The Comparison Project

Meet My Religious Neighbor: Meditation Workshop and Dialogue
2025-12-06 09:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | Drake University (Meredith Hall), 2805 University Ave, Des Moines, IA, 50311, United States
On Saturday, December 6, 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 pubic, features meditation instructors representing different religious and spiritual traditions and techniques. Light breakfast fare will be available.

Syed Zaidi, "Islam and Disability"
2025-11-20 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Chicago) | Harkin Institute, 2800 University Avenue, Des Moines, 50311, United States
On Thursday, November 20, at 6:00 pm in the Harkin Institute (2800 University Ave), Dr. Syed Zaidi, Lecturer in Philosophy and Religion at Butler University, will lecture on “Islam and Disability.”

Meet My Religious Neighbor: Multi-faith Concert
2025-11-02 18:30 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | West Des Moines Christian Church, 4501 Mills Civic Parkway, West Des Moines, 50265, United States
On Sunday, November 2nd, the Des Moines Area Religious Council will host a multi-faith concert at the West Des Moines Christian Church. Check back later for details!

Herbert Moyo, "Ukukhubazeka (Disabilities) in the Nguni Cultural Worldview"
2025-10-23 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Chicago) | Harkin Institute, 2800 University Avenue, Des Moines, 50311, United States

Meet My Religious Neighbor: Baháʼí Celebration of Birth of Baháʼu’lláh
2025-10-23 17:00 - 18:00 (America/Chicago) | Harkin Institute, 2800 University Avenue, Des Moines, 50311, United States
On Thursday, October 23, we celebrate the birth of the founder of the Baháʼí faith, Baháʼu’lláh. This event, a “19 Day Feast” consisting of Devotional, Administrative, and Social components, will occur from 5:00–5:50 pm, just prior to the lecture at 6:00 by Herbert Moyo, at the Harkin Institute.

"Two Idealized Cosmologies of Gender Relation in Islam," by Zilka Spahić Šiljak
2025-10-01 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Chicago) | Drake University, Olmstead Center (Sussman Theater), 2875 University Ave, Des Moines, IA, 50311, United States
We are honored to host a lecture on October 1, 2025 by Zilka Spahić Šiljak entitled “Two Idealized Cosmologies of Gender Relation in Islam.” The lecture will occur in Sussman Theater on the lower level of the Olmsted Center on Drake’s campus (2875 University Ave).

“Two Idealized Cosmologies of Gender Relation in Islam” explores two contrasting cosmologies of gender relations within Islam: the patriarchal paradigm, which has historically dominated Islamic thought and practice, and the egalitarian paradigm, which continues to struggle for recognition and authority. Through a critical examination of the works of three male and one female progressive Muslim scholars, the lecture interrogates the foundations of gender equality in Islamic discourse. It highlights how textual fundamentalism reinforces the illusion that normative guidance is solely derived from sacred texts, while overlooking the interpretive agency of the believing community. In contrast, progressive scholars advocate for a performative and dynamic relationship with the text, one that emphasizes contextual reading, ethical responsibility, and communal engagement. This approach challenges hegemonic interpretations and opens space for more inclusive and egalitarian readings of Islamic tradition.
Dr. Zilka Spahić Šiljak, Associate Professor at the University of Sarajevo, is a scholar and activist from Bosnia and Herzegovina. She holds a Ph.D. in gender studies, MA in human rights and BA in religious studies. She was lecturer and research fellow at Harvard University, Stanford University, Arizona State University, Pittsburgh University and several universities in Europe. Her interdisciplinary research focuses on the intersection of religion, gender, politics, and peacebuilding, with a particular emphasis on interdisciplinary and interreligious feminist thought. In 2021 she launched FER (Feminism and Religion) online school at University of Sarajevo. She is director of the TPO Foundation and founder of the University Gender Resource Center (UNIGeRC) in Sarajevo. She is the author and editor of numerous books and articles on gender justice, religion, and gender-based violence and leadership.

Meet My Religious Neighbor: Es-Selam Mosque Grand Opening
2025-09-27 11:00 - 14:00 (America/Chicago) | Islamic and Cultural Center: Bosniak, 17630 Bosniak Lane, Granger, IA, 50109, United States
On Saturday, September 27, 2025, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm, we celebrate the grand opening of the Es-Selam mosque in Granger (at 17630 Bosniak Lane). More information when available!

Devan Stahl, “The Protestant Work Ethics, Eugenics, and Quality of Life Measures”
2025-09-25 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Chicago) | Harkin Institute, 2800 University Avenue, Des Moines, 50311, United States

2025 Interfaith Youth Leadership Camp: Digitalstory Screening
2025-07-13 15:30 - 17:00 (America/Chicago) | Drake University (Meredith Hall), 2805 University Ave, Des Moines, IA, 50311, United States
This year marks the ninth consecutive year of our interfaith youth leadership camp. From July 9-13, youth campers of various religious traditions will be learning about the religions of the world and visiting seven different religious communities in the metro area. Also, they will each be writing, recording, and producing a digital-story about an impactful personal faith- or meaning-experience. These stories will be screened for the public on Sunday, July 13 at 3:30 pm in Meredith Hall 101 on Drake’s campus. Free and open to the public!

