About the Building Abrahamic Partnerships Program
Program Rationale and Format
Our society needs a new kind of religious leadership, grounded in a particular tradition and, at the same time, able to interact effectively with other faith communities.
Hartford Seminary, building on its strengths as an interfaith, dialogical school of practical theology, has designed this innovative program to be a resource for Jews, Christians, and Muslims throughout North America who seek a solid foundation in interfaith ministry.
The goals of the new program are fourfold:
• Enhancing understanding of the beliefs and
practices of all three faith traditions
• Creating a safe and supportive environment in
which seminarians, clergy and religious educators
can forge mutually beneficial
relationships across communal boundaries
• Helping participants acquire pastoral skills useful
in interfaith ministry
• Developing leadership strategies for promoting
interfaith relations in our pluralistic society
The format will be an eight-day intensive training program, beginning with an evening gathering on a Sunday, and ending with a closing dinner and ritual on the following Sunday.
Program Content
The content will include:
• Introduction to the tenets and practices of Judaism, Christianity and Islam
• Historical overviews of the three faith traditions, and how they have interacted
• Shared text study using sources from the three traditions
• Visits to a mosque, synagogue and church for worship
• Comparative spirituality
• Demographic and sociological data on Jews, Christians and Muslims in North America
• Obstacles to interfaith dialogue and relationships
• Communication skills needed to establish and sustain productive interfaith partnerships
• The role of the media in creating images of one another, and strategies to counter negative media portrayals with more positive images and accounts
• Formulating ideas for joint interfaith projects inlocal communities and developing strategies for cooperation among participants
• Web links and e-mail exchanges to foster communication and interaction
For more information about the program,contact Professor Yehezkel Landau, Faculty
Associate in Interfaith Relations, at ylandau@hartsem.edu or (860) 509-9538.
For registration information, contact Karen Rollins, Registrar, at registrar@hartsem.edu or (860) 509-9511.
Download a printable registration form in Microsoft Word or Adobe .pdf format.
