On June 22, the Dialogue Institute will welcome 20 Student Leaders from Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, and Turkey who are participating in the Study of the U.S. Institute on Religious Pluralism in the U.S. The program, sponsored by the Education and Cultural Affairs Bureau of the U.S. Department of State, introduces students to American democracy and religious diversity in US society.

Prof. Ingeborg Gabriel of the University of Vienna recently addressed Temple students and faculty, DI Board members and other community partners at Paley Library on Temple’s Main Campus. Prof. Gabriel, who is Chair of the Department of Social Ethics and Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Roman Catholic Theology at the University of Vienna, spoke on the topic “Where Difference Matters: Social Ethics in the Contemporary World.” A panel comprised of Orthodox and Protestant scholar/activists, and representatives from the legal and business communities responded to the lecture, and the afternoon concluded with a musical presentation by members of the local dialogue organization Intercultural Journeys. The event marked the release of the new Ecumenical Press book Trilogy of Social Ethics: Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant, which is co-authored by Prof. Gabriel.

Issue #5 of the Dialogue Institute's E-News highlights Angela Ilić's doctorate, the fourth Study of the U.S. Institute on Religious Pluralism, a visit to Jakarta, Dr. Swidler's Keynote in Austria, and more! ...

The Dialogue Institute’s first Graduate Intern, Angela Ilic, recently defended her doctoral dissertation—Toward the Healing of Memories and Changing of Perceptions: Churches in Serbia and Germany in Dialogue—in the Temple University Department of Religion. She was awarded her degree “With Distinction,” a recognition rarely granted by the Department. During her four years as an Intern/Fellow with the DI, she not only gained valuable experience, but also contributed significantly to the DI’s work of international networking and training students and scholars in interreligious dialogue. Read More

Prof. Len Swidler met with eleven Indonesian alumni/ae of the DI’s “Study of the U.S. Institute (SUSI) on Religious Pluralism” programs, along with several local interreligious leaders, at a March gathering hosted by the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta. During the event, Agung Pamungkas, who participated in the SUSI program this winter, spoke about the significance of the experience for him and his fellow students. Read full remarks.

Twenty undergraduates from universities across Indonesia took part in the Dialogue Institute’s fourth “Study of the U.S. Institute” on the topic of religious pluralism, a five-week program held in January-February. In addition to their studies in residence at Temple University, these student leaders traveled to New York City, Lancaster County, PA, Miami, and Washington, DC. Throughout the program, they visited numerous historical and religious sites, studied the origins of American democracy and religious freedom, and learned skills for engaging in dialogue across religious boundaries. They returned home equipped with individual and group action plans that will carry their learning forward.

A recent DI-hosted workshop and forum featured two leading peacemakers from Israel: Sheikh Ghassan Manasra, Director of the Islamic Cultural Center in Nazareth, and Eliyahu McLean, Director of Jerusalem Peacemakers. The two shared about initiatives in their respective Muslim and Jewish communities, through which they seek to foster interreligious understanding and new possibilities for addressing ancient divisions. The event was co-sponsored by the Department of Multifaith Studies and Initiatives at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Philadelphia.

Issue #4 of the Dialogue Institute’s E-News features the recognition of Leonard Swidler and the Dialogue Institute with an Award in Community Service, a Kurdish Leadership Seminar, a third Study of the U.S. Institute on Religious Pluralism in America, and the annual meeting of the North American Academy of Ecumenists.