Conference Notes, 2008

Notes from "Interfaith Dialogue in Modernity and Post-Modernity"

By Rose Drew

In September 2008 The Corless provided me with a grant to attend and give a paper at an international conference which was held at the University of Winchester in the UK from 9-11 September: 'Interfaith Dialogue in Modernity and Post-Modernity'. I was just about to submit my PhD thesis on Buddhist-Christian dual belonging and, by that stage in my studies, was on something of a shoestring. Receiving this grant made it possible for me to attend this important conference and to present my research to a distinguished gathering of inter-faith scholars from around the globe. As a dual practitioner, Roger Corless had been one of my case-studies for this research. Hence, I was delighted to be able to present the findings of that research with gratitude to the foundation established in his memory.

The paper I gave was entitled 'An Exploration of Buddhist Christian Dual Belonging'. It concerned the two-fold challenge facing Buddhist Christian dual belongers: on the one hand, to integrate these two traditions for the sake of logical, psychological, and spiritual coherence, and, on the other hand, to remain faithful to each of these traditions and to preserve the distinctiveness of each. I argued that this challenge is not insurmountable and, moreover, that by striking a balance between these two poles which tracks the progression of the internal dialogue between Buddhism and Christianity, the dual belonger becomes a microcosm of the dialogue between these traditions at large, embodying its fruits and accelerating the mutual transformation of these traditions, often stated as an aim of that dialogue. Like any religious person, dual belongers face the risk of a superficial approach to spirituality, but I suggested that their adherence to two traditions may mean that they are less rather than more susceptible to this risk than are single belongers.

The session at which I gave my paper was well-attended and the paper was well received. Many participants were clearly enthusiastic and excited about this relatively new area of academic study. Those whom I spoke with afterwards included an elderly Professor who had long understood himself as a dual belonger and was very pleased to find the topic finally receiving serious academic attention. I also spoke to the director of a Buddhist library who had never heard of dual belonging and was thoroughly intrigued by the possibility, and keen to obtain more literature on the topic which he could make available to his library users. A number of 'big names' in the field of inter-faith dialogue were very encouraging regarding the timeliness of this research and its prospects for publication.

All in all, attending this conference was enormously worthwhile and I am very grateful to The Corless for making it possible. Not only did I have the opportunity to learn from and exchange ideas with experts in my field, but I was also able to make invaluable contacts, and to introduce my research to an international audience. The comments I received confirmed that there is now considerable interest in the topic of multireligious identities and a thirst for literature on the topic. Hence, I am keen to publish a book based on my PhD research as soon as possible, thus making available the first in-depth study of dual belonging.

In December 2008 I passed my viva unconditionally, and in February 2009 started a fixed-term lecturing post in Inter-faith Studies and World Religions at the University of Glasgow. I am currently the Acting Director of the Centre for Inter-Faith Studies here at Glasgow, and I am also involved in the work of Scotland America Faith Exchange (SAFE)--an organisation which arranges learning exchanges between those involved in inter-faith dialogue in the UK and the US.

I am delighted that The Corless has been established to provide grants for those working in the crucial field of inter-faith dialogue, and wish the foundation every success in its valuable work.