Completed: Imaoka Shinichiro and Free Religions

This completed course by Rev. Andrew J. Brown is available for self-paced study. It explores the concept of Free Religion, with links to Rev. Brown's supplementary research.

Additional Materials

• Blog: Caute
• Podcast: Making Footprints Not Blueprints
• Resource Page: Jiyū Shūkyō / Free Religion
• Resource Page: Kiitsu Kyōkai
• Resource Page: Seiza Meditation (Quiet Sitting)

Ongoing: Buddhism and the Middle Path

Rev. Michinori Maruta has been teaching a course on Buddhism and the Middle Path. Many videos of these priceless classes need an edit (any volunteers are welcome!). Recordings of past sessions will be published soon as a self-paced course.

Next Live Session

The next session covers: “Dependent Co-arising (II) and Free Religion.”
Date & Time: Thursday, July 24 (JST). For your local time, and for future sessions, please check the calendar below.
Zoom: Join Session (ID 8099882717, Passcode 195052)

Please check the calendar below for all upcoming live sessions.

1. Interfaith Dialogue

This includes both powerpoint presentations and videos of talks given. IARF, as Imaoka Sensei has said, is not just about religious freedom, but about religion itself. As so many have said, one comes to know their own religion better by learning another. Learning to recognize other spiritual paths even in one’s own faith tradition is a beginning point. Learning specifics about another’s teachings, practices, and worship is another step. Celebrating and volunteering together begins to take IARF as part of our way of life.

A few of the teasers include:

• Talk at Ecumenical Conference
• Text: Jung's Accidental Contribution to Interfaith Dialogue

2. Basics for the Study of Religions

This area covers the fundamental methods and approaches used by historians of religions to understand different faith traditions objectively and empathetically.

• Methods of Study: Introduction to the Study of Religion
• How an Historian of Religions Studies Religion

3. Free-Religion, Jiyū Shūkyō, Sanātana Dharma

This topic especially emphasizes Raja Rammohan Roy, founder of the Brahmo Samaj and is a launching point for discussions of the Vedas, the Hindu Renaissance, Hindutva, etc.

4. IARF History & Future

Explore the rich history and future direction of the International Association for Religious Freedom through these key texts:

• Robert Traer, A Short History of IARF
• Richard Boeke, IARF A Personal History 2013
• Masuo Nezu, IARF East West
• Difficulties in IARF

5. Liberal Religion & The Enlightenment

We already have courses underway by Rev. Andrew James Brown and Rev. Michinori Maruta. Possible topics include:

• Liberal Religion
• Liberal Religion-Strengths Weakness
• Freedom, Free in many languages
• Freedom and the Enlightenment
• Questions about Freedom

6. Raja Rammohan Roy and the Brahmo Samaj

A focused study on Rammohan Roy's work, including:

• Rammohan Roy: Reexamining Sanatana Dharma
• Hindu unitarianism

7. Different Paths: Experiential, Cognitive, Spiritual

This area delves into the diverse ways individuals experience faith, drawing from William James' "Varieties of Religious Experience" (from Appendix B, Cosmic Sage) and Carl Jung's psychological types to understand different spiritual paths. Topics include:

• 4 Types of Jung & 4 Spiritual Paths
• Each Types Strength & Weakness
• Mysticism as it appears in many religions

8. Religious Experience

Explore various perspectives on religious experience, from peak moments to the inexpressible. This includes a series of 10 powerpoint presentations that understand Faith, not as a set of beliefs or doctrines, but practices that involve study, learning, psychological and spiritual development, and that may even have stages of growth (For example, Styles of Faith and Stages of Faith Development).

9. Existential Crises: Life's Struggles

Each faith attempts to heal suffering and the crises of life, often turning them into growth and deepened insights and personal truths. Perhaps it is fair to say that no organized religion to heal the 12 to 15 major crises of human existence. Thus, interfaith dialogue about how one helps in particular crises can lead to greater awareness and compassionate care. Some have argued that the raison d’etre of genuine religion is ministering to us as we go through life’s fundamental crises with their possibility for spiritual growth.

10. Faith as Development and Trust

This is a series of 10 powerpoint presentations that understand Faith, not as a set of beliefs or doctrines, but practices that involve study, learning, psychological and spiritual development, and that may even have stages of growth. Potential topics include:

• Styles of Faith
• Stage Model of Faith
• Fowler 6 Stages
• Erik Erikson developmental stages
• World Religions & Existential Crises

11. Basics for Study of Asian Religions

Introductions to the religions of China, Japan, and India. This includes individual religions with an emphasis on visual learning:

• Daoism
• Buddhism
• Confucianism
• Shinto, Kami no Michi
• Hindu traditions
• Islam
• Zoroastrian
• Ahmadiyya
• Baha’i

12. Basics for the Study of Western Religions

This area provides foundational knowledge for understanding the major religious traditions that originated in the West:

• Judaism
• Christianity
• Islam
• Pagan

13. Indigenous and Shamanic Religions

Prayers at a Healing Shrine

This area covers topics like the Shamanic Mind and includes talks on controversial topics like Warrior Religions, with a special focus on Hawaiian Religion.

• Shamanic Mind & Presentation
• Dharma World on Hawaiian Religion
• Controversial Talk on Warrior Religions

14. Miscellaneous Talks and Videos

Buddhist Trinity & Christian Trinity

While comparative religion was exciting scholars of the 19th century, many saw Buddhism’s teaching of the Trikaya (the three bodies or essences of the Buddha) as the origin concept and the example for orthodox Christianity’s final formulation of the Christian Trinity. This is a basic teaser from Theravada (southern) and Mahayana (northern) Buddhism’s perspectives. It also introduces the notion that beliefs may have come from direct religious experience in Buddhism, which in this case can be demonstrated by the religious practices in Buddhism that lead to the experience of the Buddha in one or another of these kayas.

I gave this lecture (The Relative Inexperienceability of the Christian Trinity) at the National Institute for Advanced Studies in Bangalore, India, where the scientists there asked me to talk about the Christian Trinity. I decided to approach the topic from the perspective of the Phenomenology of Religion, which focuses on religious experience. Only Jesus would have been able to do so, but he spoke Aramaic and Hebrew. There is a problem. How would you express such an experience in Aramaic and Hebrew?

• Trikaya: Buddhism's Trinity
• Christian Trinity

15. Talking with Our Authors

I have written a number of books that attempt to present the belief and practice of the member of a faith in its own integrity. Of course, it is an outsider’s view even though I try to present the best form of that faith that I am capable of understanding. We can discuss these works:

• Numerous works on Svami Vivekananda
• Handbook of Hindu Mythology
• Shinto
• EasternPaths
• Cosmic Sage
• Hawaiian Faith and Practice: Kanenuiakea (written with Kumu Glen Kila). Uncle Glen has promised to join on Zoom in the future.
• Shamans, Sages, and Saints