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:
Home of Ed and Kristen Iversen
3582 Oak Rim Way
Salt Lake City, UT 84109
If there is no parking to be found near the home you can also park in the “park & ride” lot on the NW corner of 3900 South and Wasatch Blvd. Oak Rim Way is just east of the intersection on the north side.
Or join us at your home via Zoom.
Thanks to Kristen and Ed Iversen for sharing their home again with us. And thanks to Jana Spangler for continuing to host us via Zoom. Below is some helpful info for being part of a Zoom convo. I will also note below the Zoom address so that you can connect. The link is in large blue all caps. If you are not on my email list then either join at the bottom of this site’s home page or text or call me at 801-695-5036.
I’m delighted that those who can’t attend in person can join us via zoom. I’m sorry I can’t give you the same care and attention given to those in person. But if you ever can join us physically in the same space, then I hope you will. Research shows that being with people who are seen, felt, and heard in person reaps many benefits. We would be blessed by your presence.
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
- Click on the Zoom link above for either last month’s recorded conversation (if the event date has passed) or the live conversation now. If you are participating in the live conversation keep reading.
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- If you can’t hear the host, me, or others, find your settings and make sure you have a working microphone and speaker selected. Also, make sure you have your volume up. OR tell me or others to speak up!
ZOOM ETIQUETTE:
- Please mute your microphone before entering and when you are not speaking so noises are not heard by everyone else.
- Rather than have the whole group watch you try to get your camera or screen positioned, or play with funky green screen backgrounds, feel free to get that figured out prior to when we meet.
- Resist the urge to multitask—be with us fully if at all possible. But we’ll be grateful for whatever presence you are able to offer. Just knowing you are there is nice.
- If you are going to multitask, or wander around a lot, please turn off your video and make sure you are muted. No one wants to be distracted by you eating or using the loo.
- If you are having difficulty with the technology, don’t hold up the meeting by distracting other participants for solutions. Try Googling your problem. I do that with most of life’s problems.
- Speaking of distractions—just as when we used to meet in person in the good old days, let’s be cautious about using the chat for side conversations that may distract others. You can always ask for people’s contact info and continue your conversation—I’d love that to happen. Or, let me know, and I’ll do my darndest to give you a chance to share to the group.
- Please share air time and follow the guidelines under “Intentions” on this website.