|
|
Seminary Events & Happenings
|
Interfaith Education Project Note: due to the length of this report, it is also available for download in Adobe .pdf format History In the years since the 8th Assembly in Harare, both the offices of Interreligious Relations & Dialogue (IRD) and Education & Ecumenical Formation (EEF) have addressed issues of interfaith education. They have called a number of workshops and consultations to explore relevant issues and ways of addressing religious formation in a pluralistic world. In addition to independent consultations on either dialogue or education within each department, the two divisions have worked together on consultations on interreligious education. Notable among these were three “Learning in Religion” consultations jointly sponsored by EEF & IRD:
Following the success of these events, the leadership of IRD and EEF convened a small working group to consider the outcomes and statements from these gatherings and design a project to further the WCC’s commitment to promoting interreligious education within the member churches. Interfaith Education Project From this working group meeting held in Geneva in the summer of 2004, grew the Interfaith Education Project (IEP). [Appendix I offers the concept paper from the Geneva working group.] The IEP’s ultimate objective is to produce a resource (manual or 'tool kit') that would assist educators in faith communities and in education systems develop interfaith education appropriate to their context. Because the project aims to build on existing experience and reflection, the initial phase of the project has researched and identified initiatives and experiences in interfaith education of any kind throughout the world. There was a particular concern to identify
The first phase of this project involved building a database of individuals and organizations engaged in interfaith education who would later be polled with a survey instrument about their work in the field. Participant lists of major WCC consultations and workshops along with membership lists from related networks were gathered to generate this database. Contact information was also collected at interfaith gatherings in 2005, and invitations were extended to individuals within interfaith networks to add names to the database or forward information on the IEP to other groups who might be interested. Brief presentations on the IEP were made at the annual meetings of the North American Interfaith Network and the National Association of Ecumenical and Interreligious Staff as well as at the WCC’s “Critical Moment Conference”. Information on the project was also disseminated through the Education as Transformation network as well as via and web alerts on the Hartford Seminary website and through the networks mentioned above. At the end of phase one, the database contained over 500 contacts. A survey on interfaith education was created to gauge the extent to which interfaith education is a priority among members of the WCC’s network and to determine the types of work currently being executed. The Hartford Institute for Religion Research (HIRR) assisted with the design of the survey. The Seminary’s highly acclaimed research department is known for its cutting-edge research on faith issues. Staff members in this department turned a helpful and critical eye to the survey design and offered constructive advice for revisions that translated into a more effective product. Following consultations with HIRR staff, a variety of interfaith activists around the world field tested the survey. Individuals engaged in interfaith education or who had a working relationship with the WCC were asked to offer feedback on the survey as related to the “universality” of questions, ease of use and potentially missing elements. The comments they offered were also incorporated into the final product. HIRR was also extremely helpful in transferring the survey from a paper document to an on-line instrument. Using the Seminary’s Zoomerang account meant that the WCC saved financially on the purchase of its own on-line survey tool. Being able to put the survey on-line meant that it was immediately accessible to millions of respondents. Additionally, the on-line survey allowed for easy access for participants through email links and on-line alerts. Furthermore, by making the surveys available on-line, compilation of results was streamlined. Paper surveys were also available for those without internet access. [Appendix II provides a copy of the survey.] The survey was launched in October 2005. Emails were sent inviting individuals in the database to participate in the survey. The WCC and Hartford Seminary distributed a press release announcing the project and the survey’s availability. These networks included: approximately 150 newspapers across the United States, the Associated Press, Religion News Service, 4 television stations and 30 other media outlets in Connecticut. The press release also went to the Association of Theological Schools and to the United Church of Christ seminary presidents and reached approximately 500 media outlets, in all. [Appendix III provides a copy of the press release sent from Hartford Seminary.] Survey Results While 602 participants visited the on-line survey site, returned surveys numbered 132, a higher-than-average response rate for an electronic questionnaire. This indicates that respondents find the topic compelling. Results outlined in the following pages represent general trends among responses in each question category. Where allowed, a number of respondents chose not to reply to every answer on the questionnaire, and information included here offers a general overview of responses. Who took the Survey? Organizational Information Most respondents (62%) conducted programming in educational institutions. Religious centers and places of worship were the second most popular place of engagement (51%). Other sites listed for interfaith educational programs include: Correctional facilities, hospitals and independent multi-faith learning