Wayne Teasdale is a Christian monk, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Parliament of the World's Religions, and author of The Mystic Heart. On this lively one-hour interview with Michael Toms, he talks about his vision of an "interspiritual age" in which individuals from different religions will cross traditions, drink from "the wells of wisdom," and learn new practices.
Teasdale demonstrates a familiarity with the spiritual journeys of some of the great pioneers of Western mysticism including Francis of Assisi, Bede Griffiths, Thomas Merton, and Dorothy Day. We can learn from these teachers about the spiritual practices of openness, hospitality, being present, and transformation. Teasdale salutes the 1996 Gethsemane encounter where Buddhist and Christian monks got together to share experiences and the resources of their traditions. He looks forward to more interreligious dialogue all around the world as Buddhists, Christians, Jews, Hindus, and Muslims come together to learn from each other. Teasdale hopes that this movement will eradicate the long-standing view of religions as "cultures of isolation" where ignorance, fear, competition, and enmity are operative. The mystical core at the heart of all religions is the key to the slowly evolving "interspiritual age."