October 16th, 6:30pm, Pure Land of Iowa, 8364 Hickman Rd, Clive
We will be joining this regular-meeting meditation group to hear about Buddhist dharma (teaching, truth) and practice Buddhist meditation. Visitors should dress comfortably (but also modestly), remove shoes at door, avoid pointing outstretched legs toward sacred objects (altars) or people (monks). Please also bring a face mask.Those leaving from Drake can meet outside the Olmsted Center at 6:00 pm. Rides are available from members of the Interfaith @ Drake student club. Below, is the entry for this session on the Pure Land of Iowa website.
Meditation and Discussion
This is a group for people who practice sitting meditation and have an interest in gaining greater understanding of “Dhamma/Dharma” however it is construed, and how we can improve the quality of life for ourselves and everybody else. The format will be a short, guided meditation, followed by the introduction of a concept or two, 20 to 30 minutes of discussion, and a closing 30-minute meditation. Comfort breaks can be taken at any time. Total time about 90 minutes.To protect everybody, we will be maintaining the recommended social distancing, and we will wear our masks. That being the case, you might want to try meditation while wearing a mask, just to get used to it.
Bhante Dhammapala
Bhante Dhammapala ordained with a Theravāda bhikkhu from Sri Lanka in 1979. Along with a group of 19 others, he practiced in the forestlands of northern California for two years. However there was extremely little support for a Theravāda saṅgha at that time and place, so the group disrobed, and disbanded, and pursued education and a livelihood. Bhante’s commitment was strong however, and he continued to practice religiously, daily for the next 30 years.In July, 2011 Bhante re-ordained as a bhikkhu, and set forth as a missionary, taking the Dhamma to the people. A vocation he continues to energetically pursue.
On September 15th at 6:00pm, Ezan: Islamic and Education Center (6206 Douglas Ave, Des Moines) holds a “mawlid” observance of the birthday of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
Ezan, Mosque, Islamic and Educational Center of Greater Des Moines
Join the community at Ezan: Islamic and Education Center for the observance and celebration of “mawlid” (“mevlud” in Bosnian), the birthday of Prophet Muhammad’ (pbuh). At the event, the community will recount the life of, recite Quranic verses and poetry involving, and sing hymns about the life of the Prophet (pbuh).
Men and women should be covered to ankles and below elbows; women should also cover hair. (A scarf is fine.) Shoes will be removed upon entering the building.
On November 21st at 6:00pm in Drake’s Sussman Theater (Olmsted Center), Comparison Project Interfaith Fellows, Alex Phillips and Catalina Samaniego, present ethnographically rich stories about the obstacles and opportunities of worship for local disabled religious practitioners.
Catalina Samaniego has been a Fellow with The Comparison Project since 2022, focusing on financial expansion and planning. She is a senior at Drake University studying Economics and International Relations with minors in German and Cybersecurity. She was the 2023 winner of the Ron and Jane Olson Outstanding Global Service Learning Award and Plymouth Career Scholarship, on the Dean Honor Roll for Social Impact, and has been honored on the floor of the Iowa State Senate for leadership in community outreach and building. Catalina can be found around town conducting research similar to those of the City of Des Moines R.I.A.S taskforce and the Iowa United Nations Association. After law school, she is pursuing a career in financial regulation.
Alex Phillips is a senior at Drake University, graduating with a Bachelors of Science in Psychology. Alex has been a Fellow with The Comparison Project since 2022. Being active in Pagan communities across the Midwest, Alex joined TCP in devotion to educating the local community in the diverse philosophies, religions, and cultures in the area. Alex has been a national competitor in the 100 Black Men’s Dollars and $ense Competition. He is involved in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)‘s initiatives surrounding awareness of systemic racism. Outside of class Alex can be found in the weight room, or studying Hermetic philosophy. After graduation, Alex will be pursuing a career in Industrial-Organizational Psychology and Fraud Investigation.
The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship that religion plays in the lives of physically disabled and neurodivergent. The relationship between religious identification, disability, and neurodivergence is a less often studied phenomenon. This study aims to examine this relationship in the context of quality of life, accessibility, and connectedness. This includes connectedness to one’s community, and to their corresponding minimally counterintuitive figures, if applicable. For many individuals with disabilities, religious communities serve as vital sources of social support and connectedness. These spaces offer opportunities for inclusion, where collective worship and dialogue can provide a sense of belonging. However, the relationship between religion and disability is not without its challenges. In some religious contexts, disability has historically been associated with negative connotations, such as divine punishment or moral failing. Understanding and addressing these dynamics is crucial for improving the overall quality of life for people with disabilities within religious settings.
