The Community of Religions: Voices and Images of the Parliament of World's Religions (review)

142 SHOFAR Spring 1999 Vol. 17, No.3 and concrete examples ofhow correlational, globally responsible dialogue can and has taken place. Regrettably,! have not been able to do justice to the subtlety and grace ofKnitter's ethical arguments, much less to his philosophical discussions of truth, justice, and the nature of religion. One Earth Many Religions is a rich and thoughtful reflection on urgent issues and deserves to be widely read and discussed. Edmund T. Gilday Department of Religious Studies Grinnell College The Community of Religions: Voices and Images of the Parliament of World's Religions, edited by Wayne Teasdale and George Cairns. New York: Continuum Books, 1996. 259 pp. $19.95 (p). In the last thirty years interreligious dialogue and cooperation have blossomed from the concerned interest of a select few to become a vital part of American public and religious life. While dialogue among traditions has been evident since earliest civilizations , the contemporary interest in the diversity offaiths and the challenges posed by pluralism are unprecedented in human history. So striking is this transformation in consciousness that interreligious dialogue has been called "the distinctive spiritual journey ofour time." One ofthe most striking aspects ofthe postrnodern religious climate is its insistence that the human community find a way to respect, learn from, and apply our collective spiritual wisdom to current social and planetary problems. This quest has antecedents in nineteenth-century historical-critical studies and in the pioneering work at the century's turn in such thinkers as William James, Rudolf Otto, Evelyn Underhill, and Joachim Wach. In the spirit of the century's turn toward comparative study and global community, a World Parliament of Religions was convened in Chicago in 1893. Primarily dominated by Christian denominations, the World Parliament nonetheless was a global event in which participants from the planet's diverse cultures and religious traditions came together to seek understanding, mutual respect, and peace. The Community ofReligions records another historic event as the second World Parliament ofReligions marked its centenary, again in Chicago. Sensitive to the historic significance of this gathering, the contributors do a superb job providing a context for the 1993 Parliament and the shift in religious thinking that has occurred over the last one hundred years. Citing increased pluralism, global concern, and inclusiveness as distinctive features of contemporary religious life, the second Parliament aimed toward a deeply unifying spirituality. Most striking is this underlying spiritual tone in which the Topical Book Reviews 143 uplifting of the human quest is hOlloled out in its pages through a respect for the fragility of our planet, the suffering ofJe vast majority of humanity, and the struggles of the margina.lized poor. . I . After the mtroductory sectIOn, the text ShIftS from the words of organizers to the speech ofthose who live, and graciousl~ give voice to, the openness required by a spirit of human community. Most impressire about this part of the book is its consistent theme that the unity of religions and God's plan can be found in dedicating ourselves to the amelioration of suffering. No~here is this more evident than in the concern expressed throughout that we begin to fmd a place in our hearts where we all, truly, may dwell. Of the many excellent contributions, I mention three. In "Until the Pain is Over" Ma laya Sati Bhagavati, spiritual teacher and founder of Kashi Ranch, makes a passionate plea for all religions to discover a global compassion that is capable of reaching out across ethnic, racial, and social limits, to rescue children suffering with AIDS from the aloneness of believing that the world doesn't care. The riveting quality of Ma laya's prose conveys the urgency of her children's plight and the need for immediate and concrete response. Her tales of her inability to sit through another lecture or intellectual discussion about suffering, even in the obviously supportive atmosphere ofthe Parliament, focus the book's core. As she recounts her struggle to bring dignity and divine support to those struggling with AIDS, as she speaks of the hundreds who have died in her arms, Ma laya reminds us that the true goal of dialogue is to give us the strength to...