Primary course readings will consist of papers, book chapters and excerpts assigned by guest faculty for their respective sessions. These will either be handed out at the previous class, be available online or be made available to be copied in the library reserve section. Additionally, student’s should purchase Not Without My Neighbor: Issues in Interfaith Relations ( S. Wesley Ariarajah, Geneva: WCC Publications, 1999). We will read it in its entirety, with specific chapters assigned to different class sessions as we move through the course. We will be reading chapters from the following two books, which students may purchase if they prefer having a book to an online copy of selective material: Robert Wuthnow, America and the Challenges of Religious Diversity (Princeton Univ Press; 2005, paperback 2007); Jane Smith, Muslims, Christians, and the Challenge of Interfaith Dialogue (Oxford Univ Press, 2007).
Assigned reading should be read prior to and in preparation for the class session for which it is assigned
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS
Students will complete four, brief reflection papers during the course. Topics and guidelines for each will be handed out in class. Due dates are:
- Sept 29: How do I make sense of a diversity of faith traditions, and how does this relate to my engagement of the religious other?
- Oct 13: What does my faith say about communitarian and universalist approaches to ethics, and what implications does this have for interfaith dialogue?
- Nov 3: What would I counsel a friend or child about interfaith marriage?
- Nov 13: Reflection on your worship observation
SESSION OUTLINE
THE READINGS FOR THIS COURSE CAN BE FOUND HERE
Session One: September 15 – Why Dialogue? Why Me?
Heidi Hadsell – Introduction to Interfaith Dialogue
Ingrid Mattson – The ground rules of Interfaith Dialogue
David Roozen – The practice of appreciative engagement
Reading:
Not Without My Neighbor, Chapters 1 & 2 (Purchase)
Ground Rules for Interfaith Dialogue (Online)
Chapters 1, 2 & 5 in Jane Smith’s, Muslims, Christians and the Challenge of Interfaith Dialogue: (Online)
1. Encountering Each Other
2. The Legacy of Engagement
5. When Dialogue Goes Wrong
Session Two: September 22 – Religious Typologies and Theologies
David Roozen – Theologies of Other Religions
Reading: (All Online)
Other Religions Are False Paths That Mislead Their Followers, Ajith Fernando
Other Religions Are Implicit forms of our Own Religion, Karl Rahner
Other Religions Are Equally Valid Ways to the Same Truth, John Hick
Other Religions Speak of Different but Equally Valid Truths, John b. Cobb Jr
Is the Pluralist Model a Western Imposition? Paul F. Knitter
Islam and Pluralism, Ashgar Ali Engineer
Session Three: September 29 – Worship and Dialogue
Heidi Hadsell Convener: Guest Faculty: James Nieman
Reading:
Mapping the Field of Ritual, Ronald L Grimes (Online)
Not Without My Neighbor, Chapters 3 & 7
Reflection Paper Due: How do I make sense of a diversity of faith traditions, and how does this relate to my engagement of the religious other?
Session Four: October 6 – Scripture and Dialogue
Ingrid Mattson Convener: Guest Faculty: Uriah Kim
Reading:
Genesis 37-50; Surah XII (Surat Yusuf) of the Qur’an
Entire issue (only 35 pages long) of The Student Journal of Scriptural
Reasoning (Vol. 1, No. 1, October 2006): Online at -- http://etext.virginia.edu/journals/abraham/sjsr/issues/volume1/number1/index.html
Session Five: October 13 – Communitarian and Universalist Ethics. Heidi Hadsell
Reading: To Be Announced
Reflection Paper Due: What does my faith say about communitarian and universalist approaches to ethics, and what implications does this have for interfaith dialogue?
Session Six: October 20 – Theology, David Roozen Convener
6:00 – 7:00 Prelude with Kelton Cobb
Reading: To Be Announced
7:00 – 9:00 An Evening with New Macdonald Center Faculty -- two lectures
1) Yahya Michot: An Islamic “theology”? Why?
2) Mahmoud Ayoub: Towards a Framework for Interfaith Dialogue:
Globalism or Pluralism
Session Seven: October 27 – Congregational and Personal Strategies for Approaching
Interfaith Relations. David Roozen
Reading:
Chapters 1, 8 & 10 in Robert Wuthnow’s, America and the Challenges of Religious
Diversity: (Online)
1. A Special People in a Diverse World
8. How Congregations Manage Diversity
10. How Pluralistic Should We Be?
Session Eight: November 3 – Personal and Pastoral Issues in Interfaith Encounter
Ingrid Mattson Convener
Reading: To Be Announced
Reflection Paper Due: What would I counsel a friend or child about interfaith marriage?
Session Nine: November 10 – Dialogue and Peacekeeping
Heidi Hadsell Convener; Guest Faculty: Yehezhel Landau
Reading: To Be Announced
Not Without My Neighbor, Chapters 5
Session Ten: November 13 – Reports From the Front Lines
Ingrid Mattson: “A Common Word” Reflections on a Major Contemporary Dialogue
Initiative.
David Roozen: Debriefing of Worship Experiences
Heidi Hadsell: Dialogue and Learning at Hartford Seminary
Reading: As many documents as possible from: http://acommonword.com
Reflection Paper Due: Reflection on your worship observation
