Peggy Fletcher Stack

MON MAR 13, 2023    |  7:30-9:00 pm MST

Trying to convey the essence of 32 religious communities—including Mormonism—on a single page helped me see what all believers have in common as well as where and why they differ.

IN-PERSON GATHERING:

THE CONVERSATION:

It’s been both a clarifying, challenging and exhilarating journey for me personally as I gathered information about each faith, then tried to summarize and simplify, and finally get approval from folks in that religious body. I learned what words to use, and not use, how faiths construct reality, how they see the afterlife, and how they view deity. I discovered new prophets and old rituals, inner sacred spaces and outer holy spheres, patriarchies and matriarchies, and fresh ways of seeing the world around.

My children’s book, “A World of Faith,” was first published in 1998, then again in 2002 as part of the Salt Lake City’s Winter Olympic Games. It was aimed at a primarily American audience. Updating it this year, by adding two more African faiths, two Native American traditions, one more Asian and one Latin American has really enlarged my vision of the world and its believers.

ABOUT PEGGY:

Peggy Fletcher Stack has worked full time as a religion writer for The Salt Lake Tribune since 1991, launching the newspaper’s award-winning Faith section. Stack has reported from Brazil, Chile, Ghana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Vietnam, China, Indonesia and Russia. Stack also served on the executive board of the Religion Newswriters Association and has won the Cornell Award for the best religion reporting at mid-sized papers four times. In 2013, Stack collected the American Academy of Religion’s top award for religion writing. In 1998, she wrote a children’s book, “A World of Faith,” designed to help youngsters understand the globe’s major faiths.

As The Salt Lake Tribune’s senior religion writer, she has interviewed Buddhist teachers and Mormon prophets, Catholic cardinals and Protestant pastors, Muslim imams and Jewish rabbis. Stack has written tellingly about new popes and old professors, rising apostles and fallen zealots, powerful preachers who command the pulpit and common parishioners who fill the pews. She has explored divisive doctrines and inclusive gatherings, emerging trends and groundbreaking shifts, religious eras and “Mormon moments.”

But mostly Stack has written about people — those who cherish faith, lack faith, question faith and reject faith.

EXPLORE BEFORE WE MEET:

From Peggy:

Peggy Fletcher Stack on 26 Years on the Faith Beat

From 2002: Desmond Tutu talks forgiveness with Tribune religion reporter Peggy Fletcher Stack

Baha’i’s Utah beginning: It started with a prophet’s trip

Shrines shine, gold glistens as Utah Hindus bring spirit of India to a temple fit for the gods

From Jay:

A World of Faith: Revised Second Edition, Peggy Fletcher Stack

Watch: Religion, evolution, and the ecstasy of self-transcendence, Jonathon Haidt

Watch, The five major world religions – John Bellaimey

Watch: How we can face the future without fear, together, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

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