The Future of Religion

I think one of the most important questions for our time is what is the role of religion? Is it a hobby? Is it a pastime? Is it an escape from reality? Is it the opium of the masses? 

In the last century, that question was often answered very negatively. Religion was finished. Science had explained all the mysteries or was it going to explain everything?

And, society would be better off without religion. That failed because we can’t do without religion any more than we can do without music or art or the other things that make us fully human and give us a sense of transcendence. So as contemplatives, we need to ask contemporary questions. And this is our theme for 2026: What is the future of religion? 

Is it, going to transform, is it going to, offer us new perspectives on, through a union with other ways of knowledge, other ways of respecting and developing the human? And how do the different religions collaborate and respect and see each other? 

We have a wonderful group of speakers from many different backgrounds and different traditions, men and women who are interested in this topic, and are working in the work for society and for the world. 

And so they each bring a very creative and original perspective on what I think is one of the most important questions of our time and our own perception, our own contribution to this is to understand the role of contemplation : that at the heart of every religion there is a contemplative or a mystical dimension. There’s the institutional, there’s the cultural, there’s the intellectual and so on. 

But the heart of the ground is the source of all authentic religion is the mystical. It is the experience of ultimate reality of God, beyond, through and over thought and imagination. And it’s this contemplative dimension of religion that offers us an insight and a way into the common ground of humanity. And that’s why religion is important, because it can open up for us a new way of overcoming our divisions, our addiction to war and violence, dishonesty and fakeness in public life and recover a sense of integrity and truth and indeed, love at the heart of the human family. 

So, we have to understand what religion is for and understand how it will evolve. And just as everything else is changing around us in the 21st century so religion is also going through a transformation. This is a fascinating and important topic, and this is why we will be reflecting on this throughout the year with some wonderful teachers and those involved deeply in the questions of our time. 

So join us and sign up for the year. And, each month or so, we will be having one of these presentations online, and there’ll be an opportunity, for discussion and for sharing the perspectives among ourselves. 

And at the end of the series, we’ll have a, a panel discussion to bring it all together. So join us for this journey in 2026 into the future of religion.