Buddhism meets Catholicism at world religions lecture

Buddhist and Catholic nuns will share insights about their respective religions at the Seventh Annual Lecture on World Religions and Interreligious Dialogue. The lecture, sponsored by the Theological Consortium of Greater Columbus, begins at 7 p.m. March 30 in the Alford Centrum on the campus of Methodist Theological School in Ohio, 3081 Columbus Pike in Delaware. It is free and open to the public.

Titled "Contemplative Living in the Buddhist and Catholic Traditions: Two Nuns Share Their Experiences and Insights," the lecture features Venerable Yifa, of the Fo Guang Shan Monastery in Taiwan and the University of the West in Southern California; and Sister Judith Sutera of Mount Saint Scholastica in Atchison, Kan., and Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, Mo.

Venerable Yifa was a recipient of the 2003 Outstanding Women in Buddhism Award. Her work in interreligious dialogue includes the Gethsemani Intermonastic Dialogue and a Catholic-Buddhist initiative called Nuns in the West. She is the coauthor of "Benedict's Dharma: Buddhists Reflect on the Rule of Saint Benedict" and author of "Safeguarding the Heart: A Buddhist Response to Suffering and September 11."

Sister Judith Sutera, Order of St. Benedict, one of the first American women to receive a graduate degree in monastic theology, gives presentations on monastic spirituality to academic conferences, formation groups, lay retreat centers and monastic communities. She sits on the board of directors of Monastic Interreligious Dialogue, and serves as editor of "Magistra: A Journal of Women's Spirituality in History," and editor-in-chief of "The American Monastic Newsletter."

Begun in 1973, the Theological Consortium of Greater Columbus is a collaborative effort of Methodist Theological School in Ohio, Pontifical College Josephinum and Trinity Lutheran Seminary.

Methodist Theological School in Ohio prepares transformational leaders of many religious denominations for service to the church and the world. MTSO offers master's degrees in divinity, counseling ministries, theological studies and practical theology, as well as a Doctor of Ministry degree. For more information, visit www.mtso.edu.

CONTACT:
Danny Russell, director of communication
drussell@mtso.edu, 740-362-3322