Worldwide Survey Launched on
Interfaith Education
Learning about,
from and with peoples of other faiths is increasingly being
recognized as a vital aspect of education in faith communities and
education systems. A newly launched web-based survey on interfaith
education aims to discover examples of good practice across the
world.
The World Council of Churches’ Education and Ecumenical Formation
program and Hartford Seminary, USA, have created the interactive
survey on interfaith education to catalogue what is taking place in
international communities. The survey is part of the larger
Interfaith Education Project (IEP) sponsored by the two
organizations.
Taking seriously the diversity of religious faith and practice to
build positive understanding and attitudes, the IEP is a
contribution to reflection and action on education in the ecumenical
movement. The project has two objectives – (1) to survey and analyze
the global field of interfaith education; (2) to produce a resource
based on the results of that survey which would assist educators in
faith communities and education systems develop interfaith education
appropriate to their context.
Project Coordinator Christy Lohr said, “The IEP is a noteworthy
endeavor that recognizes the importance of religious diversity
around us today. The launch of the survey is really exciting as it
provides a means for individuals from around the world to be
involved and provide input on ways to shape future resources to
support educational outreach.”
Ms. Lohr, along with Heidi Hadsell, president of Hartford Seminary
and members of the EEF Commission, will discuss initial findings of
the survey in a workshop during the World Council of Church’s 9th
Assembly in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in February.
Both Hartford Seminary and the World Council of Churches have a long
history in fostering quality interfaith relations. Hartford Seminary
is a non-denominational graduate-level theological educational
institution that is committed to the understanding of religion and
spirituality as they are lived out in today’s multifaith
world. With a strong program in Christian-Muslim relations, it is
also the only Christian seminary in the United States to offer an
Islamic chaplaincy certification.
The WCC brings together more than 340 churches, denominations and
church fellowships in more than 100 countries and territories
throughout the world, representing 400 million Christians and
including most of the world's Orthodox churches and denominations.
If you are someone who is actively involved in interfaith endeavors,
the World Council of Churches and Hartford Seminary invite you to
share the good news of your work. Please fill out the survey by
logging onto
http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB224NRA5G9EM.
For more information, please visit the
announcement of the study on
this site or contact Christy Lohr, clohr@hartsem.edu.
