Date: March 22, 2011
Contact: Carol Connelly, Director, Media & Communication Services, ext. 5267, cconnelly@pnc.edu

PNC Presents “Building Bridges, 2011: Celebrating the Interfaith Ideal”

Westville – Purdue University North Central, in partnership with the Valparaiso International Center (VIC), will present “Building Bridges, 2011: Celebrating the Interfaith Ideal” on April 9 and 10, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Purdue North Central – Porter County Undergraduate Building, 600 Vale Park Road, Valparaiso.

The event will include presentations by students and faculty members from Purdue North Central and Valparaiso University, area clergy and community members. Topics include the interfaith potential in the different religious and ethical traditions of the West and the East. Onsite pre-registration, coffee and warm-up will start at 8:30 a.m. each day.

On April 9, there will be presentations, films and discussions centering on the Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Judaism and Islam.

The panel “Medieval Christian Philosophers” will be presented by PNC students Lorissa Cox, Johnathan Dobben, Aaron Johnson, David Darrow, Nicholas Phillips and Broderick Myers as a service learning project. They will discuss medieval Christian philosophers such as Abelard, St. Catherine of Siena and Thomas à Kempis.

Running concurrently will be “Contemporary Christian Practices.” Also that day will be the panel, “The Old Testament and Early Christianity.” The film about Mother Teresa will be shown.

The April 10 topic will be traditions and religions of the East, Confucianism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and the Baha'i faith. Films will be shown about Ramana Maharshi and HH, the 14th Dalai Lama.

Each day will open with a hymn sung by Katie Gonzales and Emily Dougherty, members of the PNC Panther Voices Choir. Also presenting will be PNC students Dylan Caggiano, Nicholas Phillips, Mary Haug and Jamison Nutter.

This event is free and open to the public. It is funded by a grant from the PNC Chancellor's Diversity Fund. A free lunch and beverages will be provided. Preregistration is advised www.valpovic.org/buildingbridges2011.

Further information may be obtained by contacting Dr. Deepa Majumdar, PNC associate professor of Philosophy at 785-5200, ext. 5693 or email dmajumda@pnc.edu. Persons with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact Majumdar.