Since human beginnings, religion and culture have been intertwined. At its best this means that the eternal can be felt in all the ordinary passages of human life. But too often religion has become over-absorbed in this-worldliness, in power-elites, resistance to change and even actively opposed to true human liberation. As we deal with the intense changes of the third millennium and struggle against our technological hubris even to remain human – what, if any, is the role of religion? Is it just the promotion of ‘self-development’ or merely a temporary escape from the stresses of a malfunctioning society?

Can the great religious families of humanity be true to their perennial wisdom and unite in their essence to realize human potential in transcendence. Are we in a new ‘axial age’ where religion itself is changing and expressing the next step in human evolution? Can the three elements of religion – intellectual, institutional and mystical – be rebalanced to birth a new world in which the best potential of humanity is celebrated and realized?

This year’s theme for the global family of WCCM offers opportunities for creative dialogue across faiths and cultures as well as for a deeper ecumenism. The online series of speakers on the theme throughout the year offers a unique fusion of original and deeply grounded thinkers concerning something on which humanity’s future depends.