October 24th at 6:00pm in Drake’s Sussman Theater (Olmsted Center): Dr. Bee Scherer, Prof. of Buddhist Studies at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Netherlands) speaks (virtually) about “Is Buddhist Karma Ableist? Challenging Reductionist Assumptions around Causality, Merit, and Virtuous Bodies.”
In this presentation, the Buddhist notions of causality will be explored against the backdrop of systemic ableist rhetoric and disabling societal playbooks. First, Buddhist approaches to karma (action; cause and effect) are introduced in the context of wider core Buddhist notions such as no-self and the tensions between sociological and soteriological modes of thinking, reflecting the Buddhist distinction between preliminary (‘unenlightened’) and ultimate experiences of reality. Further, the concept of merit/meritoriousness and its relation to birth as a human being are introduced. Then, examples of poetic, narrative and devotional texts are presented that appear to employ reductionist and ableist notions of karma in relation to variable human embodiments. Finally, ‘dharmological’ (i.e., Buddhist constructive-critical reflection) strategies are explored to counter popular ableist (mis)use of karma theories in contemporary Buddhist traditions.
Prof. Dr. Bee Scherer (they/their) is the Chair of Buddhist Studies at the Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam (Netherlands), and the rector of the Dutch Buddhist Seminary that oversees the national Buddhist chaplaincy training programme. Before that, Bee was Chair of Religious Studies and Gender Studies at Canterbury CCU, in the U.K. They are the founder of the interdisciplinary Social Justice institute INCISE (http://incise.center) and Queering Paradigms network. Trained in the classical Buddhist languages and thought systems, Bee has published on a wide range of topics in Buddhist Studies, Queer Theory, and Critical Disability Studies.
NOTE THAT THIS LECTURE WILL BE DELIVERED REMOTELY FROM AMSTERDAM. THOSE WHO WISH TO VIEW IT FROM SUSSMAN THEATER, MAY DO SO (AND ALSO ENJOY THE REFRESHMENTS PROVIDED THERE!). THOSE WHO WISH TO VIEW IT FROM HOME (OR ELSEWHERE), MAY ALSO DO SO. IF YOU WISH TO DO THE LATTER, PLEASE SIGN ON HERE BY 5:55 (AS THE LECTURE BEGINS AT 6:00 PM): https://drake-edu.zoom.us/j/81809413064.
On September 26th at 6:00pm in Drake’s Meredith 106, Dr. Brad Crowell will facilitate a student-centered discussion about childhood religious trauma, its lingering effects into early adulthood, and different attempts to address and overcome it.
Have you struggled with mental health effects, fears, or questions from religion? Join us on September 26th at 6 pm for a safe and empowering conversation with The Comparison Project; Dr. Brad Crowell facilitates a student-centered discussion about childhood religious trauma, its lingering effects into early adulthood, and different attempts to address and overcome it. Come and join a stimulating and healing discussion made complete with a light dinner.
We welcome all students who can help create a kind and respectful environment.
On Thursday, September 12 in Drake’s Sussman Theater (lower level of Olmsted Center), Dr. Cody Dolinsek will deliver the inaugural lecture of the 2024–26 lecture & dialogue series on religion, disability, and work: “Disability and Religion: A Dialogue of Dissonance in Search of Harmony.”
Religion and disability, at least as conceived in biblical religion, particularly in Judaism and Christianity, are out of harmony. For example, the Torah forbids the disabled offspring of the Levitical priests to participate in the priestly service. The blind and the lame, among others, are explicitly excluded from administering the most sacred rituals of their faith. In the Christian New Testament, Jesus is portrayed as healing those with disabilities–speech impediments, deafness, and blindness. The implication is that living without these disabilities makes one more whole, more complete. At the same time, the Bible seems to celebrate disability. When Moses protests that he has a speech impediment and therefore is not the best man for the job of speaking to Pharaoh, demanding that Pharaoh release the Israelites from slavery, God reminds Moses that it is God who has made the lame, the blind, etc. This talk seeks to navigate these tensions and to propose that while the tensions are probably irresolvable, the Bible provides its adherents with constructive ways to acknowledge and celebrate disability.
