Hartford Seminary News

Visitor from Library of Congress Tours Macdonald Exhibition

Dr. Issam Saliba, a specialist in Islamic law and the law of Middle Eastern and North African Countries at the Library of Congress, visited the Macdonald Exhibition at Hartford Seminary on Friday, June 14th. Dr. Saliba met with Prof. Yahya Michot, the creator of the Macdonald Exhibition and the recent Macdonald Conference. (l-r: Prof. Michot and Dr. Saliba)

Duncan Black Macdonald Conference & Exhibition Held

Duncan Black Macdonald, a pioneering member of the Hartford Seminary faculty, was honored June 2nd in a day-long event at the Seminary to mark the 150^th anniversary of his birth. Macdonald was a world-class scholar, who taught at Hartford Seminary from 1892 until 1932. At a time when the Seminary’s mission was to train Christian ministers and missionaries, Macdonald’s unique perspective on the importance of Christian-Muslim relations and his prodigious scholarship helped the institution to embrace this progressive vision for interfaith dialogue and understanding.

The Macdonald Conference & Exhibition celebrated this local, world-class scholar, who is relevant to a broad, contemporary audience. The project took the form of a day-long event featuring lecture, conversation, exhibition, historic tour and film screening. The event was sponsored by Connecticut Humanities, the International Institute of l and Hartford Seminary. The Macdonald Exhibition continues at Hartford Seminary through June 29.

Hartford Courant Features Seminary's Disaster Spiritual Care Training

Hartford Seminary hosted a two-day Disaster Spiritual Care Training on June 4-5.

Hans Harmakaputra Receives the Celie J. Terry Prize

The Celie J. Terry Prize, established by Sanford Cloud Jr., Former Chair of Hartford Seminary’s Board of Trustees, is now in its ninth year. This prize is awarded to a student who demonstrates a commitment to academic achievement and excellence in interfaith community work in greater Hartford. This year the prize is awarded to Hans Abdiel Harmakaputra.

Hans Harmakaputra is a Presbyterian Christian from Indonesia, who first came to Hartford Seminary to participate in the International Peacemaking Program. He has also earned a master of arts degree with a focus area of study in Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations from Hartford Seminary.

Hartford Seminary Graduate Bishop Idowu-Fearon to Receive the Anglican Cross of St. Augustine Award

Hartford Seminary graduate Josiah Idowu-Fearon, D.Min. ’93 and current Bishop of the Diocese of Kaduna, Nigeria will be presented with the Cross of St. Augustine by the Most Reverend and Rt. Honourable Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury. The award ceremony will take place at Lambeth Palace in London on June 20, 2013.

Congratulations to the Graduates of 2013

Hartford Seminary Announces New Assistant Professor of Islamic Scriptures and Law

Hartford Seminary announces the appointment of Ms. Feryal Salem as the new Assistant Professor of Islamic Scriptures and Law, starting in August 2013. Ms. Salem has extensive experience in both Islamic Scriptures and Islamic law acquired through her studies and research at the University of Chicago, as well as from her study of Islam traditionally. In addition to her teaching and research responsibilities at Hartford Seminary, Ms. Salem will be assisting with the Seminary’s Islamic Chaplaincy Program as well as the Imam Training Program, which is being co-sponsored by the International Institute of Islamic Thought.

Building Bridges Seminar in Qatar 2013

Dr. Lucinda Mosher, Faculty Associate for Interfaith Studies, was a participant in the Twelfth Building Bridges Seminar, convening in Doha, Qatar, May 27–29. These annual seminars bring together a select group of internationally recognized Christian and Muslim scholars for intensive study of texts from the Christian and Islamic traditions.

Disaster Spiritual Care Training to Be Hosted by Hartford Seminary

Thirty religious leaders, spiritual care providers, mental health professionals, and emergency managers will gather on the Hartford Seminary campus on June 4 & 5 for intensive training in Disaster Spiritual Care. This two-day offering, conducted by National Disaster Interfaiths Network (NDIN), is sponsored by Hartford Seminary's Multifaith Chaplaincy Program.

