The World’s Parliament of Religions: The East/West Encounter, Chicago, 1893

Conceived as a magnificent display of the major religions of the world, the 1893 Parliament sought to unite all religion against irreligion. A singular moment in the creation of a more pluralistic religious culture in America, it introduced many Americans to Eastern religions and meditative practices such as yoga. Some in the Christian community saw the gathering as a sign of the approaching fulfillment of the missionary’s hope to evangelize the world, while others saw a divided Christendom under threat from the religions of the East. Richard Hughes Seager explores this fascinating event in all its complexities and, in a new preface, summarizes recent research and reflects on religious pluralism in an age of religious extremism.