Interfaith Center of Greater Philadelphia

Quest

Since the fall of 2004, the Interfaith Center has hosted Quest, a monthly interfaith book group. Each month, Quest features a book about a particular religious tradition, an autobiography or other work that gives insight into matters of faith. Each book discussion is led by people from the respective religious community. Engaging and challenging, participants bring their own questions and perspectives that contribute to the dynamic nature of the group.

Quest is open to anyone who is interested. Please look on our website to find which book we are reading for the month and also be sure to browse through the list of past books the group has read. If you have any questions with regards to the program, please contact us via email or phone.

Please note: The group does not meet in the summer (June to August).

2008-2009 Quest Schedule

The information below includes the dates of our upcoming book discussions along with the book title, author and a brief summary. Please join us at:

Borders Books & Music
8701 Germantown Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19118
7:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Directions & Maps

Mark your calendars! Here are the upcoming dates for Quest Book Discussions for 2008-2009:

• September 22, 2008
• October 20, 2008
• November 17, 2008
• December 15, 2008
• January 19, 2009
• February 23, 2009
• March 23, 2009
• April 20, 2009
• May 18, 2009

2008-2009 Book Selections

Monday, September 22, 2008

The Misunderstood Jew:
The Church and the Scandal of The Jewish Jesus
by Amy-Jill Levine

“A strong and convincing case for understanding Jesus as ‘a Jew speaking to Jews,’ and for viewing Christianity as a Jewish movement…. Levine does a masterful job of describing the subtleties of anti-Semitism across the years and across the religious spectrum…. In the end Levine offers a prescription for healing and mutual understanding…. Written for the general public this is an outstanding addition to the literature of interfaith dialogue.” - Publishers Weekly

 

 

Quest Event Archive: 2007

Monday, May 19, 2008

Speaking of Faith by by Krista Tippett
 
A former diplomat and graduate of Yale Divinity School, Krista Tippett grew up in an evangelical culture and spent a decade as a nonreligious person. In her book Speaking of Faith, Krista Tippett draws on her own life and the conversations she has had with theologians, scientists, ethicists, and activists as creator and host of public radio's popular show of the same name to explore religious traditions around the world. As Tippett observes, faith is as much about questioning as it is about certainties. Faith has a tremendous capacity to nourish our lives and communities, if we can learn how to speak of it meaningfully.  Such dialogue is often challenging since the topics of faith and ethics are often steeped in anger fear, and suspicion.  However, Tippett skillfully speaks to this topic and listens with care to others as they share their own unique views on matters of faith.

Monday, April 28, 2008

The Story of Baha’u’llah by Drew Cederquist

An inspiring and dramatically paced introduction to the Prophet and Founder of the Bahá’í Faith, The Story of Bahá’u’lláh presents in a clear narrative style the life of the Prophet from His birth into a wealthy and noble Persian family, through His transforming spiritual experience while incarcerated in the infamous Black Pit of Tehran, and over the decades of harsh and increasingly remote exile that followed. Despite the schemes of his foes and the hardships of his exile, Bahá’u’lláh openly proclaimed the divine guidance revealed to Him. Woven into the story are Bahá’u’lláh’s principal teachings, the heart of which was a new vision of the oneness of humanity and of the divine Messengers and references to historical events and persons that place the development of the new religion in a global context.

Monday, February 25, 2008

Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light by Brian Kolodiejchuk, M. C.

The life and message of Mother Teresa continues to fascinate.  This book is a response to the plea of many who knew, loved, and admired her and who desire to know the motive of her action, the source of her strength, the reason for her joy, and the intensity of her love.  These pages unveil her interior life with all its depth and drama, and add unsuspected riches to the spiritual heritage Mother Teresa offers to the world." - Excerpted from the Preface by Brian Kolodiejchuk, M. C.

 

 

Monday, January 21, 2008

Encountering Other Faiths by Maria Hornung

In ENCOUNTERING OTHER FAITHS, Maria Hornung provides a needed examination of the imperative of interreligious dialogue within the world—and within the United States. This text supports the development of skills in the practice of interreligious discourse, and gives practical counsel on how to encourage interreligious dialogue in its nascent stages. The author uses a creative interdisciplinary approach to create and illustrate a process model that supports interested people in becoming acquainted with interreligious dialogue.

 

 

November 19, 2007

The Chosen (1967) by Chaim Potok

The Chosen, a book by Chaim Potok, was published in 1967. It is the story of two teenage Jewish boys who form a friendship though they come from different worlds. Set in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York, the story takes place over a period of seven years beginning in 1944 when the protagonists are fifteen years old. It is set against the backdrop of the historical events of the time: the end of WWII, the death of President Roosevelt, the revelation of the Holocaust in Europe and the struggle for the creation of the State of Israel. A thoroughly engaging story, The Chosen has become a classic over the years.

October 8, 2007

The Veil and the Male Elite (1991) By Fatima Mernissi

Fatima Mernissi, PhD, a scholar of sociology in Morocco, sets out to investigate the role of the veil in Islam. Closely analyzing verses in the Qur’ān that discuss female covering, Mernissi asserts that female veiling was not commanded by God. Furthermore, Mernissi also investigates hadith (sayings and actions attributed to the Prophet Muhammad) that discuss female covering and concludes that those hadith that declare that women must veil are not authentic. Rather, they were created by misogynists who did not want women and men to be equal.

 

September 17, 2007

Man’s Search for Meaning (1946) By Viktor E. Frankl

Viktor E. Frankl, PhD, a famous psychologist of the 20th century, set out to write his memoirs in this work that spans his life, including the suffering experienced as a Holocaust survivor and his consequential search for meaning in the midst of this suffering. Frankl proceeds to make the argument that suffering is a part of human experience. Although it is inevitable, humanity does have the choice to reflect on this suffering and change from it, a lesson he learned both from his experiences in concentration camps and later from his patients.