Title: Convergent or Divergent? Religious Diversity and Inter-Religious Dialogue in Light of the Recent Developments in Religious Studies
Lecturer: Lai Pan-chiu (Professor, Department of Cultural and Religious Studies, Chinese University of Hong Kong)
Chairperson: ZHANG Xiaolin (Professor, Department of Philosophy, East China Normal University)
Date: 1:30 pm, May 16th, 2018 (Wednesday)
Venue: Room 3102, Building of School of Humanities, Minhang Campus, ECNU
Sponsor: Si-mian Institute for Advanced Studies in Humanities, ECNU
Abstract of the Lecture:
Whether the world religions have convergent or divergent ends is a controversial issue, in which the concept of salvation plays a crucial role. Apparently, there are radical differences among the religions’ understandings of the nature, way and goal of salvation. If one considers the religions as different ways to the same destination, their differences may be largely neglected. If one considers them as entirely divergent, the possibility and desirability of inter-religious dialogue may be ruled out. Based on some recent developments in Religious Studies, especially the methodological discussion concerning the concept of salvation and the employment of neuroscience in the studies of religious experience, this lecture will propose a multi-dimensional understanding of salvation and explore its significance for the discussion concerning religious diversity and inter-religious dialogue, especially the dialogue in the Chinese context.
Brief Introduction of the Lecturer:
Lai Pan-chiu received his Ph.D. from King’s College London (Systematic Theology, 1991). He had taught at Middlesex University (U.K.), before joining the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1996. He now serves as Professor, Department of Cultural and Religious Studies (2004-) and Associate Dean, Faculty of Arts (2004-), the Chinese University of Hong Kong. His academic interests include: Inter-religious Dialogue, Chinese Christian Theology, Modern Christian Thought, Christianity and Chinese Culture, History of Christianity, Philosophy of Religion, Environmental Ethics, and Religion & Natural Science. He has published about 200 journal articles or book chapters in Chinese, English or German. His recent publications include: Mahayana Christian Theology: Thought-Experiments of Sino-Christian Theology (2011); Plurality, Diversity and Identity: Explorations in Theology and Culture (2011); and,Sino-Christian Theology in the Public Square: From Theology to Christian Studies(2014).