Spirituality and Health Care

14th Annual Religious Diversity Forum Nov. 3

Oct. 23, 2007
by Valerie Orleans

“Spirituality and Health Care” will be the focus of the 14th annual Religious Diversity Forum Saturday, Nov. 3, at Cal State Fullerton.

Keynote speaker is Henri Colt, professor of pulmonary medicine at UCI Medical Center, who will discuss “Religion and Medicine: How Diverse Customs and Beliefs Affect the Way Health Care Is Provided” during the forum luncheon.

Program topics will include the physical and mental health benefits of meditation, medical ethics and end-of-life issues, as well as issues in health care for specific religious traditions.

Scheduled speakers include Deborah Barrett, director of the Zen Center of Orange County, and Jon Wetterholm, UCi Medical Center chaplain, as well as Ananda Guruge, chair of the World Buddhist University Council, who will focus on Buddhism; Zakyi Ibrahim, assistant professor of comparative religion at Cal State Fullerton, who will focus on Islam; Yash Manchanda, a clinical psychologist, who will share the perspective of Hindus; Herb Modelevsky, a physician who will focus on Judaism; and Victoria Dedinger, education director at a local Catholic church, who will share the Christian point of view.

“This conference provides participants with a chance to explore the belief processes of others and see how that relates to their concerns and ideas about health care,” said Benjamin Hubbard, emeritus professor of comparative religion and co-chair of the event.

The cost for the 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. program, including lunch, is $35 for healthcare professionals seeking continuing education units, $20 for the general public and $12 for students. The program will be held in the Ruby Gerontology Center, located on the Cal State Fullerton campus. The Religious Diversity Forum is sponsored by Cal State Fullerton’s Comparative Religion and Nursing departments, and UCI's Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity.

For more information, contact Ben Hubbard at 278-3452 or bhubbard@fullerton.edu.