Date: Monday, March 31, 2008 - 6:30pm - 8:00 pm
Contact: pls10@duke.edu
Sponsor: Buddhist Community at Duke
Where: The Chapel Crypt: Downstairs through the door that is to the left of the main altar and to the right of the Memorial Chapel.
Why:

The Metta Bhavana, or Development of Lovingkindness, practice is one of the most ancient forms of Buddhist practice, one that has been passed down in an unbroken line for over 2,500 years.  The practice helps us to actively cultivate positive emotional states towards ourselves and others, so that we become more patient, kind, accepting, and compassionate.  Join us in this loving-kindness workshop to be facilitated by John Orr, guiding teacher of the New Hope Sangha.  John Orr received Theravada Buddhist ordination and training for a period of eight years while living in Thailand and India, and has been teaching meditation and leading retreats around the country since 1980.

Food and refreshments will be served in the Chapel basement after the workshop. 

Date: Tuesday, February 26, 2008 - 8:00pm - 9:30 pm
Contact: socraticclubtwoviews@yahoo.com
Sponsor: Duke Socratic Club
Where: Duke Divinity School, 0016 Westbrook

Why:

Contact: Tom Arthur
tom@saraharthur.com.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 6, 2008

Professors to discuss differing views on How Jesus Saves

Dr. David Hogg (Assoc. Professor of Church History and Medieval Studies, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) and Dr. Randy Maddox (Professor of Theology and Wesleyan Studies, Duke Divinity School) and moderated by Dean Sam Wells (Duke Chapel).

DURHAM, NC— On Tuesday, February 26, at 7:00 p.m., professors from Duke Divinity School and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary will discuss the question of how Jesus save us, and their differing views on its historical and theological significance. The dialogue will take place in the Westbrook building Room 0016 of Duke Divinity School, and admission is free.

The discussion will feature Dr. David Hogg, Assoc. Professor of Church History and Medieval Studies at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Dr. Randy Maddox, Professor of Theology and Wesleyan Studies at Duke Divinity School, and will be moderated by Dean Sam Wells of Duke Chapel.

One professor emphasizes Jesus’ death as saving while the other emphasizes his life. Focusing on his death, Hogg summarized his position saying, “His life is not to be divorced from his death and resurrection.” Hogg holds what is usually called a penal substitutionary view of Jesus’ death. On the other hand, Maddox emphasizes Jesus life saying, “It is the whole work of Christ -- classically, as prophet, priest, and king – that saves, not his death (or atoning work) alone.” Maddox continues, “The deepest truth about Christ’s atoning work is God’s full identification with us in our brokenness and sin in order to restore community (with God and others) and spiritual vitality.” Hogg sees Jesus’ life more as a preparation for his death saying, “[Jesus life is] seen as the demonstration of his suitability to be the high priest who offered himself on behalf of believers. The benefits of this salvation are known through faith in what Christ accomplished and repentance from sin.”

 

David S. Hogg is an Associate Professor of Church History and Medieval Studies at Southeastern Seminary in Wake Forest. Among his publications is, Anselm of Canterbury: the beauty of theology. Before teaching at Southeastern, Dr Hogg taught in the Divinity School at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. He also holds an adjunctive position at a Seminary in the Czech Republic.

Randy L. Maddox is Professor of Theology and Wesleyan Studies and Associate Dean for Faculty Development at the Divinity School, Duke University. He is a scholar both of John Wesley’s theology and of theological developments in the later Methodist/Wesleyan traditions. In addition to numerous articles he is author of Responsible Grace: John Wesley’s Practical Theology, a contributor to Wesley and the Quadrilateral, and editor of Aldersgate Reconsidered and Rethinking Wesley’s Theology for Contemporary Methodism.

This event is sponsored by Duke Chapel and Duke Socratic Club

For more information visit the blog at www.socraticclubtwoviews.blogspot.com. To RSVP for the event email socraticclubtwoviews@yahoo.com.

Date: Monday, February 25, 2008 - 6:30pm - 8:00 pm
Contact: maria.pavlova@duke.edu
Sponsor: Buddhist Community at Duke
Where: The Chapel Crypt
Why:

Meditation helps us become healthy by harmonizing and balancing the energy in our body and mind, and by helping us cultivate calm awareness in the midst of our busy lives. Come and explore the practice and benefits of meditation through this workshop. You will learn basic relaxation exercises, as well as basic techniques in meditation--sitting, walking and lying-down meditation--as well as chanting and contemplation. The workshop will be led by Rev. WonGong and Rev. IlDug from the Won Buddhism Meditation Temple in Chapel Hill. No experience is necessary. Everyone is welcome.

