Meaning Making: An Inter-generational Collaboration

Posted on January 16th, 2012 | Filed under Academic, Community, Featured, Interfaith, Intra-Faith, Leadership, Learning, Philosophy, Popular Culture, Social Issues

While interfaith dialogue attempts to increase understanding between groups of people from different traditions, too often the work itself occurs in silos. Barriers exist between people of different ethnic and cultural traditions, generations, socioeconomic classes, gender, and education backgrounds between the most open minded conversation partners.

Part of the work of State of Formation is to deconstruct silos and dismantle barriers to foster conversation where it once was challenged to survive. Over the past few months, State of Formation (SoF) staff have been in conversation with those at The Interfaith Observer (TIO) to produce an inter-generational conversation around meaning making within different religious and ethical traditions. With a shared writing objective, fifteen contributors from both organizations wrote about Meaning Making from their own backgrounds. 

The Interfaith Observer is an electronic journal created to explore interreligious relations and the interfaith movement.  View supporting documents from The Interfaith Observer on Meaning Making by clicking the highlighted text.

Articles from The Interfaith Observer on Meaning Making:
How I Make Meaning in Life by Jim Burklo, Christian
Ice-breakers, Dancing, and Meaning Making by Vanessa Gomez, Humanist
What is Most Meaningful in My Life as a Buddhist by Rita Gross, Buddhist
Starting with Moksha and Karma Yoga by Samir Kalra, Hindu
One Thousand Words on “Meaning” by Nancy Fuchs Kreimer, Jewish
Faith and the Journey toward Meaning by Craig Phillips, Muslim
The Fiery Force that Sparkles in Everything by Yoland Trevino, Mayan

Articles from State of Formation on Meaning Making:
Internal Diversity & Intra-Faith Conversations
Tradition: Sikh
By Simran Jeet Singh, a doctoral student in the Department of Religion at Columbia University

Finding Meaning Within Judaism
Tradition: Judaism
By Lauren Tuchman has M.A. from Jewish Theological Seminary

Meaning Making: The Religion that lets you live and let live
Tradition: Hinduism
By Sai Santosh Kolluru, a senior at Case Western Reserve University majoring in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

The Ocean of My Words
Tradition: Baha’i
By Phillipe Copeland, a graduate of Harvard Divinity School and a Ph.D candidate in social work at Simmons College

Meaning and meaning: An Important Difference
Tradition: atheism, secular humanism, and Unitarian Universalism
By Kile Jones, a Ph.D. student at Claremont Lincoln University

The Search for Meaning
Tradition: Muslim
By Myriam Francois-Cerrah, a Doctor of Philosophy candidate at Oxford University

Meaning vs. Hope
Tradition: Jewish
By Yaira Robinson, Coordinator, Texas Interfaith Power & Light and Master of Theological Studies student at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary

Making Sense of the Bible: What Grandma and Seminary Taught Me
Tradition: Christian
By Kit Evans, a third year Master of Divinity candidate at the Pacific School of Religion