centers. Christian groups, more specifically Protestant denominations, comprised the highest religious affiliation with educational sites. After Christian traditions were ranked Abrahamic partnerships, secular institutions, interfaith groups and New-Age/pagan spiritual affiliations. By and large, most programs were created to strengthen, introduce or bring about greater interreligious understanding on the part of clergy and lay people. Conflict resolution and peace-building initiatives, especially in the wake of the events of September 11, 2001, were also strong motivators for program-generation. A number of respondents were honest about the fact that their programs exist for the purpose of converting individuals to the Christian faith. Funding What did respondent’s educational initiatives look like? Participant demographics Programs tended to be targeted toward a Christian audience (87%), and of those, the majority were Protestant with some Catholic participation (63%) and less than 10% involvement of Orthodox Christians. Jewish and Muslim participation comprised approximately 20% of involvement, on average. Sikhs represented between 5-10% of those engaged. Buddhists and Hindus represented less than 5% and followers of indigenous/aboriginal traditions less than 1%. Many respondents commented that they have not tracked the religious affiliation of participants, and some listed other traditions such as Druze, Ba’hai, Unitarian, atheists or agnostics as participants. Subjects Taught When asked to list the primary educational goals of the programs, the most frequently listed goal was, overwhelmingly, “to promote intercultural/interfaith understanding and dialogue”, followed by “conflict transformation” or “peace-building/justice and equality”. Other common answers included:
Leadership Conversely, a lack of support was noted from government agencies, secular institutions, the media, conservative factions within several traditions, and “any place where there is fear”. New religious movements and interfaith ministers were listed as unhelpful complicators in programs, and both linguistic and financial barriers to success were listed. One participant explicitly asked for more educational resources in French. A number of factors contribute to programmatic success:
Many obstacles to success were also enumerated:
Some factors such as funding, publicity/media, quality of panelists/speakers were listed as both obstacles to success and helpful to the work by various respondents. This implies that the local context of such programming is the ultimate factor in determining a program’s success. Despite these obstacles, most respondents categorized their programs as successful, overall. Funding issues seemed to be a primary concern for maintaining initiatives. A full 90% of respondents indicated that their programs are still in operation, however. Resources currently being used Primarily, the programs surveyed used a topical lecture/workshop/dialogue model. Site visits were also a very popular. “Skill building” and “leadership training” were key components, as well. Some programs bring in or maintain a list of qualified speakers; others engage multi-faith volunteers in informational question & answer sessions. A common response among respondents indicated that they had created their own resources to facilitate this work including videos, resource kits, pamphlets, interreligious calendars, posters and guidelines on religious traditions, and other printed materials. This was true for a variety of types of programs. Worship and small group discussions, or “encounter sessions” were also popular. The length of programs varied from lunch presentations and discussions to month-long programs or semesterly courses. Other program models included:
Resources that are lacking Respondents listed numerous needs that were not being met in the resources currently available to them. A general lack of knowledge/know how in leadership was expressed. A common complaint about the limitations of current texts manifested itself in a variety of forms – in general the belief was expressed that any one text does not cover all educational needs. Texts were generally too limited in scope and did not address either an interfaith audience, were not geared toward children or young adults, were not representative of local contexts, were not inclusive of best practices, were not geared toward dialogue, were not representative of the variety within traditions, or were not inclusive enough. It was noted that resources should also consider a two-pronged approach including both dialogue and experience. A call was raised for more audio-visual resources as well as more brief summaries of topics. Often, resources available were books or long chapters of books, which were difficult to provide to a large group. When asked What other kinds of resources might be needed? many respondents asked for institutes on religious diversity, spirituality, conflict prevention and communication to train teachers and student leaders. One respondent suggested that training of an interfaith clergy group to assist families of different faiths in times of crisis would be helpful. A need exists for resources to be translated into a variety of languages. Resources that are available on-line and in non-written formats are needed. Short presentations on the varieties within traditions that can be shared with those outside of the tradition would be helpful. Again, several respondents also voiced a need for resources to assist as they face challenges from conservative factions. Assembly Responses During the 9th Assembly held in February 2006 in Porto Alegre, Brazil, a Mutirao on the IEP entitled New Approaches to Inter-Religious Education was offered. This served as a type of focus group to present preliminary results of the IEP survey and garner additional feedback on interfaith educational work currently being done around the world and resources required to facilitate such endeavors. Response to the Mutirao indicated that this is a topic that is