About the Facilitators:
Rev. WonGong So (Won: “Circle” + Gong: “True Void”) was ordained in 1994 as a Won-Buddhist Priest. She completed her novice and undergraduate training and her graduate/internship experience in Korea, majoring in Won-Buddhist religious studies. She served in the Gang-Nam Temple in Seoul for three years before moving to the US in 1997, where she was assigned to the Rockville Temple in Maryland. She completed her Master's in Social Work at the University of Maryland in 2002. Currently, WonGong is the head priest at the Won-Buddhism Temple in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Rev. IlDug (Il: “One” + Dug: “Great Virtue”) Kim is a Won Buddhist Priest. She completed her novitiate studies consisting of a 2-year (1998-99) apprenticeship and then completed an undergraduate 4-year degree (2000-04) specializing in Won Buddhism Studies and Philosophy at Wonkwang University in Korea. After two more years of study (2004-06), IlDug received her Master’s degree from Won Institute of Graduate Studies in Glenside, Pennsylvania. She was ordained in December 2006 and is currently serving at the Won-Buddhism Temple of North Carolina.

Date: Monday, April 7, 2008 - 8:00pm - 9:30 pm
Contact: Christa Mazzone
Sponsor: Duke Socratic Club and Divinity Women's Center
Where: Duke Divinity School, 0016 Westbrook Building
Why:

The Divinity Women's Center and Duke Socratic Club invite you to attend a debate on the role of women according to St. Paul. The event will be held at 7pm on April 7, 2008 at Duke Divinity School in 0016 Westbrook. It will feature Dr. Ben Witherington, Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Asbury Theological Seminary, and Dr. Amy-Jill Levine, Professor of New Testament Studies at Vanderbilt University Divinity School. The debate will be moderated by Duke Divinity Assistant Professor of New Testament, Dr. Douglas Campbell. For more information or to rsvp visit: http://www.socraticclubtwoviews.blogspot.com.

Date: Friday, February 8, 2008 - 7:00pm - 10:00 pm
Contact: amber.diaz@duke.edu
Sponsor: Graduate Christian Fellowship
Where: Duke Chapel basement, in the kitchen and lounge
Why:

All are welcome! Our Large Group speaker this week will be Sam Wells, Dean of the Duke Chapel.

We'll share dinner starting at 6:00. You won't want to miss this -- we'll be having home-cooked South Indian cuisine!

The program with a time of worship and Dean Sam Wells' talk will start at 7:15.

Date: Saturday, March 29, 2008 - 12:00pm - 7:00 pm
Contact: Jessi Bardill, dukepowwow@gmail.com
Sponsor: Native American Student Alliance
Where: Duke Main West Quad
Why: Come enjoy the diversity of cultures in Native America! We'll have dancers, drummers, singers, and vendors for food and wonderful Native crafts. Grand Entry at noon. More info to come...

Date: Thursday, January 24, 2008 - 8:15pm - 9:30 pm
Contact: Scott Hawkins (shawkins@duke.edu)
Sponsor: International Christian Fellowship
Where: Catholic Center in the Duke Chapel basement

Why: A time to investigate and discuss short Bible texts about Jesus in order to discover who God is and how to know him. This is open to anyone, including those who are simply curious. All are welcome. This will be happening every Thursday through March 6.

Date: Friday, November 16, 2007 - 7:00pm - 9:30 pm
Contact: http://www.duke.edu/web/gcf/
Sponsor: Graduate Christian Fellowship
Where: Chapel basement.  Enter through the door on the side of the chapel facing the Bryan Center.
Why: Join us for another GCF large group fellowship meeting.  Come for dinner at 6 pm.  We will have a time of worship starting at 7:15 pm followed by a talk from Pastor Allan Poole of Blacknall Memorial Presbyterian Church.  He will be speaking on "nurturing the mind".  This will be our last official large group meeting of the semester.  All are invited!

Date: Thursday, December 6, 2007 - 6:30pm - 10:00 pm
Contact: jao12@duke.edu
Sponsor: Buddhist Community at Duke
Where: Richard B. White Auditorium

Why:

Schedule of Events:

• 5:30pm: small reception in lobby of Richard White lecture hall
• 6:00pm: a talk on "Buddhism and Modernity" by guest speaker
                Sandy Gentei Stewart, Abbott of the NC Zen Center at Pittsboro
• 7:00pm: film screening - one short film and one feature film (see below):

(1) Present (dir. Jacqueline Kim, 2006, 11 min, USA, in English, Color, DVD)
Part metaphor, part pun, part cautionary tale, Present depicts a futuristic and surreal café experience for a young couple. The film juxtaposes a sterile, calm dining area ("Welcome home" is the waitress' refrain) with a noisy, threatening and chaotic scene outside.

