“The Sacred Encounter And Primary Imagination”: Rodger Kamenetz Featured As Keynote Speaker

The Natural Dreamwork community is delighted to share the following announcement from Elon University’s Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life:

Rodger Kamenetz, celebrated author of The Jew in the Lotus and founder of Natural Dreamwork, will be the keynote speaker for this year’s Ripple Conference, which will take place from Feb. 21-23, 2025.

Kamenetz, a pioneer in exploring the intersections of spirituality, creativity and interfaith dialogue, will deliver a keynote address titled “The Sacred Encounter and Primary Imagination.”

Kamenetz is the author of fifteen books of poetry and prose, including the international bestseller The Jew in the Lotus, a transformative account of rabbis traveling to India to engage in historic dialogue with the Dalai Lama. The book, praised as a “revered text” by The New York Times, spurred a reevaluation of Jewish identity and spirituality in light of Buddhist thought. His sequel, Stalking Elijah, earned the prestigious National Jewish Book Award for Jewish Thought.

“We are really excited to host Rodger Kamenetz at Ripple,” said co-director Ryan Gibbons ‘25. “With our focus this year centering on artistic expression of interfaith, we wanted a keynote speaker who truly understood the artistic process, the importance of interfaith, and how creativity is integral to both of those. I cannot wait for Rodger to share his thoughts and experiences with our community!”

In his keynote, Kamenetz will explore the role of imagination in sacred encounters and interfaith dialogue, drawing on his experiences, including the transformative meeting between the Dalai Lama and Rabbi Zalman Schachter that inspired The Jew in the Lotus. He will delve into how imagination, in art, nature, and dreams nurtures empathy and creates pathways to sacred connection.

“As a poet I have always been engaged with the question of the intersection between imagination and spirituality,” said Kamenetz. “I am eager to bring what I’ve witnessed of interfaith dialogue, and what I’ve learned as a poet and practitioner of Natural Dreamwork into the weekend’s conversation. I am very moved that a school devoted to fostering an expansive and generous view of religion and spirituality has invited me to be part of the discussion.”

“We are honored to welcome Rodger Kamenetz to the Ripple Conference,” said conference advisor Hillary Zaken, director of Multifaith Programming and Engagement. “His work in spirituality, interfaith dialogue, and creative imagination aligns perfectly with our mission to foster understanding and connection across diverse beliefs.”

Beyond his literary achievements, Kamenetz has made lasting contributions to education and spiritual practice. As professor emeritus of English and religious studies at Louisiana State University, he founded the MFA in Creative Writing program and the Jewish studies minor. He also held the Sternberg Honors chair at LSU.

Kamenetz’s Natural Dreamwork approach has become a global movement, helping individuals find spiritual direction through their dreams.

Kamenetz’s keynote promises to inspire attendees to deepen their understanding of sacred encounters and the transformative power of imagination.

“Kamenetz is unlike any speaker we’ve had at Ripple. We are so excited to hear his experiences regarding his interfaith and poetry and to explore with him the power of imagination,” said Morgan Williams ’25, Ripple co-director. “I hope that participants garner inspiration from Rodger’s story and are able to use their imaginations to create their own ideals of what art and interfaith mean to them. What we all need right now is a place to dream and imagine the possibilities of our diverse perspectives together.”

The Ripple Conference is a student-led conference designed to empower and inspire interfaith student leaders. It is the largest interfaith conference in the Southeast, and the largest student-led interfaith conference in the country.

You can view the full announcement HERE

For more information about the Ripple Conference, including registration details, please visit www.rippleconference.org