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Dialogue
in a World of Difference
(MA-530)
Fall
2003 |
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Students
and faculty in a collegial setting will explore in depth the
principles and the practice of dialogue in a pluralistic world
through dialogical listening and cross-cultural conversations
in a context of diversity. Goals of the course include
the development of listening and communication skills in
multi-cultural contexts; fostering an understanding of one
another through information sharing and community building
action; and learning how to discuss potentially divisive
issues constructively and without animosity.
Meeting
Day, Time and Dates:
Mondays
from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
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Ibrahim
Abu-Rabi'
Professor of Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim
Relations
Contact
Information:
phone: (860)
509-9530
email:
aburabi@hartsem.edu
Dr. Abu-Rabi's web page
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Ian
Markham
Professor of Theology and Ethics and Dean of Hartford Seminary
Contact
Information:
phone: (860) 509-9553
email: markham@hartsem.edu
Dr.
Markham's web page
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Miriam
Therese Winter
Professor of Liturgy, Worship and Spirituality
Contact
Information:
phone: (860) 509-9509
email:
mtwinter@hartsem.edu
Dr.
Winter's web page
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Underlying
Course Assumption
This
is more than a course about dialogue. It is an invitation to
engage in the practice of dialogue in a structured setting. Course
outcomes focus on what is learned in the process.
Goals,
Outcomes, Assessments and Expectations
The goals of this
course are:
-
fostering an understanding of one another within the
class through information sharing and community building
action
-
providing opportunities for developing listening and
communication skills in multi-cultural contexts
-
offering a context for wrestling with the
challenging questions and issues of our times and for discussing potentially divisive issues
constructively and without animosity
The outcomes of this
course are:
-
a sense of collegiality and community across
religious, cultural, gender lines
-
a rudimentary understanding of cross-cultural and
interfaith dialogue and the ability to participate meaningfully in multi-cultural
conversations
-
an ability to integrate and apply one’s learnings
to the task at hand
The
methods of assessment and general expectations of this course are:
Expectations
Methods of
Assessment: Assignments
- write a reflective paper on your experience at the
mosque
- write a reflective paper about what you have learned
about dialogue in this course
- write a review of one of the books on the course
reading list
PLEASE
NOTE:
*the length of the reflection papers (2-4 pages
each)
*the length of the book review (3-5 pages)
The
Grade for this course will be Pass or Fail.
The final deadline for
all assignments is January 5, 2004. Please send papers to
the Office of the Dean.
Course
Reading List
Ariarajah,
S. Wesley. The
Bible and People of Other Faiths. Geneva: World Council of Churches, 1985.
Blackburn,
Steven. “The Call.” Unpublished sermon. Hartford Seminary
Chapel: May 2003.
Caesar,
Judith. Crossing Borders. An
American Woman in the Middle East. Syracuse University Press, 1997.
Estes,
Clarissa Pinkola. “The Lantern of Soul.” From “Letter to a
Young Activist in Troubled Times.” EarthLight. vol. 12, no. 3 (Spring
2003), p. 6. [class
handout]
Forward,
Martin. “What is Dialogue?” In Inter-Religious
Dialogue. A Short Introduction.
Oxford: OneWorld, 2001 – pp. 7-37.
Gandhi,
Mohandas. Essential
Writings. Selected with an Introduction by John Dear. Maryknoll:
Orbis Books, 2002.
Markham,
Ian and Abu-Rabi’, Ibrahim, eds. 11
September. Religious Perspectives on the Causes and Consequences. Oxford: OneWorld, 2002.
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Abu-Rabi’, Ibrahim. “A Post-September 11
Critical Assessment of Modern
Islamic History.” pp. 21-52
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Agosto, Efrain. “Religious Leadership in the
Aftermath of September 11: Some
Lessons from Jesus and Paul.” pp. 164-188
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Cobb, Kelton. “Violent Faith.” pp. 136-163.
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Hadsell, Heidi. “Internal Security and Civil
Liberties: Moral Dilemmas and
Debates.” pp. 248-264
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Markham, Ian. “9.11: Contrasting Reactions and the
Challenge of Dialogue.” pp.
206-228
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Mattson, Ingrid. “Stopping Oppression: An Islamic
Obligation.” pp.
