Presented in collaboration with the USC Interfaith Council.
“When I run, I feel His pleasure.” Eric Liddell, Chariots of Fire
Whirling dervishes, reggaes’ beat, aromatic incense, and Greek Orthodox iconography all share something in common—they are each unique portals to the ecstatic, conduits to sublimity. For Olympic gold medalist Eric Liddell, his spiritual ecstasy came when he simply ran. How might we understand the complexity of this sort of induced sensual/spiritual intoxication, literally and metaphorically? For our spring 2019 session of the Polyfaith Series, Varun Soni and James Mchugh will guide us through an interrogation of how ritualistic practices of the physical and sensory body—such as movement, sound, smell, and the visual—adorn the spiritual experience and enhance the devotional life. Their conversation will be moderated by Shradha Jain, President of the USC Interfaith Council.