaching, writing and his life was true to what he preached. Note: Marcus Braybrooke's book: 'Explorer's Guide to Christianity' is now available  online from www.religion-online.org
Trustee Treasurer needed. The International Interfaith Centre in Oxford seeks someone with experience of the law relating to accounts to become a trustee who would also fill the position of honorary treasurer.  Ideally the person would be in the Oxford area and when necessary be available to supervise the accounting procedures and sign cheques.  There are no full time staff and much work is done by volunteers.  The annual turnover is about £30,000.  Enquiries to the office (part time with answering machine) 01865 202745, 2 Market Street, Oxford OX1 3EF.	Dadi Janki who, together with Diane Eck, was elected a Patron of the WCF at the a.g.m. and who spoke briefly after the Younghusband lecture.
First Prayer Congress in Hamburg ‘Prayer is the most essential of all human activities’ said Marcus Braybrooke, quoting Iris Murdoch, in his opening address to the Congress on Prayer held in Hamburg in June. Marcus Braybrooke encouraged those who were not ‘religious’ just to start by learning to be silent. He also said members of one faith could enrich their spiritual life by experiencing the prayers of other traditions. The other keynote speaker was Professor Michael von Bruck from Munich. Professor Dr M. Krucoff of Duke University spoke about the evidence that showed prayer could help the healing of those with heart failure.	There was also plenty of music, dancing and creative art. Members of the congress walked to the Aussenalster for an open-air ceremony of prayer for peace and the healing of the earth. The conference was organised by Lelani Dias (www.gebetskongress.de)
Other interfaith events: Inform: November 26: Religious Movements and Gender from 9.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. at the London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE. Cost £35 before 14 November, £40.00 thereafter. Further details: e-mail: inform@lse.ac.uk or telephone: 020-7955-7654 International Association of Religious Freedom: July 21-24: 'Recognising our Neighbours Religious Tolerance in Shared Societies' in Transylvania, Romania. Further details: e-mail: hq@iarf.net, telephone: 01865-202744 October 23: Week of Prayer for World Peace. London Fo Guang Temple, 84 Margaret Street, London W1W 8TD. Further details: ibpdlondon@hotmail.com. March 26-30, 2006: 'Dignity in Diversity', World Congress in Taiwan, Republic of China. Further details: e-mail: hq@iarf.net, telephone: 01865-202744	Other interfaith events (continued) West Somerset Interfaith Group: July 6: Hajj, the Pilgrimage to Mecca: 7.30 p.m. at Friends' Meeting House, Bancks Street, Minehead. Speakers: Members of the Islamic Information Centre in Bristol. Further details: J Growden, telephone: 01643 707551. Nipponzan Myohoji - London DOJO August 9: Nagasaki Day Peace Walk: 7.30 p.m. start from Westminster Cathedral to the London Peace Pagoda, Battersea Park followed by the Floating Lantern Ceremony. United College of the Ascension, Selly Oak, Birmingham: September 9-10: Children and the Church. Speaker: Viki Helstrip, USPG. Cost £50, Non-residential £25. Further details: e-mail: jmarks@bham.ac.uk or telephone: 0121 415 6810
If you want details of your interfaith event included in 'One Family' send details of it to: Joy Barrow at 34 Shorediche Close, Ickenham, Middlesex UB10 8EB or by e-mail: JoyBarrow@aol.com