World's Parliament of Religions at the Chicago Columbian Exposition
- When
- 1893
- Where
- World's Congress Auxiliary Building
- Episodes
- 3
The World's Parliament of Religions convened in Chicago from September 11 to 27, 1893, as an adjunct to the World's Columbian Exposition. Held at the World's Congress Auxiliary Building, now the Art Institute, it marked the first formal gathering of Eastern and Western spiritual traditions. Swami Vivekananda delivered a landmark speech, and the event included the first public mention of the Baháʼí Faith in North America.
Episodes
- Vivekananda's Address
Swami Vivekananda delivered a landmark speech beginning with "Sisters and brothers of America..." during the Parliament.
- First Public Mention of Baháʼí Faith
The Baháʼí Faith was first publicly mentioned in North America during the Parliament.
- Opening of the Parliament
The World's Parliament of Religions opened on September 11, 1893, at the World's Congress Auxiliary Building in Chicago.
Background and detail
Background. The Parliament was an attempt to create a global dialogue of faiths, hosted by Chicago during the World's Columbian Exposition. John Henry Barrows served as the first chairman of the General Committee, appointed by Charles Bonney. The event ran from September 11 to 27, 1893, establishing itself as the first organized interfaith gathering.
Venue. The Parliament opened at the World's Congress Auxiliary Building, which was designed to host national and international meetings in conjunction with the fair. This building, situated in Grant Park, was intended for the Art Institute to occupy after the fair's close. The Art Institute moved into the new building on October 31, 1893.
Key Speakers. Swami Vivekananda, a Bengali Hindu monk, traveled to Chicago to participate in the Parliament. He delivered a landmark speech beginning with "Sisters and brothers of America...". The Parliament also featured the first public mention of the Baháʼí Faith in North America, though specific details of the presentation are not in the provided passages.
People involved
- Swami Vivekananda · Speaker
- John Henry Barrows · Chairman of the General Committee
- Charles Bonney · Appointer of Chairman
Sources
- Parliament of the World's Religions Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-01
- Swami Vivekananda Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-26
- World's Columbian Exposition Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-04
- Art Institute of Chicago Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-03
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.