'A Space for Meaningful Relationships: 10 years in the Numen Lumen Pavilion' will be held on Monday, Oct. 2 at 5:30 p.m. at the Numen Lumen Pavilion.
On Monday, Oct. 2 at 5:30 p.m., the Elon University community will come together to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Numen Lumen Pavilion, the university’s dedicated multifaith space.
The Numen Lumen Pavilion, which opened in February 2013, is a place for prayer, meditation and reflection in the heart of campus. The Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life and the Center for the Study of Religion, Culture and Society are housed in the space, located in the heart of the Lambert Academic Village.
“The Numen Lumen Pavilion is exceptional not only because of our world-class facility, which was intentionally created to promote multifaith engagement, understanding and inquiry, but because of the relationships that are fostered in the space,” said Kirstin C. Boswell, university chaplain and dean of multifaith engagement. “Our 10th anniversary celebration will allow our campus community to reflect on the connections that have been created here and set a course for a future filled with even greater respect, collaboration and meaning.
Monday night’s program, “A Space for Meaningful Relationships: 10 years in the Numen Lumen Pavilion,” will focus not only on the building, but the decade of relationships that were formed within its walls. Inside the pavilion, community members connect, learn, question and pray.
“Elon’s vision for ‘multifaith’ has always included student learning and intellectual development as critical to their personal growth as culturally literate, global citizens,” said Brian Pennington, the director of the Center for the Study of Religion, Culture and Society. “The Numen Lumen Pavilion has been a place where that holistic understanding of multifaith learning comes to life.”
The multifaith scholars from the Center for the Study of Religion, Culture and Society investigate the academic foundations of religion, culture and society, and the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life’s intern cohorts delve deep into the diverse identities held on campus and builds community.
In the circular Sacred Space filled with natural light, the Catholic community gathers for mass, the Jewish community marks the High Holidays, the Protestant community hosts weekly worship, the Hindu community celebrates Diwali, and the entire Elon community meets for Numen Lumen: A Thursday Inspiration. In the neighboring McBride Gathering Space, receptions, lectures, meals, meetings and discussion forums are held.
Upstairs, the Muslim community holds Jummah prayers, Buddhist community members use the mediation room, student organizations meet in the Oasis room, classes from diverse disciplines study in the classroom, and students, faculty and staff alike read in the quiet library. The adjacent meditation garden is the site for reflection, meditation and conversation, while the patio provides space for outdoor meals and celebration.
Numen Lumen Pavilion is the home for the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life. The Truitt Center provides a welcoming environment for community members to engage with meaning and purpose, and explore diverse religious, spiritual, and ethical traditions, worldviews, and identities. The offices of the chaplains and religious and spiritual life staff are also housed in the space.
The Center for the Study of Religion, Culture and Society is the research and scholarship arm of Elon University’s multifaith initiative. It offers a set of programs dedicated to cultivating a diverse community of study and scholarly practice, promoting mutual understanding and respect across and within religious traditions and belief systems and contributing to the development of global citizenship.