Hitting the Books

I’ve now made it through my first term of thesis. I’m a bit stunned by how quickly this term flew by, not to mention the fact that I am now official over half way done with my master’s program! My second reader has signed off on my topic, I turned in my final projects for Thesis I via email yesterday.

For those of you who want to know more about my topic I will post the pertinent part of my Thesis Prospectus here (behind a cut of course).

I. Description of Thesis Researching Topic and Questions

Diversity of culture, ethnicity and spiritual tradition is a fact of our modern society and we live in a time where we encounter such diversity on a daily basis. Diversity does not automatically lead to understanding; rather, as illustrated in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, diversity often leads to discrimination coupled with a long list of hate crimes. Pluralism requires recognition of the limits of our own understanding and a thoughtful understanding of others, through active engagement and dialogue, seeking to acknowledge the lens through which we see the world in order to see others through their own terms. Spiritual dialogue within the framework of plurality aims to help the individual towards a greater understanding of others and ourselves. It is an opportunity to expand our understanding of each other as both spiritual beings and as humans. My research asks the question: How can we bridge the cleavage separating spiritual traditions, through the use of dialogue, in order to develop a common ground on which to establish a framework for building relationships? It will closely examine which methods of dialogue work and which ones do not. Lastly, for my something new, I will attempt to create a pluralism training or coaching model in order to continue and expand upon the change that has already begun.

And now, I wait. Wait for the Pass/No Pass grade. As long as it is Pass, I am on to Thesis II. Wait and do a lot of reading/research. )