Aug 8, 2017
Dr. Lefebure will be presenting on his recent work regarding
spirituality and how he believes it is the key to future
inter-religious relations.
The significance of inter-religious relationships is that they
challenge our held perspectives, allowing us to see not only our
fellow human in a different light but the world. Dr. Lefebure takes
on the challenge and benefits of fostering inter-religious
relations through a Catholic lens. Catholic stages of spirituality
he presents can be used as a helpful framework when trying to
overcome the hurdles of fostering and maintaining a healthy
inter-religious dialogue. At every stage of spirituality when
comparing religions there will always be differences and
similarities, and full unity of belief and practice will never be
an achievable goal but in creating this dialogue and acknowledging
different perspectives we can further achieve a healthy community
of world religions of mutual understanding and respect.
Leo D. Lefebure is the Matteo Ricci, S.J., Professor of Theology at
Georgetown University and a priest of the Roman Catholic
Archdiocese of Chicago. He is the author of four books, including
Revelation, the Religions, and Violence and The Buddha and the
Christ. His next book will be Following the Path of Wisdom: a
Christian Commentary on the Dhammapada, which is co-authored with
Peter Feldmeier. He is an honorary research fellow of the Chinese
University of Hong Kong.