SATURDAY: SpokaneFāVS Hosts First Coffee Talk of 2023 on the Topic ‘The Evil in this World’
News Brief by SpokaneFāVS
UPDATED: We updated the start time to 10:30 a.m. and added our fourth panelist, R. Brian Siebeking.
SpokaneFāVS’ first Coffee Talk of the new year will be Jan. 14, 10:30 a.m. to Noon, at the Spokane Public Library Central branch (906 W. Main Ave., downtown Spokane).
The topic: There is evil in this world. We see it every day in the murder and mayhem that trouble our lives. The world’s great religions have an explanation for this and different ways to describe the battle between good and evil. Those who do not subscribe to a religious tradition have their own perceptions of evil and good. How does your belief system describe both forces and how does it help you cope with the notion that evil exists in this world? Has your faith ever been shaken by the evil around you?
The talk will be on the first floor, Room B. There is ample downtown parking, including the garage at River Park Square and parking at the library for a small charge.
If you cannot attend in person, the event will be livestreamed on Facebook or will be offered to watch on Zoom, here.
The panel will be moderated by Steve Smith, board member and writer for SpokaneFāVS.
Our panelists include:
· Cassandra Benefield, journalism major from Cal Poly Technical University in San Luis Obispo, Calif. She finds much comfort in her Savior, Jesus Christ, and considers herself a Bible nerd who is prone to buy more theology books than she is ever able to read. She is managing editor of FāVS. She will discuss her column on the topic, “Who Is Satan?“
· Dr. Brent S. Maughan, a retired Spokane physician. Maughan is a graduate of Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah and earned his medical degree at the University of Oregon Health Science Center in Portland, Oregon. He is active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and has held a number of positions within the church.
· Rebecca Tallent, an award-winning journalist and public relation professional. She was a journalism faculty member at the University of Idaho for 13 years before her retirement in 2019. Tallent earned her BA and M.Ed. degrees in journalism from the University of Central Oklahoma and her Educational Doctorate in Mass Communications from Oklahoma State University. She is of Cherokee descent. She will discuss her column on the topic, “A Native American Perspective on Evil.“
· Dr. R. Brian Siebeking, assistant professor of religious studies at Gonzaga University, specializes in Islamic history and thought with a focus on the classical and medieval period. His research attends to the formative role of stories and storytelling in Muslim tradition. His other research and teaching interests include the Quran, Sufism, Islam and politics, Christian-Muslim relations and minority religions in the Middle East. He will speak about Islamic perceptions of evil on the panel.
For more information, contact Steve Smith, newsman46@yahoo.com
