Lesley Hazleton sat down one day to read the Koran. And what she found -- as a non-Muslim, a self-identified "tourist" in the Islamic holy book -- wasn't what she expected. With serious scholarship and warm humor, Hazleton shares the grace, flexibility and mystery she found, in this myth-debunking talk.

When Lesley Hazleton was writing a biography of Muhammad, she was struck by something: The night he received the revelation of the Koran, according to early accounts, his first reaction was doubt, awe, even fear. And yet this experience became the bedrock of his belief. Hazleton calls for a new appreciation of doubt and questioning as the founda...

The voices of these speakers are sure to gently pull you in with their warm delivery.

Writer, psychologist and former Middle East reporter Lesley Hazleton explores the vast and often terrifying arena in which politics and religion intersect.

For as many people as there are on Earth, there are as many answers to the question: Are you there, God? These talks offer a spectrum of personal perspectives on faith, from ardent atheists to devout believers.

Must-listen talks about the future of the environment, crime, technology, government and the human race.

What is a soul? Lesley Hazleton, an "accidental theologist," prodded the TEDSummit audience with this provocative question, tracing the cultural, religious and societal origins of a remarkably intangible human hallmark. The body and soul used to be considered two equal physical entities -- in fact, Descartes theorized the soul was located in...

A few years ago, Lesley Hazleton, self-described “accidental theologist,” found herself waking each morning with the same question: What happened to Muhammad the night he received the revelation of the Koran? An agnostic Jew, Hazleton was writing a biography of the man who stood in the desert outside of Mecca in the year 610 at the moment th...

The core mystical moment of Islam took place in the year 610, or “half the world and almost half of history away,” as Lesley Hazleton, biographer of Muhammad, puts it. On a hot desert night, this previously ordinary man received the first revelation of the Koran on a mountain outside Mecca. “What struck me even more than what happened was...

In her luminous TEDxRainier talk, Lesley Hazleton, a writer and “accidental theologist,” described herself as “a tourist” in the Koran, and shared her discovery of the musicality, ambiguity, and depth of a text known by name to billions, but read intimately by far fewer. We met Lesley by phone and asked her to share more of her impressions o...

"It’s about discarding assumptions about the Middle East, Latin America, and the way you think the world works," Nassim Assefi described in an interview before we all got to Edinburgh for TEDGlobal 2013. This session, which she co-curated with fellow TED Fellow Gabriella Gomez-Mont, features a host of speakers who'll be prompting us to think dif...

TEDGlobal 2013, themed “Think Again,” takes place June 10-14, which may be too long to wait. So until then, we’ve compiled a list of conference speakers who tweet -- an amazing 61 of them. Start following these bold thinkers now -- individually or in a single click -- so you can get to know them before they’re on the TEDGlobal stage. San...

TEDGlobal 2013: Think Again is right around the corner -- and the program is packed with illustrious speakers addressing some of the most challenging and fascinating questions we face today. So how should you prepare for this influx of ideas from politics, science, the arts and beyond? To familiarize you with our speakers’ past work and poin...

TEDSummit is a gathering of TED's tribes -- our speaker community, volunteer translators, TED Fellows, TEDx organizers, partners and  more. In Session 1, we shared mainstage talks that sparkled with optimism for humanity -- now and deep into our unknown future. Ideas that stand the test of time. TED's curator, Chris Anderson, opened TEDSummit...

Written by the educators who created Understanding Islam, a brief look at the key facts, tough questions and big ideas in their field. Begin this TED Study with a fascinating read that gives context and clarity to the material. The TED Talks provide a unique opportunity for an educated layman to learn about the core beliefs and practices of Isla...

The number is 110: One hundred and ten past and new TED speakers are part of our newest conference, TEDSummit, happening in Banff, Canada, 26–30 June 2016. And you are invited to join us! Some of the most popular TED speakers of all time, including Dan Pink, David Gallo, Esther Perel, Kelly and Jane McGonigal, Pico Iyer and dozens more...

Few sensations feel better than when your mind does a backflip and, all of a sudden, you are suddenly able to see things in new and unexpected ways. At TEDGlobal 2013, themed “Think Again,” you’ll have this feeling often. "The approach we adopted," explains TEDGlobal curator Bruno Giussani, "is to take a closer look at the global remix happeni...

Session 6 of TEDGlobal 2013 has a captivating title: "World on Its Head." Guest curated by Nassim Assefi and Gabriella Gómez-Mont -- both from the inaugural class of TEDGlobal 2009 Fellows -- the session will be a chance to turn our conceptions of the Middle East and Latin America upside down, and to rethink staid assumptions about politics, r...

Three fascinating speakers have been added to the lineup for TEDGlobal 2013, which kicks off in Edinburgh, Scotland, June 10 to 14. First, Anne-Marie Slaughter, who exploded the conversation about women’s work-life balance with her July/August 2012 The Atlantic article, “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All,” will join the conference to lend her e...

About this event: ENGLISH VERSION BELOW Nasz czerwcowy TEDxKrakówLive przyciągnął tłumy ludzi gotowych na konfrontację swojej wiedzy z najnowszymi teoriami krążącymi po świecie. Nadawaliśmy na żywo z konferencji TEDGlobal, która odbyła się w ubiegłym tygodniu w Edynburgu i była poświęcona tematowi “Think Again”. Pierwsza sesja “Money Talks” miała za zadanie...

About this event: Our December TEDx event (as voted by you!) is "Celebrating Diversity" Post Event Recap: After a brief introductory TEDx video, three TED Talks were screened: -Documentary Filmmakers Jenni Chang and Lisa Dazols, “This is what LGBT Life is like Around the World” -Investment Expert Mellody Hobson, “Color Blind or Color Brave?” -Comedian, Journ...