Westerners have a particular way of understanding “religion” that stems from European history. This lens, this way of seeing, has advantages but it also distorts our ability to see clearly traditions whose history is not so European. In this talk, we will explore some of the biases of Western culture and how changing our lens will allow us to understand other traditions and our varied neighbours more authentically.

Our service is led this morning by Dr. Brian Carwana (aka the ReligionsGeek), Executive Director of Encounter World Religions. He has spent 20 years exploring and studying ethno-religious communities and taking others to visits mosques, gurdwaras and covens including through Encounter’s annual Discovery Week. He has a PhD in religion from the University of Toronto and has been a guest on several CBC radio programs.