Cardinal Hume lectures explore world faiths

A series of lectures in memory of the late Cardinal Basil Hume, and a conference on Reading Sacred Texts, are among the events due to take place at the Centre for Christianity and Inter-religious Dialogue at Heythrop College this spring. The Cardinal Hume Lectures are scheduled for the four Wednesdays of May, and will explore the dialogue between Catholics and Judaism, Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism. In addition to three speakers from Heythrop itself, including Principal John McDade SJ, the Dominican Martin Ganeri OP from Edinburgh will be lecturing on Catholic views of Hinduism since the Second Vatican Council. "Vatican II began a new era in inter-religious dialogue," says Michael Barnes SJ, the Director of the Centre from Christianity and Inter-religious Dialogue. "This series of lectures will ask what difference it's made to Catholic identity, and what Catholics offer to the dialogue. We will also try to identify what are the important issues for the future." The same four World Faiths will also be the focus of the Conference on Reading Sacred Texts at Heythrop College on Friday, 4 June. Contributors will include Frank Clooney from the Hindu Study Centre in Oxford, and Clare Jardine from the Sion Centre for Dialogue and Encounter. The all-day conference will offer participants the opportunity "to read the sacred texts of other faiths from a Christian theological perspective," explains Michael Barnes. Full details of these events are available from John Flannery at the Centre for Christianity and Inter-religious Dialogue. Tel: 020 7795 6600, j.flannery@heythrop.ac.uk Source: Jesuit Communications Office