quite important to individuals in member churches. Over fifty international participants who all wanted to share their experiences in interfaith education and offer suggestions for the Council’s future work in this field filled Mutirao room. Mutirao participants echoed the results of the IEP survey in terms of the diversity of types of programs being offered around the world. These included interfaith youth education programs with international exchanges, multifaith HIV/AIDS education, and peace/non-violence initiatives. In terms of resources needed, overall requests included training materials for interfaith educators (lay academies, short courses, etc), resources to combat proselytism from conservative believers, interfaith liturgies for use in mixed-faith groups. One participant expressed a need for networking opportunities and recommend that the WCC become an information clearing house for interfaith issues. Another Mutirao participant who works with women submitted the following:
Additional issues the World Council of Churches and Hartford Seminary should consider In general, respondents asked for information that is cooperative (i.e. created in a multi-faith context), relevant to a multi-faith audience, multi-contextual and easily accessible (i.e. written on an easy-to-understand level and available on-line or via popular media outlets such as video). Some other suggestions
Conclusions/Moving Forward It is clear from the response to the survey that it the question of interfaith education is a crucial one. This is an issue that is becoming increasingly important to WCC member churches, and the Council can not afford not to engage in explorations of appropriate, informative and helpful interfaith education alongside the member churches. It is incumbent upon the WCC to engage questions of interfaith education both to remain relevant and supportive of its members and to be taken seriously in a global context. One challenge that was obvious from both the survey and Mutirao responses, however, is that it will be incredibly difficult to provide this support and engage this issue in a way that is universally applicable. There is great diversity in the context of interfaith education and the resources needed. Thus, when designing a project, the WCC should be extremely clear about its audience and application; it can’t be everything to everybody. Alternatively, it might consider creating multiple resources for a variety of contexts. This, however, might prove to be logistically or financially untenable. The over-arching request from respondents (aside from funding) was for educational resources that are adaptable to a variety of contexts (i.e. age, gender, culture, faith) and for training opportunities for program staff. Based on the survey and Mutirao responses, two concrete options among the suggestions offered by participants stand out as possibilities for future action for Phase III of the IEP: 1) Creation a primer on facilitating interfaith educational projects with sections to address issues such as overcoming violence, gender issues, experiential learning, multifaith worship experiences, etc. To achieve maximum effectiveness, a resource of this sort would need to be engaging to a diverse audience and easily translatable across language and culture. It should not be overly theological, but should engage questions of religious diversity honestly and critically. The successful reception of a curriculum of this type would need to be tailored to different age levels, be easily reproducible and made available at low-cost. 2) Creation of a training program for interfaith leaders. This would need to address basic leadership development skills for group creation and facilitation, but would also include an emphasis on interreligious training. Training individuals to facilitate programs would enhance their efforts and increase their effectiveness in their own communities. Giving such leaders instruction in the fundamentals of interfaith education would allow them to adapt the skills and resources to their own contexts and have a greater impact on their local communities. Option #2 should be considered as the stronger course of action as it builds a network of educators who can use newly developed or enhanced skills to impact their own communities in an appropriate way. Continued partnership with Hartford Seminary or survey respondents already doing this type of work on a small scale, would allow the WCC to open such opportunities to member churches without necessarily creating a program from scratch and might guarantee its longevity as well as alleviate respondent concerns recreating what has already been done. WCC Inter-faith Education Project Summary: The Project is a contribution to reflection and action in the ecumenical movement on education which takes seriously the diversity of religious faith and practice to build positive understanding and attitudes. The Project has two staged objectives – (1) to survey and analyze the global field of inter-faith education; (2) to produce a resource which would assist educators in faith communities and in education systems develop inter-faith education appropriate to their context. Some funding has become available which could make it possible to commence the first stage. 