“Are Our Gods the Same Gods?”

These four experts try to find common ground among the world’s religions

Comments (0) By Julia Ramey Thursday, Feb 5 2009

Whether you’re a Lakewood Churchgoer, a Kosher-keeping Jew or a dabbler in Zen Buddhism, you’ve no doubt had a moment where you’ve wondered: If I’m right about God, does that mean everyone else is wrong? Though they can’t guarantee an answer, a panel of five top-notch religious scholars will discuss that question in today’s program, “Are Our Gods the Same Gods?” Each will discuss the divine unknown according to their academic specialty: Anne Klein will talk Buddhism, Elias Bongmba African religions, Elora Shehabuddin Islam and Gregory Kaplan Judaism. The four, all Rice professors, will be joined by University of Houston religious studies director Lynn Mitchell and will spend the evening trying to find some common ground — a noble effort at a time when it seems many are content to simply fight it out instead. 7 p.m. Rothko Chapel, 1409 Sul Ross. For information, call 713-524-9839 or visit www.rothkochapel.org. Free, $5 to $10 suggested donation.