To watch digital stories from the last eight camps, visit here: https://comparisonproject.wp.drake.edu/camp-archive/.

Vaisakhi Service and Celebration
2025-04-20 12:00 - 14:00 UTC | Iowa Sikh Association, 1115 Walnut Street, West Des Moines, Iowa, 50265, United States
On Sunday, April 20, we will celebrate the annual holiday of Vaisakhi from roughly 12:00 to 2:00 pm with the Sikh gurdwara in West Des Moines, the Iowa Sikh Association (1115 Walnut St.).

The service will include many of the elements of a typical Sunday worship service: the signing of hymns (kirtan), reading from sacred scripture (Guru Granth Sahib), community prayers (aardas), and the sharing of the sacred sacrament (karah prashad, the so-called “holy pudding”), after which a free vegetarian meal will be served (langar). Dress modestly, remove shoes at door, and don a head scarf (available at the door for both women and men). Also, refrain from pointing outstretched legs toward the holy book/altar.

This event is part of the “Meet My Religious Neighbor” series, which is co-programmed with CultureALL, the Des Moines Area Religious Council, and Interfaith Alliance of Iowa.

Max Thornton, "Getting What We Deserve: Theologies at the Intersection of Disability and Work"
2025-04-17 18:00 - 19:30 UTC | Drake University, Olmstead Center (Sussman Theater), 2875 University Ave, Des Moines, IA, 50311, United States
On Thursday, April 17, at 6:00 pm, in Drake’s Sussman Theater (lower level of Olmsted Center), Dr. Max Thornton, independent scholar, will deliver a lecture on “Getting What We Deserve: Theologies at the Intersection of Disability and Work.”

Dr. Thornton’s lecture will think through some of the connections between disability, work, and the theological ideas that shape popular views on both in the US. Concepts of punishment for sin, redemptive suffering, and character formation are embedded in the ways we think about both disability and work; the place where they meet is shaped by racialized ideas about labor, poverty, and salvation, as well as the belief that God materially rewards the faithful. Yet disability theology offers an alternative to these habits of thought, asking us to rethink both our definition and our valorization of “work”; to withhold judgments about sin, punishment, redemption, and other metaphorical readings of disability; and to take seriously our shared human vulnerability.

Iowa Religious Freedom Day
2025-04-10 07:30 - 21:00 UTC
7:30-9:30: Interfaith Breakfast and Prayer
-State Capitol Rotunda
6:00–9:00 pm: Evening Symposium on the Role of Religion in Peacemaking
-World Food Prize Building
Please see link for more information.

Islam in Iowa: A Celebration of Historical Roots and Contemporary Realities -- NOW ONLINE
2025-04-05 14:00 - 15:30 UTC
Due to unforeseen circumstances, this event is now being held on Zoom from 2:00-3:30pm. To register for the event, go here: https://drake-edu.zoom.us/meeting/register/r2IkhO0vRnGanQ_YgnCwhw. (Note that you will need to have an active zoom account to register, but that if you don’t, you can sign up for a free zoom account here: zoom.us/signup.)
On Saturday, April 5, from 2:00–3:30 pm, Drake University’s Comparison Project, in conjunction with the Abdelkader Education Project, hosts “”Islam in Iowa: A Celebration of Historical Roots and Contemporary Realities” online (Zoom). The event, which is free and open to the public, features interactive sessions about Islam in Iowa, the awarding of the Abdelkader Education Project’s 2025 essay-competition winners, and a keynote by Dr. William Lawrence, Senior Academic and Research Fellow-in-Residence and Director of the North African Area Studies Program at the Council on US-Arab Relations.
Local and regional Islamic experts will lead two blocks of concurrent sessions about topics including Islam in Iowa, Women in Islam, and Mystical Islam. Special attention will be given to the nineteenth-century Algerian leader Emir Abdelkader, after whom the town of Elkader was named in 1846, as well as the “Mother Mosque of America” in Cedar Rapids, the oldest standing purpose-built mosque in the U.S. (1934).
At the conclusion of the sessions, the Abdelkader Education Project will award the high-school and college recipients of this year’s essay competition, whose essays take inspiration from the ethical leadership of Emir Abdelkader. The event concludes with a short keynote by Dr. William Lawrence.
The Comparison Project engages in the practice of comparative philosophy of religion, fosters understanding of local-lived religion, and cultivates interfaith literacy and leadership. It is supported by Drake’s Center for the Humanities, Drake’s Slay Fund for Social Justice, Interfaith America, and Cultivating Compassion: The Dr. Richard Deming Foundation.

