They had never met each other and had little idea beyond fragments of stereotypes of each other's faith. A panel sponsored by the Claremont Graduate University, "Catholic/Mormon Dialogue on Women's Ordination," brought them together. There were seven panelists -- Catholic: Victoria Rue (Catholic priest), Christine Haider-Winnet (Women's Ordination Conference), Jennifer...

The night I landed in Botswana there was a dinner party. Such good luck! A lively, warm gathering of Africans from Zimbabwe, Togo, Kenya, Zambia and Botswana -- university professors of theology, Pentecostal pastors, and NGO workers dealing with HIV and AIDS. Good conversation, great Botswana beef and South African...

The lobby floor is polished porphyry gleaming a rust red hue. The walls are brushed chrome cut into blocks by slivers of light. The grand chandelier descends in tiers of red glass crystals casting a rosy glow. The ballroom, now a conference hall, is filled with religion scholars, each of...

Traffic inches through the narrow streets. Sidewalks are peppered with chairs, men in gallabiyas (tunic-like garment reaching the ankles) chatting, drinking tea or smoking the hookah. Women in hijabs threading the traffic, children in tow. Shops bustle; vendors call. Normal life -- but there is something in the air. What...

Last month I preached -- in South Africa -- in Johannesburg -- in a township -- in a Pentecostal church. In Pentecostal worship, preaching is giving your testimony. So how do I translate my life into a testimony, find the threads that connect to their experience, speak in a spiritual...