The third in a series of Gifford Lectures by Prof Diana Eck. Recorded on 30 April 2009 at The University of Edinburgh.

Cities are the focal point of religious pluralism, for in

cities the cultures and traditions of the world are concentrated. They are, as

Lewis Mumford put it, "energy converted into culture."

The term "cosmopolis" has

long signaled the world-city, and indeed some of the great cities of the world

have had a cosmopolitan texture for many centuries. Today, however, the number

of new cosmopolitan cities has grown exponentially.

While London, New York, and

Mumbai may still be the great examples of world-cities, Leeds, Detroit, Boston,

and Toronto also concentrate the energies of complex cultures.

Even smaller

cities, like Fremont, California, have significant Sikh, Muslim, Hindu, and

Buddhist populations.

What critical challenges have cities faced as they become

more religiously and culturally diverse? How have these challenges been faced,

negotiated?

What new forms of city life are emerging?

What new forms of

religious life, including rapidly growing interfaith initiatives, are emerging

in the urban environment?

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