Mark Tully Photo: Photo: Ramesh Lalwani via Wikimedia Commons

Mark Tully to speak at Quaker Universalist Conference in May

Mark Tully talks to Quakers

Mark Tully to speak at Quaker Universalist Conference in May

by Symon Hill 11th May 2012

Broadcaster Mark Tully is to head the line-up of speakers at a gathering that will explore Quaker connections with India.  Hindus, Sikhs and Christians will all participate in the conference, entitled ‘India: A source of universal spiritual inspiration’.

The conference will take place at Woodbrooke. Over forty Friends are planning to attend for the weekend of 18-20 May. Local Hindus and Sikhs are expected to join them for the day on 19 May.

Kelvin Beer-Jones of the Quaker Universalist Group (QUG), who are organising the event, said that Quaker links with India go back further than might be expected. He pointed out that Mohandas Gandhi stayed at the Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre in Birmingham when he visited Britain in 1931.

Three others will be speaking at the conference: Jagbir Jhutti-Johal, lecturer in Sikh Studies, Sharada Sugirtharajah, senior lecturer in Hindu Studies (both from Birmingham University) and Andrew Clark, a Quaker working on interfaith issues.

The QUG believe that spiritual awareness is accessible to everyone and that no one person or faith has the final revelation. Kelvin Beer-Jones told the Friend that it is ‘not true’ to suggest that the group is only for non-Christian Quakers. He said there would be a number of Christian Quakers at the conference.


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