Global Philosophy of Religion in the Local Des Moines Community
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.
On Sunday, February 15, 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 …
On Thursday, February 26, at 6:00 pm in the Harkin Institute (2800 University Ave), Dr. Baolin Wu, Assistant Professor of Religion at Minzu University of China, will lecture on "Reverence, Humility, and Friendship: On Confucius’s Interactive Interpretation of Disability Care."
On Saturday, February 28 from 5:45–7:00 pm, we will attend a Ramadan prayer and iftar meal” at Ezan Islamic and Cultural Center, the Bosnian Islamic mosque at 6206 Douglas Ave in Des Moines. The event includes the sunset (maghrib) prayer, the breaking of the fast, and an iftar meal. Please dress appropriately: women should be …
On Sunday, March 8 from 11:00am–3:00pm (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. Here is the updated schedule (as …
On Thursday, March 26 at 6:00 pm in the Harkin Institute (2800 University Ave), Dr. Helen Lee Turner, Professor of Religion at Furman University, will lecture on “Disability and Personhood among the Navajo People.”
On Thursday, April 9 at 6:00 pm in the Harkin Institute (2800 University Ave), Dr. Sarah Jean Barton, Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy and Theological Ethics at Duke University, will lecture on “'The Work of the People': Disability and Participation in the Christian Tradition."
On Sunday, April 19, 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 …
On Sunday, July 12 at 3:30pm in Meredith 101, we will screen the digital stories created by the campers at our 2026 Interfaith Youth Leadership Camp. A brief reception with follow the screening.
On Thursday, October 15 at 6:00 pm in Aliber 101 (2847 University Ave), Dr. Jill DeTemple, Professor and Altshuler Distinguished Teaching Professor at Southern Methodist University, will lecture on "Capabilities: What International Economic Development Models Explain about Health, Wealth, Religion, and Community in the Early 21st Century United States."
On Thursday, April 22 at 6:00 pm in Aliber 101 (2847 University Ave), Dr. David Loy, professor, writer, and Zen teacher in the Sanbo Zen tradition of Japanese Zen Buddhism, will lecture on “Pave the Planet or Wear Shoes? Buddhist Reflections on Capitalism and Consumerism.”
On Thursday, November 18 (2027) at 6:00 pm in Aliber 101 (2847 University Ave), Dr. Waleed El-Ansary, Helal, Hisham and Laila Edris El-Swedey University Chair in Islamic Studies at Xavier University, will lecture on “Holistic Work and Islamic Economics.”