Hartford Seminary to Hold Second Annual Religious Diversity Workshop

Hartford Seminary will welcome a diverse circle of participants to its SECOND ANNUAL Religious Diversity Leadership Workshop, to be held Sunday evening, June 9 through Friday noon, June 14, on the Hartford Seminary campus. Made possible by generous assistance from the Shinnyo-en Foundation, this workshop will combine aspects of "training the trainers" with instruction about religious diversity itself, leadership strategies, and conflict transformation methods.

Hartford Seminary Faculty Presented at the ICNA-MAS 38th Annual Convention

HARTFORD SEMINARY FACULTY PRESENTED AT THE ICNA-MAS 38th ANNUAL CONVENTION

The 38th Annual ICNA-MAS Convention was held in Hartford, CT on Memorial Day weekend, May 25 to 27, at the Hartford convention Center. This year’s theme is Islam: The Pursuit of Happiness.

Supersized Believers: What the Dramatic Success of Megachurches Tells Us About the Spiritual State of Americans and Possible Ways for You to Reach Out to Them

With Scott Thumma, Professor of Sociology of Religion and Director of the Doctor of Ministry and Distance Education Programs

While most of us aren't interested in imitating America's megachurches, there is no doubt that they attract countless participants. A close look at the commitment methods and cultural messages of these hugely successful churches can uncover strategies that any congregation should consider employing. Social dynamics and personal needs have changed, megachurch leaders learned this, and so should any religious leader interested in reaching a new generation of faithful persons. This free webinar will assist in just such a task.

<< More information and Registration >>

Graduation Keynote address By Dr. Burton Visotzky of the Jewish Theological Seminary

This year the graduation speaker will be Dr. Burton L. Visotzky, Appleman Professor of Midrash and Interreligious Studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) in New York City, where he has been a member of the faculty since his ordination as rabbi in 1977. He is also director of the Milstein Center for Interreligious Dialogue at JTS. Prof. Visotzky’s address is entitled “The Miracle of Multifaith Education.”

Duncan Black Macdonald 150th Anniversary

Peacemaking Conference: Nurturing Peace in Contexts of Global Violence

Religious leaders throughout the world in every faith tradition are challenged today to be active agents of peace. The four-day conference will bring together theological educators and others to work together to teach and learn about peacemaking both globally and locally. The event is being held May 22-25, 2013 at the Interfaith Center, New York City. Hartford Seminary has joined other theological schools, universities and faith-based grass roots organizations in sponsoring the conference

The Marks of Empire: A Message from the Woman “Babylon” in the Book of Revelation to the City of Hartford

The Rev. Dr. Shanell T. Smith, Assistant Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins, presented a lecture on April 24th entitled “The Marks of Empire: A Message from the Woman ‘Babylon’ in the Book of Revelation to the City of Hartford.” By reading the woman Babylon’s text from a postcolonial womanist perspective, Dr. Smith highlighted the woman Babylon’s simultaneous ambivalent identification as a “brothel slavewoman” and as an “empress/imperial city.”

May 31st, 2013 – 77 Sherman Street, 5:00 PM

Congratulations on completing (or getting close to completing) your program! Graduates choosing to participate in the graduation ceremony must arrive no later than 4:30 on Friday, May 31at, 2013 to check-in and receive final instructions for line-up in their designated robing room. Your room number will be posted on the display board in the lobby.

Please note that due to work day traffic you may need to plan for a longer travel time to campus than normal.

Prof. Michot at Conference on Islamic Jurisprudence

Prof. Yahya Michot participated in the 12th International Conference on the Evolution of Islamic Jurisprudence held in Muscat from the 6th to the 9th of April. The general theme of the Conference was the jurisprudence of living together (fiqh al-ta‘âyush). Prof. Michot delivered a paper titled al-Muslim al-muwâṭin fî l-duwal ghayr al-islâmiyya (The Muslim Citizen in Non-Islamic States).

