The World's Parliament of Religions: The East/West Encounter, Chicago, 1893Conceived as a magnificent display of the major religions of the world, the 1893 Parliament sought to unite all religion against irreligion. A singular moment in the creation of a more pluralistic religious culture in America, it introduced many Americans to Eastern religions and meditative practices such as yoga. Some in the Christian community saw the gathering as a sign of the approaching fulfillment of the missionary's hope to evangelize the