Timothy Knepper

On Thursday, December 7, at 7:00 pm, in Sussman Theater (Olmsted Center), Hava Tirosh-Samuelson, Director of Jewish Studies and Irving and Miriam Lowe Professor of Modern Judaism at Arizona State University and author of “Transhumanism as Secularist Faith,” will speak about “The Preciousness of Being Human: A Judaic Perspective on Embodiment, Death, and Immortality.” Please find below …

12/7: Tirosh-Samuelson, “The Preciousness of Being Human: A Judaic Perspective on Embodiment, Death, and Immortality” Read More »

On Saturday, December 2, from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm, The Comparison Project hosts a “meditation workshop and dialogue” in Meredith Hall on Drake’s campus. The event, which is free and open to the public, features meditation instructors representing different religious and spiritual traditions and techniques. Light breakfast fare will be available.  Attendees will have …

12/2: Meditation Fair and Dialogue Read More »

On WEDNESDAY, November 15, at 7:00 pm, in Sussman Theater (Olmsted Center), Muhammad Faruque, the Inayat & Ishrat Malik Assistant Professor at the University of Cincinnati, and author of Sculpting the Self: Islam, Selfhood, and Human Flourishing (Michigan, 2021), will speak on “Immortality through AI? Transhumanism, Human Nature, and Islamic Philosophy.” Muhammad U. Faruque is Assistant Professor …

11/15: Muhammad Faruque, “Immortality through AI? Transhumanism, Human Nature, and Islamic Philosophy” Read More »

On Sunday, November 5, from 1:00-3:30 pm, the Des Moines Zen Center (6901 SW 14th St, Des Moines) will be hosting an open-house, including a reception and tours of the center. Members of the “teacher rotation group” will lead small groups around the building to view the space and see the zendo, library, dokusan room, …

11/5: Des Moines Zen Center, open house Read More »

On Saturday, October 21, from 5:30-7:30pm, the Hindu Cultural and Educational Center (1940 E Army Post Road, Des Moines) will be hosting a celebration of the annual festival of Navaratri (for the Hindu goddess Durga) that includes bhajan singing and dancing. Join the local Bhutanese Hindu community for a bhajan celebration as part of a Navaratri celebration, …

10/21: Hindu Cultural and Educational Center, festival of Navaratri Read More »

On Thursday, October 19 at 7:00 pm in Sussman Theater (Olmsted Center), Eric Steinhart, Professor of Philosophy at William Patterson University and author of Your Digital Afterlives: Computational Theories of Life after Death (Palgrave, 2014), will speak on “Transhumanism vs. Christianity.” Eric Steinhart grew up on a farm in Pennsylvania. He received his BS in Computer Science from the Pennsylvania …

10/19: Eric Steinhart, “Transhumanism vs. Christianity” Read More »

 On Saturday, September 9, from 2:00 – 4:30 pm, the Muslim Community Organization (aka Masjid an-Noor) at 1117 42nd Street, Des Moines will be hosting an open-house that includes tours of the mosque and ethnic food and booths.  Below please find a flyer for the event.

On Thursday, September 14 at 7:00 pm in Sussman Theater (Olmsted Center), Robert Geraci, Professor of Religious Studies at Manhattan College and author of Temples of Modernity: Nationalism, Hinduism, and Transhumanism in South Indian Science (Lexington, 2018) and Apocalyptic AI: Visions of Heaven in Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and Virtual Reality (Oxford, 2012), will speak on “Saffron Singularity: The Global Circulation …

9/14: Robert Geraci, “Saffron Singularity: The Global Circulation of Transhumanist Narratives” Read More »

On Saturday April 1 at 7:30 pm, Ezan Islamic and Education Center (6206 Douglas Ave, Des Moines) is hosting an iftar dinner for the public.   This Bosnian Muslim community will first break the fast (with dates and water) and pray, after which we will all enjoy a sumptuous feast. For this mosque, women and …

4/1: Iftar Dinner at Ezan Islamic and Education Center Read More »

In 2023, Meet My Religious Neighbor returned to a partnership between The Comparison Project and CultureALL, the Des Moines Area Religious Council, and Interfaith Alliance of Iowa, with each partner planning one event. Click below to find out more about each event and see pics. SPRING 2023 SERIES -> 2/19: Roads to Religion (Drake University) …

2023 Meet My Religious Neighbor Read More »