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religion

"The atmosphere at Chautauqua gives people a sense that they are smarter, more energized, better informed than daily life leads them to believe. That's part of the lure that draws people here, and they carry this feeling with them when they leave."

----- Sherwin Nuland, Professor of Surgery and the History of Medicine, Yale University, and Chautauqua Platform Speaker

As humans, we are seekers….of wisdom, purpose and meaning. We live in awe of the sacred. We declare that the essence of our times urges us to learn to look beyond our own individual lives, and to discover that meaning is found in connections – to place, ideas, faith, and to other lives.

At Chautauqua, cultivating compassion through honest dialogue and heartfelt sharing of experiences, where differences between religions are respected and similarities discovered, creates a genuine and yet religiously diverse community. This central idea serves to deepen, broaden, and challenge the beliefs of all Chautauquans.

From the earliest days, religion played a vital role in creating the Chautauqua experience. At this time in our nation’s history there is a deep yearning for both spiritual development and an exploration of ethical issues. The Department of Religion answers that call through its interfaith programming, Sunday worship services, and daily lecture platform in the Hall of Philosophy.

Worship & Sacred Music

Chautauqua’s ecumenical pulpit commands nationally and internationally respected preachers. Chautauqua sermons- a tradition of Christian worship that welcomes, broadens and elicits practical responses – constitute a powerful history of America’s religious conscience. Supported and enriched by a vibrant sacred music program, which draws from gospel, Protestant hymns, and classical music from all denominations, Chautauqua’s treasured worship experiences, celebrated in settings of natural beauty and serenity create an unparalleled environment of the sacredness of life.

For more information on the worship services or evening sacred song services at Chautauqua or to make a gift in support of religion, please call (716) 357-6244, e-mail kblozie@ciweb.org or write to:


Director of Campaigns & Gift Planning
Chautauqua Foundation, Inc.
1 Ames Ave. PO Box 28
Chautauqua, NY 14722

Opportunities are also available to give a gift in support of a chaplaincy, to support the choir director, the organist, and the work of the choir itself. For more information on these endowment opportunities, please call (716) 357-6219, e-mail gfollansbee@ciweb.org or write to:


Vice President of Development
Chautauqua Foundation, Inc.
1 Ames Ave, PO Box 28
Chautauqua, NY 14722

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Ethical & Spiritual Education

At the daily afternoon lectures, held at the Hall of Philosophy, Chautauquans are challenged by leaders of various faith cultures to think about how the various issues of the day affect their personal life choices and paths. As we seek to present an interfaith perspective of these issues, we must draw on speakers from an increasingly competitive market.

You can help guarantee a forum of the highest intellectual and practical application of today’s spiritual and ethical issues, by creating a named endowment in support of these religion lectures. To make a gift or for more information on these opportunities please call (716) 357-6219, e-mail gfollansbee@ciweb.org or write to:

Geof Follansbee
Vice President of Development
Chautauqua Foundation, Inc.
1 Ames Ave, PO Box 28
Chautauqua, NY 14722

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The Abrahamic Community Program

This multi-faith, multi-faceted program, begun 10 years ago and spearheaded by a distinguished group of international religious leaders, is positioned to reach out nationally and internationally to build bridges and gain friendship among Jews, Christians and Muslims.

The purpose of the Abrahamic Community programs is to educate in the fullest sense – to learn and understand how the three religious faiths can define a common purpose and seek a common mind, particularly with regard to three key areas: (1) science and the ethical and moral issues raised in science; (2) the arts; and (3) pluralism and the search to define the common ethical premises of a civil society. Through its programming during the Chautauqua season and beyond, such as the November 2005 conference in London at the Ismaili Centre, Chautauqua is a preeminent convener of existing multi-faith communities to achieve these ends.

Special events and programs are being established to involve youth, especially high school and college students, to encourage their participation in discussions surrounding the realities of religious pluralism and its impact on young people.

Click here to learn more about Abrahamic programming at Chautauqua or to give a gift in support of this initiative click below.

 

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