Adeel Zeb to visit Auschwitz

Adeel Zeb, a student in the Islamic Chaplaincy Program at Hartford Seminary, is one of the 14 seminarians and divinity students chosen by FASPE (Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics) to participate in a two-week program in New York, Germany, and Poland in June 2013

Amy Chan Wolsdorf ’69 Scholarship Fund for Women Established

Hartford Seminary alumna Amy Chan Wolsdorf, M.A. ‘69 has established an endowed scholarship fund at Hartford Seminary to benefit female students coming to the Seminary to prepare for careers as Christian educators or ministers.

Jay Ebersole’s Gift for the Building Abrahamic Partnerships Program

Hartford Seminary alumnus the Rev. Dr. Jay Ebersole ’53, in memory of his wife, the Rev. Dr. Eleanor Ebersole, ’51, ’53, along with their son Mark and Judy Ebersole have made a gift to the Seminary to support participation in the Building Abrahamic Partnerships Program (BAP).

This week’s Melissa Harris-Perry Foot Soldier is Asma Hanif, an advanced practice nurse who has devoted her life to operating Al-Nissa Holistic Health Center, a free clinic for women who are homeless, uninsured, or victims of domestic abuse, and Muslimat Al-Nisaa, a shelter for Muslim women.

Cl ick Here for link

Seminary Marks Full Funding of Islamic Chaplaincy Faculty Chair

On Sunday evening, March 17, 2013, the Hartford Seminary community and guests from across Connecticut and the nation celebrated the successful completion of funding for an endowed faculty chair in Islamic Chaplaincy. The chair is currently occupied by Dr. Timur Yuskaev, Assistant Professor of Contemporary Islam and Director of the Islamic Chaplaincy Program at the Seminary.

President Heidi Hadsell Speaks on Christian Ethics at Conference in Iran

President Heidi Hadsell delivered a lecture on Protestant ethics and met with students at a research institute during a recent visit to Iran. She participated in the Esra International Foundation for Revealed Science’s International Conference on Ethics and Religions in Qom, Iran.

President Heidi Hadsell Discusses Hartford Seminary on Radio Program

President Heidi Hadsell appeared on the radio program “Rich Answers,” sponsored by the Conference of Churches (Hartford, CT) and Lite 100.5 WRCH, on Sunday, March 3. Hadsell discussed Hartford Seminary – its history, its programs, its multifaith community and its commitment to interfaith dialogue and understanding and to peace building.

Study Global Ethics in Houston, TX, with President Hadsell

Hartford Seminary is offering a special one-week course on Global Ethics in April in Houston, TX. President Heidi Hadsell, Professor of Social Ethics, will teach the course, which will be held from Monday, April 8 through Friday, April 12. The course is open to the public.

Former President Barbara Brown Zikmund Donates Framed Qur'an Manuscripts

Former Hartford Seminary President Barbara Brown Zikmund visited the Seminary on Monday, February 25 to donate a framed set of photographs of the Qur'an.

Intersections International hosts International Peacemakers from Hartford Seminary

On Monday, February 11 and Tuesday, February 12, Intersections International hosted two students from Hartford Seminary’s International Peacemakers Program for training and a series of presentations. The current year’s IPP students are Zulu Lemtur from India and Morteza Rezazadeh from Iran.

Ph.D. Graduate Appointed to Teach Christian Ethics and Comparative Religion

The Rev. Dr. Francis Acquah, a 2012 graduate of the International Ph.D. program at Hartford Seminary, has been appointed a full-time lecturer in Christian Ethics and Comparative Religion at the Methodist University College in Accra, Ghana. Dr. Acquah, a Methodist minister, came to Hartford Seminary from Ghana originally to study Christian-Muslim Relations in the International Peacemaking Program.

Hartford Seminary Cited in National Report on Shortage of Imams

National Public Radio's All Things Considered program recently reported that as Islam grows in the United States, imams are in short supply. Hartford Seminary is cited as one the very few schools to train imams in America.