Julia Watts Belser, "Radical Rest: Jewish Sabbath Practice as Resistance to Ableism"
2025-03-27 18:00 - 19:30 UTC | Drake University, Olmstead Center (Sussman Theater), 2875 University Ave, Des Moines, IA, 50311, United States
On Thursday, March 27, at 6:00 pm, in Drake’s Sussman Theater (lower level of Olmsted Center), Dr. Julia Watts Belser, Professor of Jewish Studies at Georgetown University, will deliver a lecture on “Radical Rest: Jewish Sabbath Practice as Resistance to Ableism.”

We live in a world pitched toward productivity, where we often face intense pressure to measure our worth on the basis of our work. In this talk, Julia Watts Belser brings the insights of disability culture into conversation with Jewish wisdom about Shabbat and Sabbath practice to explore how traditions of radical rest can counter productivity culture. How might Sabbath practice and other forms of intentional slowness offer resources for challenging ableism? How might reimagining religious practice to take seriously disabled people’s experiences of living with limits spur us to build a world that better honors the needs and the yearnings of all our bodies and minds?

Holi Service and Celebration
2025-03-16 08:00 - 17:00 UTC | Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of Iowa, 33916 155th Ln, Madrid, IA, 50156, United States
On Sunday, March 16 from 11:00am–1:00pm (roughly), we will join the Hindu Temple and Cultural Center (33916 155th Lane, Madrid) in the annual celebration of Holi. Guests will be able to tour the temple, observe the Holi fire ritual (Holika Dahan), throw colored powered at one another, and dance.

Please dress accordingly if you are going to participate in the throwing of colors.

Lunch is available for purchase from the temple.

This event is part of the “Meet My Religious Neighbor” series, which is co-programmed with CultureALL, the Des Moines Area Religious Council, and Interfaith Alliance of Iowa.

Ramadan Prayer and Iftar Meal
2025-03-08 18:00 - 19:30 UTC | Masjid an-Noor, 1117 42nd St, Des Moines, IA, 50311, United States
On March 8th, from 6:00–7:30 pm, we will attend a Ramadan prayer and Iftar meal at Masjid an-Noor (1117 42nd St, Des Moines). The event includes the sunset (maghrib) prayer, the breaking of the fast, and an iftar meal.

Please dress appropriately: women should be covered below the elbows and knees and should cover their head/hair with a scarf. Men should wear long pants.

Amy Donahue, “The Bhagavad Gītā’s Yoga Model of Disability”
2025-03-06 18:00 - 19:30 UTC | Drake University, Olmstead Center (Sussman Theater), 2875 University Ave, Des Moines, IA, 50311, United States
On Thursday, March 6, at 6:00 pm, in Drake’s Sussman Theater (lower level of Olmsted Center), Dr. Amy Donahue, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Kennesaw State University, will deliver a lecture on “The Bhagavad Gītā’s Yoga Model of Disability.”

Contemporary medical models of disability assume notions of “normal” human embodiment and functioning that South Asia’s Hindu philosophical and religious traditions largely do not share and in many cases implicitly challenge. Rather than assuming normalcy and ability as default human conditions, Hindu traditions generally assume that human experience begins with ignorance and dysfunction. All persons, in other words, are in some state of “disability,” and overcoming our traumas takes work that no one initially wants to start. According to the Gītā, this work involves yoking reflexive tendencies, including deep-rooted habits of (mis)identification that distort a person’s authentic nature (svabhāva). Realization of our true selves requires, first, replacing attachments that lead to torpor, confusion, and conflict with habits leading to clarity and joy, and second, uprooting even these habits for the sake of a perfect harmony of all beings. This yoga model of disability found in the Gītā therefore contests contemporary medical accounts while offering critical guidance for contemporary cultural disability theorists.

Roads to Religion
2025-02-23 15:00 - 17:00 UTC | Drake University, Olmsted Center (Parents Hall), 2875 University Ave, Des Moines, IA, 50311, United States
On Sunday, February 23, from 3:00–5:00 pm, Drake University’s The Comparison Project, in conjunction with the “Iowa Interfaith Exchange,” hosts “Roads to Religion” in the Olmsted Center (Parents Hall) on Drake’s campus. The event, which is free and open to the public, features dozens of local religious communities, collectively representing at least a dozen religious traditions. These communities will be arranged throughout the hall as if on a map of the metro area. Visitors will receive a map to guide them in their exploration of them. Refreshments will be provided by Drake’s catering service, Sodexo.

The Comparison Project engages in the practice of comparative philosophy of religion, increases understanding of local-lived religion, and cultivates interfaith literacy and leadership. It is supported by Drake’s Center for the Humanities, Drake’s Slay Fund for Social Justice, Drake’s Stringfellow and Hay Lectureships, Humanities Iowa, and Cultivating Compassion: The Dr. Richard Deming Foundation.

The ”Iowa Interfaith Exchange” includes Drake’s The Comparison Project and three other local nonprofits: CultureALL, the Des Moines Area Religious Council, and Interfaith Alliance of Iowa.
Roads to Religion 2025 Photos – The Comparison Project
