November 16, 2006
7:30 PM
Wylie Chapel

'Why Religion keeps Europe & America from Getting Along'
with
Udo Middelman
president of the Francis Schaeffer Foundation

On Thursday, November 16, European philosopher, Udo Middelmann, will deliver an analysis of socio-religious trends in Europe and America. This lecture, Why Religion Keeps Europe and America from Getting Along, will offer an assessment of the cross-cultural and religious differences that are the root causes of various trans-Atlantic rifts. Udo will posit that each regions drift from the foundational tenets of Western Civilization has made such conflicts inevitable. Tied together by a common history and common interests, it is common to think of America and Europe as two branches of the same tree. And indeed they are, but as current political and cultural disagreements between the United States and Eurozone countries reveal, these two very similar regions have very different conceptions of how the world works. Cont...

The free lecture will be held on Thursday night, November 16th at the Wylie Chapel on the campus of Hollywood Presbyterian Church, 1760 N. Gower St., Hollywood CA 90028 at 7:30 pm and will be followed by a question and answer session. Coffee and light refreshments will be served.

Udo Middelmann is currently the president of the Francis Schaeffer Foundation, in Switzerland. He is the author of two books, editor of Footnotes, and contributor to several articles and chapters. Udo has lectured in over 30 countries on issues such as ethics, poverty, philosophy, and cross-cultural differences. He is keenly aware that “ideas have consequences” and most qualified to address fundamental worldview assumptions and resulting conflicts.

Tied together by a common history and common interests, it is common to think of America and Europe as two branches of the same tree. And indeed they are, but as current political and cultural disagreements between the United States and Eurozone countries reveal, these two very similar regions have very difference conceptions of how the world works. On Thursday, November 16, author and thinker Udo Middleman, president of the Francis Schaeffer Foundation, will assess the religious roots of these differences, positing that each regions drift from the foundational tenets of Western Civilization has made such conflicts inevitable.

In our generation, American's vision of freedom of religion has resulted since the Enlightenment in a rich imagination of personal views, enterprise and the blossoming of novelty, often with little regard to truth, the real world and history. During the same time Europe has favored freedom from religion. With the focus more on the real world, truth and history, it has left people with little personal responsibility, creativity and meaning. In the American view, all problems can be solved with good will, economics and engineering, while the European sees the solution mostly in the passage of history. If Europe is largely secular in its outlook and deals with the here and now, American religion revolves around wishful thinking, personal experiences and self-improvement. Both views are increasingly removed from the foundation of Western thought, humanism, moral certainty and compassion for the human being, which was once uniquely laid in Jewish and Biblical teaching.

The Hollywood Distinguished Lectures Series, a collaboration of Hollywood Presbyterian Church and the non-profit organization BOM International, began in 2005 to bring insightful, timely, and provocative thoughts and thinkers to the Hollywood area. In recent months it has hosted sociologist Os Guinness, Islamic studies expert Jay Smith, business guru Prabhu Guptara, philosopher J.P. Moreland, and neuroscientist Jeffrey Schwartz. The Distinguished Lectures Series also hosted the American Premiere of C.S. Lewis: Beyond Narnia—a docudrama exploring Lewis’ life and faith—which was accompanied by a panel discussion featuring Lewis’ stepson, Doug Gresham. Vishal Mangalwadi is the founder of the series and has also delivered a lecture on Sexual Mysticism in response to The Da Vinci Code as well as an eight part series titled: Postmodern West Encounters Pre-modern East.

For more information about the series, call 213.210.3684
or email doug.gallo@millenniumbook.com.