Cleveland Commonweal Local Community Network

Conversation Outline:    for  MONDAY JANUARY 27 2020 CLC GATHERING AT ST NOEL What do we mean by ‘religion’?     What is its relationship to nationality and culture? THE PARADOX OF PLURALISM Jack Miles Miles offers two definitions of religion. The first modern one where religion as we know it is “one human activity among many other kinds such as business, politics, warfare, art, law, sports, or science.“ Some contemporary people such as Jews, Hopi, and those from India do not experience religion in this way. “What you people call Hinduism is for me just part of being Indian.”   “Judaism is not a religion Judiasm is a way of life.” The second ancient definition given by Miles: “Throughout most on world history in most parts of the world what we are accustomed to call religion, ethnicity and culture have been inextricable parts of a single whole.” Miles argues Christianity at its origin produc

Gathering Topic:  WHAT IS RELIGION? The Paradox of Pluralism by Jack Miles | November 2019 NATIONALISM WITHOUT IDOLATRY How Christians can purify their civic commitments by Slavica Jakelic | November 2019 CHRIST'S RABBLE The first Christians were not like us by David Bentley Hart | September 26, 2016  which is also found in the 2017-2018 Conversational Starter Series Consumerism and Christianity which is being made available at the Saint Noel Kiosk Place and Time:   Resurrection Room, Saint Noel Parish 6:30 pm to 7:00 pm  Opening comments about the November 2019 Issue and suggestions for a topic for the next meeting. 7:00 pm to 8:15 pm  Discussion  Miles offers two definitions of religion. A modern one where religion is one activity among many other activities such as health, politics, business, family, etc.. An ancient one in which still exists where religion, ethnicity, and culture are integrated and there is not separate secular soc