The Gawande Lecture Series kicked off Wednesday night with a theme of friendship and understanding one another.
Anantanand Rambachan, a professor of religion, philosophy and Asian studies at Saint Olaf College, gave the lecture in Baker University Center.
His lecture, entitled “Interreligious Dialogue as Friendship: Mahatma Gandhi and C.F. Andrews,” was presented to a crowded room of about 50 people.
Brian Collins, an Ohio University professor in the department of Classics and World Religions, was an organizer of the event and expressed the importance of lectures such as these.
“When we do (lectures) in classrooms it’s very systematic, but when we do it in public lectures like this it tends to have a sort of emotional impact and reach people in a way that classes don’t,” Collins said.
Rambachan’s lecture, which discussed the relationship between famed activist Mahatma Gandhi and Christian priest and missionary Charles Andrews, advocated that friendship could deepen understandings between individuals of different faiths and traditions.
Throughout the presentation, he included quotes from both Gandhi and Andrews, who exchanged letters over their lifetimes; an activity that Rambachan laughably noted is no longer common in friendships.
Gandhi, who was assassinated in 1948, promoted messages of understanding within diversity, a point that Rambachan strove to exemplify through the friendship of Gandhi and Andrews.
“Diversity can be a source of tension and be disruptive. My hope is that my talking about subjects like this… can help communities to see that diversity can be enriching,” Rambachan said.
The next lecture in the series will be next semester.
“I really loved what he said about friendship being a method of learning, and how learning is a lifelong pursuit,” said Cassie Norton, a senior studying English, history and world religions.
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