LECTURE & RECEPTION

The Five Pillars of Islam and Their Christian Equivalent

By Dr. Patrick Ryan, S.J., Fordham University Vice President for Mission& Ministries Fordham University Time December 1, 2006 Lecture: 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm Reception - Q & A: 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm

   Father Patrick Ryan, Ph. D., Vice President for mission and ministry at Fordham University, came to Turkish Cultural Center on the first of December to share his thoughts on similarities between Islam and Christianity. His talk, entitled "The Five Pillars of  of Islam and Their Christian Equivalents", brought to his audience's attention the similarities between the two, at the same time educating his audience about what they might not have known about their brothers in the Abrahamic religion.

   Professor Ryan's talk was meant to promote a style of thinking, not an agenda of dogma. It is a style that seeks out similarity and draws parallels across cultures and religion instead of concentrating on division and differences.  Professor Ryan himself recognized that the connections drawn are not "one to one", but associative. After the reception,  Professor Patrick Ryan sat down with guests for an informal but nonetheless fruitful discussion.

    Professor Ryan's discussion draws from his studies and research in both Christianity and Islam. After obtaining his Bachelor's in English, he spent 26 of the past 42 years in West Africa working in education. After his ordination he continued his education, receiving his doctorate from Harvard University in 1968. He studied Comparative History of Religion, paying special attention to Arabic and Islamic Studies. He has taught at Ghanaian Universities, Fordham University and Gregorian University in Rome.

click for more pictures of the event..