Abstract
One of the great debates among religious believers is about the relationship between their religion and culture. Is culture an obstacle to religion or is culture its vehicle? This lecture explores the cultural issues within Christianity and the problem and possibilities of the concept of culture to understanding religions. Related themes of history and globalization will be considered.
Speaker
Charles Fahardian, Ph.D is chair and professor of the Department of Religious Studies, Westmont College, Santa Barbara, CA. He has investigated diverse themes such as nation making, globalization, and worship. He teaches courses in the world religions and Christian mission. He studied at Seattle Pacific University (B.A), Yale University (M.Div), and Boston University (Ph.D)

Abstract
Ammatoans of Sulawesi in the eastern part of Indonesia hold religious ideas of social actors that extend beyond human beings. Perceiving both human and non-human beings as equal and constitues inter subjective relationships, Ammatoans’ everyday behaviors and practices is set in this religious perception, including forest conservation. The forest, as vital part of Ammatoans’ life, is conserved by sets of regulations and punishment that restrictly enforced. This presentation will explores how the ideas and practices of Ammatoans’ forest conservation illustrate what scholars have called “religious ecology”.
Speaker
Dr. Samsul Maarif is the Secretary and Academic Coordinator of the Center for Religious and Cross-cultural Studies (CRCS), Graduate School of Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Achieving Ph.D from Arizona State University, Temple, in Religious Studies and holding two master degree from Florida International University and Universitas Gadjah Mada; both on religious studies, Maarif has long experiences and intensive studies of indigineous religion, especially Ammatoan community.