GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Science and religion, from a Buddhist perspective will be explored during the Grand Dialogue in Science and Religion held at Grand Valley State University. This annual conference is an inter-institutional, inter-disciplinary, inter-faith exploration of science and religion.
Grand Dialogue will be held on Saturday, March 20, from 9 a.m.-3
p.m., at Loosemore Auditorium, DeVos Center, 401 W. Fulton, on the Pew
Grand Rapids Campus.
This year's keynote speech, "Experience, Reason, and Faith
in Science and Religion: A Buddhist Perspective," features B.
Alan Wallace, who has edited, translated, authored and contributed to
more than 30 books on Tibetan Buddhism, culture, language and the
interface between science and religion. His most recent books include:
Mind in the Balance: Meditation in Science, Buddhism, and
Christianity; Embracing Mind: The Common Ground of Science and
Spirituality; and Hidden Dimension: The Unification of Physics and Consciousness.
Wallace is a graduate of Amherst College, with majors in physics
and the philosophy of science, and holds a doctorate in religious
studies from Stanford University. He studied Tibetan Buddhism,
language and culture for more than 15 years, and was ordained a
Buddhist monk by the Dalai Lama in 1975. Wallace is the founder and
president of the Santa Barbara Institute for Consciousness Studies.
The conference is free and open to the public, with registration
at www.GrandDialogue.org or
by calling (616) 331-5702. An optional lunch for $5 is also available
with registration by March 16. Afternoon breakout sessions feature
presentations from faculty and representatives of the member colleges
and universities. A complete list of the breakout topics can be found
on the web site.
The event is sponsored by an association of colleges,
universities and related organizations that have unique perspectives,
foci, messages and intended audiences. By cooperating, they affirm a
willingness to be open to various issues and perspectives in a spirit
of mutual respect.
