A temple is a house of worship, a sacred space housing the deity or central symbol of the tradition. The Temple in Jerusalem was the holy place of the Jewish people until its destruction by the Romans in 70 CE; now the term “temple” is used by the Reform tradition to refer to their places of worship. In the Hindu tradition, temples are laid out according to precise mathematical dimensions and proportions and erected to be the symbolic dwelling or body of the Divine on earth. The image of the deity for whom the temple is built is housed in a smaller sanctuary , the garbha griha (“womb-chamber”) at the very heart of the temple. The Jain temple is a replica of the assembly hall miraculously created by the gods for Mahavira upon his enlightenment. Hence, in entering a temple, a Jain symbolically approaches the spot where a living Tirthankara sits in omniscient trance. Buddhist temples differ considerably from one another depending upon culture and particular school, but most are associated with the residence of monks and are temple-monastery complexes. Theravada temples focus on one or more images of Sakyamuni Buddha. In Mahayana and Vajrayana temples, Sakyamuni will be accompanied by a variety of bodhisattvas and other Buddhas.

Transgender is a term that refers to a range of unconventional relationships to gender. Transgender people do not identify with the sex and gender roles they were assigned at birth, and they may feel that their psychological gender and physical bodies are mismatched. Some transgender people undergo hormonal treatments or gender reassignment surgery in order to take on the bodies and gender roles that they desire. Transgender people are often discriminated against in employment and other social situations. Many Pagan communities, however, are welcoming to transgender people and allow them to take on positions of leadership. The in-between state of being transgender is sometimes thought to be an advantage in doing deep spiritual work.

The World Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP) was launched in 1968 by religious leaders in the United States, Japan, and India seeking to affirm together their religious commitments to peace, and to find ways of translating that commitment into shared practical action. Beginning with its first assembly in Kyoto, the WCRP has held six world assemblies and developed and impressive network of regional and local chapters in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. As a Non-Governmental Organization of the United Nations, WCRP has directed its efforts especially to peace and diarmament issues. Both its international headquarters and its United States branch office are in New York in offices near the United Nations.

(also: 1893 World's Parliament of Religions) The World's Parliament of Religions was held in Chicago in 1893 as part of the World's Columbian Exposition, which celebrated the four-hundreth anniversary of Columbus' discovery of America. At the Parliament, adherents of the Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Jewish, Protestant, Catholic, Unitarian, Shinto, and Zoroastiran traditions all met together for the first time on American soil.