101-110
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Winter, Miriam Therese. “Witnessing to the Spirit:
Reflections on an Emerging American Spirituality.” pp. 111-135
Roy,
Arundhati. War Talk. Cambridge,
MA: South End Press, 2003.
Sontag,
Susan. “Courage and Resistance.” The
Nation (May 5, 2003), pp. 11-14.
Spangler,
David. The Call. New
York: Riverhead Books. 1996.
Wheatley,
Margaret J. Turning to One
Another. Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the Future. San Francisco: Berrett-Loehler Publishers,
2002.
Course
Syllabus
Part
One - Storytelling:
Universal Paradigm
–
personal, communal, cross-cultural –
Session One
- September 15 Let Me Tell
You Who I Am
- sharing our personal stories
- getting to know one another
Session Two
- September 22 Let Me Tell
You About My Religion/Faith
Context
- basic information about our
religion/faith context and
what it means to us
- getting to know one another’s faith context
Session Three -
September 29 Let Me Tell
You About My Culture, My Country
-
introduction to one another’s socio-political
context
-
clarifying misconceptions, seeking understanding
Underlying
theoretical/theological principles:
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the narrative quality of human experience
-
religion rooted in sacred story
-
an evolving universe story
Readings
for Part One
-
Steven Blackburn, “The Call”
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Judith Caesar, Crossing
Borders
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Margaret Wheatley, Turning
to One Another
Part
Two - Dialogue:
Principles and Praxis
Session Four -
October 6 Sharing Our
Sacred Scriptures
Visiting
Faculty: Efrain Agosto and Ingrid Mattson
Reading:
- Efrain
Agosto, “Religious Leadership… Lessons
from Jesus and Paul”
- Wesley
Ariarajah, The
Bible and People of Other Faiths
- Ingrid Mattson, “Stopping Oppression: An Islamic
Obligation”
Session Five -
October 13 Theological
and Ethical Frameworks
Visiting
Faculty: Kelton Cobb and Heidi Hadsell
Team
Faculty:
Ian Markham
Reading:
- Kelton Cobb, “Violent Faith”
- Martin Forward, “What is Dialogue?”
- Heidi
Hadsell, “Internal Security and Civil
Liberties”
- Ian Markham, “Contrasting Reactions and the
Challenge of Dialogue
Session Six - October
20
Spirituality, Ritual, Prayer
Visiting
Faculty: Yehezkel Landau
Team
Faculty: Ibrahim Abu-Rabi’ and Miriam Therese Winter
Reading
- Clarissa Pinkola Estes, “The Lantern of Soul”
- Yehezkel Landau (to be announced)
- David Spangler, The
Call
- Miriam Therese Winter, “Witnessing to the
Spirit”
Underlying
dialogical principles (World Council of Churches):
- dialogue begins when people
meet
- dialogue depends upon mutual understanding and
mutual trust
- dialogue makes it possible to share in service
- dialogue becomes the medium of authentic witness
“Ours
is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once,
but
of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our
reach.”
Clarissa
Pinkola Estes, “The Lantern of Soul”
Part
Three Cross-cultural
Conversations
Session
Seven
- October 27
Peace and
Reconciliation
- the global context
- Indonesian conflict
- initiatives for peace
Reading
- Arundhati Roy, Talks
on War
- Abu-Rabi’, “A … Critical Assessment of Modern
Islamic History”
- Mohandas Gandhi, Essential
Writings
- Susan
Sontag, “Courage and Resistance”
Session
Eight
- November 3
Visit to a
Mosque at the Start of Ramadan
- social at mosque
- focus on Islamic prayers
- emphasis on experience
Session
Nine -
November 10 On Praying
Together
- possibilities and limitations
- challenges and blessings
- practical application
“God
is present in all of us.
Every
moment I experience the truth that, though many, we are all
one.”
Closing
Session - Overview,
Integration, Celebration
Session
Ten -
November 17
Celebrating
Our Diversity
- review readings, course goals and outcomes
- reflect on learnings in the context of a shared meal
- closing ritual prayer
“In
this turbulent time, we crave connection; we long for peace;
we
want the means to walk through the chaos intact.
The
peace we seek is found in experiencing ourselves as part of
something
bigger
and wiser than our little, crazed selves.
The
community we belong to is all of life.”
Margaret
Wheatley, Turning
to One Another
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