Improving the Seminary Property Along the Park River

Hartford Seminary is partnering with the Park River Watershed Revitalization Initiative on two projects to improve the Seminary property along the Park River. In one project, the Seminary, the Park Watershed and the Knox Parks organization are seeking a grant for removal of invasive species along the North Branch of the Park River. The second project will reduce polluted water runoff by repairing an erosion channel.

Fulbright Scholar from Egypt Studying at Hartford Seminary

The opportunity to study Islam in a different country than his native Egypt “among different people and cultures, from different perspectives, and based on different research methodologies” has brought Mohamed Abdelfattah to Hartford Seminary as a Fulbright Scholar. A graduate of the prestigious Al-Azhar University, Mohamed is studying for a Master of Arts in Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations. He will be in Hartford for two years.

Najib Awad Publishes New Book on the Arab Spring

Professor Najib Awad, Associate Professor of Christian Theology, recently published "And Freedom Became a Public-Square: Political, Sociological and Religious Overviews on the Arab Christians and the Arabic Spring." The book introduces readers to some of the substantial components and pivotal ramifications of the latest revolutions in the Arab World, known as "the Arabic Spring."

Chapel Service Starts

Hartford Seminary holds a community chapel service on Monday mornings at 9 a.m. The first service of the winter/spring semester was held on Monday, January 28. A detailed schedule is now available.

Oman: "An irresistible glow of religious pluralism"

Six Hartford Seminary students traveled to Oman for two weeks for a special January intersession course -- Christian-Muslim Relations in Arabia: Ibadi Islam and Interfaith Theology in the Sultanate of Oman. One student wrote, "I have discovered a gem of hope in the Middle East that emits an irresistible glow of religious pluralism that cannot be ignored and must be studied."

Preparing for a Study Conference on June 2 to Celebrate Duncan Black Macdonald

In preparation for the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the birth of Duncan Black Macdonald by the Seminary on June 2, Prof. Yahya Michot spent the 2012 winter break in Cairo in the footsteps of his famous predecessor. During his 1908 sabbatical in Egypt, Macdonald walked around Cairo and took many photographs. One century later, Michot was able to take new shots of more than half of the same locations. The comparison between these views of Cairo, old and new, offers amazing contrasts.

Indonesian Students Studying at Hartford Seminary

Three students from Indonesia with experience in interfaith dialogue and a commitment to religious harmony have arrived at Hartford Seminary to begin their studies toward a Master of Arts in Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations. They will start courses when the winter/spring 2013 semester starts on January 22.

Professors Roozen, Thumma Featured in National Publications

David Roozen, Professor of Religion and Society, has published an essay in Theological Education titled "Educating Religious Leaders for a Multireligious World: Outcomes and Learning." Scott Thumma, Professor of Sociology of Religion, is quoted in a recent New York Times article titled "Building Congregations Around Art Galleries and Cafes as Spirituality Wanes."

Search Started for Professor of Islamic Scriptures and Fiqh

Hartford Seminary invites applications for a position as Assistant Professor of Islamic Scriptures and Fiqh. The appointment begins in fall 2013.

Hartford Seminary Community Mourns Loss of Ana Marquez-Greene and Other Victims in Newtown

Former Hartford Seminary staff member Nelba Marquez-Greene, and her husband, noted jazz artist Jimmy Greene, lost a child, Ana Grace, in the horrific shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown. Nelba was a staff assistant in Educational Programs and worked with the Black Ministries and Hispanic Ministries Programs. We mourn her loss and that of all the children and staff who lost their lives this past Friday.

Sunnism and Shi'ism: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

In the Biennial Willem Bijlefeld Lecture, Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr explored the history of the relationship between Sunnism and Shi’ism, which goes back to the death of the Prophet Muhammad. Dr. Nasr discussed the manipulation for political interests of Sunni-Shi’ite differences by forces both internal and external to the Islamic world and reflected on the future of the relationship between Sunnism and Shi'ism and the impact it is likely to have within the Islamic world itself and in its relation to the West.