Dr. Dolinsek, blind from birth, has taught philosophy for Drake University since the fall of 2015, and he also teaches philosophy for the Des Moines Area Community College, Urban Campus. He earned his B.A. in Philosophy from Drake University in 2005 and his PhD in Philosophy in 2020. His areas of specialization are Ancient Philosophy and Philosophy of Religion. He is the author of Philosophy is for Everyone: An Introduction to Something You’ve Already Been Doing, published by Kendall Hunt in 2024.
On April 12-14, Drake will host the 6th annual Iowa Interfaith Conference (IIC), this time in conjunction with the regional conference of the upper-Midwest American Academy of Religion (UWMAAR) on April 12-13.
These conferences will feature site visits (on Friday evening, Saturday evening, and Sunday morning/afternoon) and panels and keynotes (on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning and afternoon). The on-campus events will be held in Meredith Hall.
Here, in brief is the schedule for both events. (Also see below for detailed schedules of each and attire/etiquette information about the site visits.)
FRIDAY, APRIL 12 -3:30 pm: reception -4:00-5:15 pm: first session (panels 1 & 2) -6:00-6:45: Visit to Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of Iowa (33916 155th Ln, Madrid) -7:00-8:30: Visit to Islamic and Education Center: Bosniak (17630 Bosniak Ln, Granger), dinner -9:00: Ice Cream social at Drake Diner
SATURDAY, APRIL 13 -7:45: breakfast -8:15-9:30: second session (panels 3, 4 & 5) -9:30: coffee break -10:00-11:15: plenary address: Dr. Douglas Kries, “Religions and Their Communities: Is Religion Friend or Foe?” -11:15-11:45: lunch -11:45-1:00: screening of and panel about digital stories from Drake’s interfaith camps (Varsity Theater) -1:00-2:15: session 3 (panels 6 & 7) -2:30-3:25: interfaith plenary address: Sarah McCammon, “Making Sense of Religious Pluralism as an E(x)vangelical” -3:25: coffee break -3:45-5:00: session 4 (panels 8, 9 & 10) -5:15-6:30: session 5 (panel 11) -5:45-6:45: visit to Wat Lao Buddhavas (1804 E Park Ave, Des Moines) -7:00-8:30: visit to Hindu Cultural and Educational Center (1940 E Army Post Rd, Des Moines), dinner
SUNDAY, APRIL 14 -9:00-11:30: visit to St Mary Coptic Orthodox Church -12:00-1:30: visit to Iowa Sikh Association
On Sunday, April 14, we will celebrate the annual holiday of Vaisakhi from roughly 11:00 am to 1:00 pm with the Sikh gurdwara in West Des Moines, the Iowa Sikh Association (1115 Walnut St.).
The service will include many of the elements of a typical Sunday worship service: the signing of hymns (kirtan), reading from sacred scripture (Guru Granth Sahib), community prayers (aardas), and the sharing of the sacred sacrament (karah prashad, the so-called “holy pudding”), after which a free vegetarian meal will be served (langar). Dress modestly, remove shoes at door, and don a head scarf (available at the door for both women and men). Also, refrain from pointing outstretched legs toward the holy book/altar.
On Friday, April 5 from 7:30–9:00pm, we will attend a Ramadan prayer and iftar meal” at Ezan Islamic and Cultural Center, the Bosnian Islamic mosque at 6206 Douglas Ave in Des Moines. The event includes the sunset (maghrib) prayer, the breaking of the fast, and an iftar meal.
Please dress appropriately: women should be covered below the elbows and knees and should cover their head/hair with a scarf. Men should wear long pants.
Ezan, Mosque, Islamic and Educational Center of Greater Des Moines
On Sunday, March 24 from 11:00am–1:00pm (roughly), we will join the Hindu Temple and Cultural Center (33916 155th Lane, Madrid) in the annual celebration of Holi. Guests will be able to tour the temple, observe the Holi fire ritual (Holika Dahan), throw colored powered at one another, and dance. (Please dress accordingly if you are going to participate in the throwing of colors.) Lunch is available for purchase from the temple. (This event is part of the “Meet My Religious Neighbor” series, which is co-programmed with CultureALL, the Des Moines Area Religious Council, and Interfaith Alliance of Iowa.)
