Office for Religious Life Stanford University

The Office for Religious Life hosted Ted Koppel, 2018 Mimi and Peter E. Haas Distinguished Visitor, in conversation with The Rev. Professor Jane Shaw, Dean for Religious Life on how to lead a meaningful life at Stanford Memorial Church

Journalist Ted Koppel was the anchor and managing editor of ABC News' Nightline for 26 years, becoming the longest-serving news anchor in U.S. broadcast history. After leaving ABC in 2005, Koppel and his colleagues produced 20 hours of documentaries for the Discovery Network where he served as managing editor. Since then he has worked as a contributing analyst for BBC America and a special correspondent for the NBC News magazine program, Rock Center.

What Matters to Me and Why is a presentation and discussion series featuring Stanford Faculty and Administrators addressing life questions. The purpose is to encourage reflection within the Stanford community on matters of personal values, beliefs, and motivations in order to better understand the lives and inspirations of those who shape the University. The May 24, 2017 talk features Alexander Nemerov, Carl and Marilynn Thoma Provostial Professor of Arts and Humanities, Department of Art and Art History

What Matters to Me and Why is a presentation and discussion series featuring Stanford Faculty and Administrators addressing life questions. The purpose of What Matters to Me and Why is to encourage reflection within the Stanford community on matters of personal values, beliefs, and motivations in order to better understand the lives and inspirations of those who shape the University. This talk, held on October 5, 2016 in the Center for Inter-Religious Community, Learning and Experiences, features Lloyd Minor, Carl and Elizabeth Naumann Dean of the Stanford University School of Medicine

Linda Woodhead (Professor of Sociology of Religion, Lancaster University, UK) and Casper ter Kuile (Master of Public Policy and Divinity candidate, Harvard University) discussed the rise of "Nones" in today's society - those who are unaffiliated with any organized religion. The discussion was followed by a Q&A, moderated by The Rev. Professor Jane Shaw, Dean for Religious Life.

Actress and playwright Anna Deavere Smith performed the landmark text of the civil rights movement known as the “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., written in the heat of his fight for equality. Ms. Smith collaborated with world- renowned violinist Robert McDuffie and pianist Anne Epperson to create an “epistolary occasion” that shares the power and timeliness of Dr. King’s call to action. The performance took place on October 21, 2015 in historic Stanford Memorial Church.

A part of Stanford's "Contemplation by Design" week, Jack Kornfield spoke in Stanford Memorial Church on November 10, 2015 about how a wise education includes the heart as well as the mind. It was an evening of stories, trainings and practices intended to foster emotional balance, increase focus, promote wellbeing and reduce stress.

The event was sponsored by the Health Improvement Program, BeWell, Ho Center for Buddhist Studies, Office for Religious Life, Department of Religious Studies.