Resource person: Audra Bullard - office@clehighlands.com

Description:

One of the most difficult problems that every religion grapples with is how to explain the existence of evil and suffering in the world. Our lives are plagued by unhappiness, stress, difficulties, and always end in death. For religions with an all-powerful and loving God, this reality presents a serious challenge. Why won’t this loving and powerful God just fix us and our world? The Eastern traditions, with their views of karma and reincarnation, present a very different view of this classic struggle. Whether Eastern or Western, all religions recognize that our lives are not perfect, but then each presents different paths and prescriptions about what to do with these imperfections. This class explores how these different faiths struggle with our imperfections while also presenting unique ways of understanding why the difficulties in our lives are a necessary part of being itself.

Jeffrey Small, Jr. is an author, speaker, entrepreneur, and lay theologian. He is the author of two works of fiction, The Breath of God and The Jericho Deception. He is also the author of an academic textbook on Christian - Buddhist discourse entitled, God as the Ground of Being: Tillich and Buddhism in Dialogue. Jeffrey has been a popular religion blogger on the Huffington Post, an adjunct professor at Emory University, and a nationally acclaimed speaker on religion in the 21st century. He has a B.A. from Yale University, a J.D. from Harvard Law School, and a Masters Degree in the Study of Religions from Oxford University in England.

Notes: Cancellation Policy Please let us know immediately if you are unable to attend a class. There is no refund for cancellations within two (2) weeks prior to a scheduled class. Programs that include food, beverage or art materials must be canceled within three (3) weeks prior to receive a refund. CLE reserves the right to cancel a program if the minimum enrollment has not been met or for circumstances beyond our control, and participants will be notified, a complete refund will be issued. All classes are held in the CLE Lecture Hall at the Peggy Crosby Center unless otherwise noted. In the event information has changed from the published brochure, it will be posted on our website and in our e-blasts. Addresses for “private home” venues will be provided to registrants within 2 days of the program date.

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