The Pluralism Project: Mapping the Religious Diversity of Arkansas

A collection of photographs mapping the religious diversity of Arkansas

The Jewish Reform Congregation B'nai Israel was founded in Little Rock in 1866 and has continued as a vibrant community to the present day.

Surrounded by wooded areas and well- groomed grounds, B'nai Israel provides a peaceful setting for its congregants.

Although there is not a Hindu Temple in Arkansas, there is a small but active Hindu presence in the state. Personal altars in homes (such as the one pictured here) provide an important place for religious expression and devotion.

Since 1992 the Ecumenical Buddhist Society of Little Rock has rented a space in the Gans Place Carriage House.

The main office of the Ecumenical Buddhist Society of Little Rock also houses a small gift shop with Buddhist literature, art, and devotional material.

A gate in the style of the Shinto torri leads to the main shrine at the Heartsong Sufi retreat center.

The octagonal Heartsong Shrine serves as the focal point of the Heartsong Sufi Retreat Center.

The Heartsong Retreat Center is a non profit spiritual retreat center based on the Sufi teachings of Inayat Khan, Samuel Lewis, Jelaluddin Rumi, Murshida Vera Corda and various spiritual masters. Classes are held weekly along with workshops, seasonal celebrations, individual and group led retreats.

Since 1981, the Heartsong Retreat Center has offered the people of Northwest Arkansas, and those willing to make the pilgrimage there, the chance to meditate, pray, and conduct services in the middle of the Ozarks. The inside of the Heartsong Shrine, pictured here, is the key venue for much of this prayer and meditation.

The afternoon light of a day in late August shines through the dome of the Heartsong Shrine.

Islamic calligraphy ornaments the dining hall of the Heartsong Retreat Center. In addition to the dining hall, there is a central shrine for worship and meditation (pictured earlier), a dining hall, a pond for swimming, and camping and cabin space.

The private home of Khabir Kitz on the Heartsong property.

A small statue ornaments the grounds of the Heartsong Retreat Center.