The Global Ethic at the 2021 Parliament & Beyond

Image Source: Amelia Wells on Flickr

The signature document of the Parliament, the Global Ethic, has, since 1993, served as an important springboard for conversation about moral issues between laypeople and academics alike. The product of wide consultation, the Global Ethic is a unique expression of the minimal values and principles shared by religious and non-religious people across the world. The upcoming 2021 Virtual Parliament offers several programs in the Global Ethic Track.

Featured Programs at #2021PoWR

Hans Küng and the Global Ethic: 1993 to Today

• Sunday 17 Oct | 10.00 AM(CDT)
• Organized by the Global Ethic Task Force at the Parliament of the World’s Religions.

The Crossroads of Business and Faith

• Sunday 17 Oct | 2.00 PM(CDT)
• A panel discussing the intersections of faith and business through various lenses of interfaith leaders.

The Global Ethic and Laudato Si’

• Sunday 17 Oct | 9.00 PM(CDT)
• Organized by the Global Ethic Task Force at the Parliament of the World’s Religions.

Why and How Houses of Worship are Rethinking their Financial Sustainability Strategies

• Sunday 17 Oct | 6.00 PM(CDT)
• This session presents how some Houses of Worship are putting the Global Ethic into practice. The 2nd Directive of the Parliament of the World’s Religion’s signature document “Toward a Global Ethic”, speaks to the vital role humans must play in the development, growth and sustainability of an economic system that is just and fair for all people. Houses of Worship have a unique role to play in economic development within their local communities that extends to a global impact. While global financial numbers are difficult to calculate, religion in the US is a significant source of the U.S. economic and social strength. Religion annually contributes about $1.2 trillion dollars of socio-economic value to the U.S. economy, according to a 2016 study by the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation. Faith communities can engage in utilizing their assets and resources on economic initiatives that rest on sound anchoring in their faith while addressing the need for building a more economically just society – starting at the community level.

The Global Ethic in Practice: Non-Violent Protests and Racial Justice

• Sunday 17 Oct | 10.00 PM(CDT)
• Featuring Parliament Luminary, Rev. James Lawson.

Even when the Parliament is not organizing convenings, it supports continued work on the Global Ethic. For example, the Parliament’s Global Ethic Project Director, Dr. Myriam Renaud (PhD in religious thought and ethics) has just completed an academic book, nearly half of which is dedicated to the Global Ethic. Written without jargon so it can be read by many people, her chapters on the Global Ethic trace its history, assess its strengths and weaknesses, address several criticisms, analyze what kind of ethic it is, and offer approaches for locating its values and principles in sacred texts. The book, Constructing Moral Concepts of God in a Global Age, will be available on Amazon in May/June 2022.