Opportunities for 21st Century Interfaithing

This week, I’m attending the President’s Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge fifth annual convening in Washington D.C. It is organized by the Department of Education and the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

I will be serving on a panel to talk about Illinois College’s partnership with the Interfaith Youth Core, which has taken several forms over the past three years. This work has already benefitted students in multiple ways, from leadership training to educational opportunities, and has brought more campus leaders into conversation about why and how interfaith cooperation reflects the mission of the college. Most specifically, we are working to embody a 21^st century version of the 19^th century vision of our abolitionist clergy founders who deliberately sought to provide a nonsectarian, faith-related, civically-engaged liberal arts education.

I have written recently on this blog about aspects of my own work as a professor of religion committed to interfaith understanding, including the following:

Why We Need to Teach Interfaith Understanding

4 Women & a Train Station: Reflection on an Interfaith Moment

Christian Privilege & the Religion Professor

Food, Faith, Diversity & Service

Talking Interfaith Studies

I look forward to hearing what good work is happening on other campuses around the country, and talking to colleagues about moving our collective efforts forward.

I’ll be tweeting from the conference @feminismxianity … find me there!