Hartford Seminary Alumnus Ranked Among World's Most Influential Muslims

Imam Yahya Hendi, M.A. ’93, was named this week as one of the world’s 500 most influential Muslims for his work as an interfaith activist. Imam Hendi serves as chaplain at Georgetown University and is the founder of the nonprofit organization Clergy Beyond Borders.

"How do Christians envision the future of interreligious relationships in the post Assad Syria?"

In this lecture, delivered on November 27, 2012, Dr. Najib Awad shows that the Christians in Syria are neither silent nor indifferent to the Syrian Spring, and sheds light on the real essence of the Christians’ stance on the Syrian revolution.

Hadsell Attends World Peace Forum, Inclusive America Project

President Heidi Hadsell spoke at the 4^th annual World Peace Forum November 23 -25 in West Java, Indonesia and will participate in the Inclusive America Project of the Aspen Institute’s Justice and Society Program in December.

Four Indonesian Professors Visit Hartford Seminary

Hartford Seminary hosted four scholars from the Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies this week.

Seminary Community Mourns the Passing of Bishop Kenneth Cragg

Bishop Kenneth Cragg, Professor of Arabic and Islamics at Hartford Seminary from 1951-1958 and co-editor of The Muslim World journal, has passed away. Cragg had a special commitment to Christian-Muslim dialogue that influenced generations of religious leaders and academic scholars.

Seminary Establishes New Chair in Abrahamic Partnerships

Hartford Seminary has established an endowed faculty chair in Abrahamic Partnerships that will further enhance the Seminary’s national prominence in multifaith education.

The focus of the chair will be on the history and the practice of Jewish-Christian-Muslim relations.

The lead gift for the chair, of $500,000, was made by the Prior Family Foundation.

Seminary will open today at 10 a.m.

Due to last night's snow storm, Hartford Seminary will delay opening today until 10 a.m.

Confirmation Classes Attend Interfaith Event

On Saturday, October 27, Hartford Seminary presented a special interfaith afternoon of exploration and discovery to confirmation classes from 10 United Church of Christ and Episcopal churches.

Library, Commemorative Courtyard Projects Completed

Hartford Seminary is pleased to announce the completion of two major projects to enhance library services to students and the public and to honor alumni and friends of the Seminary in a commemorative courtyard.

Sunday, June 9 - Friday, June 14, 2013

-- A gathering of interfaith advocates, clergy, youth leaders, program administrators, educators and other professionals from diverse religious backgrounds and practices to explore the challenges of leadership in multifaith contexts.

Hartford Seminary Faculty Members Attend National Conference on Jewish-Muslim Relations

This week in Washington, D.C., President Heidi Hadsell and Professors Yehezkel Landau and Yahya Michot participated in “Judaism and Islam in America,” a national conference sponsored by Hartford Seminary, the Islamic Society of North America and the Jewish Theological Seminary.

Doctor of Ministry Graduate To Participate in the National Clergy Renewal Program

Tabernacle Baptist Church of Utica, NY, has received a grant of $47,425. to enable its Pastor, The Rev. Dr. Mark S. Caruana, D.Min. '03, to participate in the 2012 National Clergy Renewal Program.

Jacky Manuputty, Seminary Alumnus, Honored for Peacemaking Work in Indonesia

The Rev. Jacky Manuputty, a Master of Arts and International Peacemaking Program graduate, has been awarded the Peacemakers in Action award by the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding. He has helped form Peace Provocateurs to use social media to combat religious conflict between Christians and Muslims in Indonesia.

Listen to "Money in Politics: The High Cost of 'Free' Speech"

On Thursday, October 4, Dr. Michael Rion, former president of Hartford Seminary and noted business ethicist, delivered a timely lecture, "Money in Politics: The High Cost of 'Free' Speech."

Uriah Kim Named Academic Dean at Hartford Seminary

Hartford Seminary President Heidi Hadsell announced Wednesday that The Rev. Dr. Uriah Kim, Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible, has been appointed to a three-year term as Academic Dean of Hartford Seminary.

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Hartford Seminary News

May 31st, 2013 – 77 Sherman Street, 5:00 PM

Sunday, June 9 - Friday, June 14, 2013