UNC-TV to broadcast Spring Convocation June 27

"Sacred Space: The Promise of Peace and Understanding in Our World" will air June 27 on UNC-TV's main statewide channel.

UNC Television broadcast
Sacred Space: The Promise of Peace and Understanding in Our World

  • Thursday, June 27: 10–11 p.m., UNC-TV main statewide channel
  • Friday, June 28: 4–5 a.m., UNC-MX channel

Six prominent faith and community leaders visited Elon on April 30 for a special Spring Convocation in which students were encouraged to seek out and learn from those of different religious upbringings.

Moderated by CBS News “60 Minutes” correspondent Lara Logan, the program, “Sacred Space: The Promise for Peace and Understanding in Our World – A Multi-faith Conversation,” took place following the university’s formal dedication of the Numen Lumen Pavilion, a multi-faith center in the Academic Village that serves as home to the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life, as well as the Center for the Study of Religion, Culture and Society.

Panelists spent more than an hour sharing their answers to three questions that Logan posed of them about the nature of interfaith work in the United States today, what roles institutions like Elon University have in fostering interfaith conversations – and what panelists don’t like about the experiences or interactions they sometimes see from people of different religions.

Panelists for the convocation included the following:

Arjia Rinpoche, the former abbot of Kumbum Monastery, one of the six great centers of Buddhism in Tibet, and the only Tibetan high lama of Mongolian descent.

The Right Rev. Michael Bruce Curry, elected 11th bishop of North Carolina’s Episcopal Church in 2000.

Greg M. Epstein, a secular humanist and the humanist chaplain at Harvard University.

Sharon M.K. Kugler, a Roman Catholic and the university chaplain at Yale University.

Eboo Patel, an American Muslim of Indian heritage who is an author, journalist and founder and president of the Interfaith Youth Core.

Rabbi David Wolpe of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, who was named the most influential rabbi in America by Newsweek magazine and one of the 50 most influential Jews in the world by the Jerusalem Post.

The video production was directed by UNC-TV personnel using the station’s HD remote equipment. Most of the production and post-production duties were handled by Elon staff and student workers.