(2) How to Cook Your Life (dir. Doris Dörrie, 2007, 93 min, USA, in English, Color, DVD)
"The food will taste better when the cook is joyful" pretty much sums up the Buddhist philosophy explored in the new film How to Cook Your Life. The quote comes from Edward Espe Brown, a California Zen teacher, one of the founders of Greens Restaurant in San Francisco. Filmmaker Doris Dörrie follows Brown in culinary action, surrounded by clearly adoring disciples, at Austria's Scheibbs Buddhist Center and, in California, the San Francisco Zen Center and Tassajara Mountain Center. This last venue is where the younger Brown began cooking as a self-described "arrogant, bossy, short-tempered know-it-all"" and from where he first conceived and wrote his landmark The Tassajara Bread Book. Brown eventually united his love of cooking with the teachings of Zen priest and mentor Suzuki Roshi, whose early advice was "when you wash the rice, wash the rice, when you cut the carrots, cut the carrots, when you stir the soup, stir the soup."

About the guest speaker: Born in 1938, Sandy Gentei Stewart became interested in Zen when he was 16 and heard Alan Watts speak on the radio. At age 29 he heard a radio interview with Joshu Sasaki Roshi and immediately knew he had found his teacher. In 1971 he was ordained as a Zen teacher (Osho) and became Vice-Abbot of the Cimarron Zen Center (now Rinzai-ji in Los Angeles). In 1975 he was appointed abbot of the Jemez Bodhi Mandala (now Bodhi Manda) in Jemez Spriongs, New Mexico. Three years later he moved to North Carolina with his wife Susanna and step-daughter Lara. Sandy has been the guiding force behind the North Carolina Zen Center since its inception in the early 1980's.

Date: Wednesday, December 5, 2007 - 8:00pm - 10:00 pm
Contact: jao12@duke.edu
Sponsor: Buddhist Community at Duke
Where: Richard B. White Auditorium
Why:

Two rarely seen documentary films:

(1) The Mountain of Signs (dir. Mika Johnson, 2003, 30 min, Japan, in English, Color, DVD)
A young woman moves to Tokyo. Her quest to find spiritual values hidden in the modern city leads her to take photographs and ends in a pilgrimage to an ancient Buddhist cemetery in the mountains of Koyasan. Set amongst the neon lights and crowds of Tokyo and the graves and forestry of Koyasan, The Mountain of Signs explores the relevance of Buddhist values to modern-day spiritual practices. As its protagonist assimilates into the hyper-accelerated pace of life in Tokyo, she adopts the practice of photography as a coping mechanism. Following the zuihitsu literary tradition of Sei Shonagon's Pillow Book and the Buddhist priest Kenko's Essays in Idleness, the film traces the subtle links between ostensibly random subjects through images, aphorisms, anecdotes, and observations. From the lurid maze of urban desires to the sanctuary of Buddhist tradition, The Mountain of Signs reveals not a path to enlightenment, but rather a transformation of ideals.

(2) The Wheel of Time (dir. Werner Herzog, 2003, 80 min, Germany, in German, English and Tibetan, Color, DVD)
Noted German filmmaker Werner Herzog's (Grizzly Man/The White Diamond) marvelous documentary gives us an eyewitness report on the annual Buddhist pilgrimage gathering of some 500,000 of the faithful in May of 2002 (the Year of the Horse) in Bodh Gaya, India, the site where the Buddha some 2,500 years ago found enlightenment under the bo tree. Herzog (who claimed to have once walked from Munich to Paris) magically captures their lengthy pilgrimage to the Holy Mt. Kailash in Tibet (covering more than 3000 miles) and the monks' creation of the intricate sand mandala (“the wheel of time”) along with many secret rituals that have never been seen before on film. Herzog also takes us to a considerably smaller gathering in a convention hall in Graz, Austria, during the same year, where the Kalachakra ("Wheel of Time") ritual was presided by His Holiness The Dalai Lama. The Wheel of Time delivers a personal and introspective look at what Buddhism really means to its most ardent followers, as well as gives outsiders an intimate look into a fascinating way of life.