1 Introduction and Background The WCC has a long history of involvement in inter-faith dialogue and employs specialist staff in this area to support and encourage the ecumenical movement in appropriate approaches. The current activity in the area of inter-religious education is more recent and has been the responsibility of the WCC’s staff for education and ecumenical formation. Although there is a considerable overlap between inter-faith dialogue and inter-faith education, and there needs to be continuous conversation between those involved in each, there is a specificity about each which requires focused attention. A dialogical process is not the same as an educational process. Both require our attention. The outcomes of the work on inter-faith education have been published by the Comenius Institute, Germany in 2003 – Shared Learning in a Plural World: Ecumenical Approaches to Inter-religious Education. The conclusion of an evaluation of this concluded that merely to repeat the same exercises of multi-faith consultations would not add to what had already been stated and that further research is needed. The background to this Project is the use and misuse of religious faith to promote disharmony and violence within communities and between groups of people and nations. This is in contrast to the religious ideals which promote the opposite. It can arise from ignorance about different faiths or misinformation which can be accidental or deliberate. Religious identity is often formed by applying positive interpretations of our own faith and negative interpretations of the faith of others. It is a short step from holding a negative view of the faith of others to dehumanizing them. This makes it 'permissible' to marginalize or even act violently against them. There is an increasing recognition within many faith communities, state authorities and other bodies that the development of a sympathetic understanding of different faiths through education is necessary for the well being of humanity. It is also being recognized that such an approach can enrich people's own faith identity rather than weaken it. There are many people throughout the world who are undertaking what could be described as inter-religious education – faith communities, religious bodies, state education systems, private schools and non-governmental organizations. Some are inter-connected, others are not. There is a need to survey what is being done in different parts of the world; also to analyze the explicit and implicit values and the methodologies of the inter-religious education being offered. 2 Objectives The Project has two staged objectives: The first objective is a valuable end in itself which does not depend on the second being assured of completion. The second objective is entirely dependent on the first and the way in which it can be fulfilled, to a large extent, will be determined by the first outcomes. In this Project description, therefore, the second objective is aspirational while the attaining of the first will be described concretely. It is envisaged that the resource (manual or tool kit) could be available in both printed and internet forms and would include: a) tools for reflection on inter-faith engagement, b) methodologies, including specific examples, for undertaking inter-faith education in different contexts, c) identification of sources and resources from different faiths, d) advice for communicating to a wider audience, ensuring that different voices are heard and dealing with stumbling blocks, e) possibilities for curriculum development. The resource would not be an "introduction to world religions". 3 The Involvement of the WCC The involvement of the WCC in establishing and managing this project is appropriate because a) WCC has a history of relating to faiths other than Christian, b) WCC has a global remit, c) WCC already has a commitment to this having worked with educators of the world faiths on inter-faith education, d) WCC has the capacity to manage such a project. Although the WCC could manage such a project, it currently does not have the capacity to carry out the work envisaged within its normal program activity. The Project would be located within the WCC Program "The Challenge of Ecumenical Formation" which is the concern of the WCC Commission on Education and Ecumenical Formation. 4 The Stages of the Project The Project would be undertaken in two stages: 5 The Operation of Stage 1 of the Project For Stage 1, a researcher would be appointed who would be based in an appropriate organization or institution. This would need to offer a context sympathetic to the field of research and supportive of intellectual rigor. The host institution would hold and administer the research grant. A Consultative Panel would be formed with representation of the WCC Commission on Education and Ecumenical Formation, the program on Dialogue with Neighbors of Other Religions and the host institution. This would not hold face-to-face meetings. Accountability and oversight of the research would be given by the WCC through a nominated staff member (Simon Oxley) and according to the structures of the host institution. The modus operandi of the research would be agreed by the stakeholders. The following is an initial outline of the approach:
Consideration should be given by the stakeholders to alternative or supplementary approaches to carrying out this research. It is recognized that undertaking this project only in English will be limiting. However, it is necessary to be realistic about the availability and limit of funding. It is hoped that a successful outcome might lever funding for a multi-lingual approach. An agreement should be drawn up which outlines agreed approaches and procedures for the work of the Researcher, including a timeline. This must be financially feasible within the grant made available by the WCC. 6 Funding The WCC is in a position to make a one time grant of around $30,000 to the host institution before the end of 2004 to cover a mutually agreed period and modality of research to be undertaken in 2005. It should be recognized that there will be a single payment from which all costs for the agreed work would have to be undertaken. There is no guarantee that that any additional funds could be made available from the WCC program budget in 2005. Funding for additional work to that agreed for Stage 1 and for Stage 2 would have to be raised from other sources. It is hoped that the value of work undertaken would attract funding. INTERFAITH EDUCATION SURVEY CONTEXT of Your Work in Interfaith Education
News Release
|
About Us | Admissions | Programs | Faculty | Alumni/ae | Giving | Library | Bookstore | For Students | Search | Site Map | Contact Us Hartford Seminary 77 Sherman Street Hartford, CT 06105 860-509-9500 info@hartsem.edu
|
|
