The Temple University Religion Department is unique in its founding principles.

For almost fifty years the world’s major religious traditions have been taught from the perspective of scholars who adhere to those same traditions. Naturally, through intellectual inquiry and collaborative work, a theory and practice of interreligious dialogue emerged. It attracted Leonard Swidler, Professor of Catholic Thought, not only to come to Temple to teach, but also to transplant and develop the award-winning refereed Journal of Ecumenical Studies (JES), which he co-founded with Arlene Swidler in 1964 and continues to edit. Evolving from intra-Christian Dialogue to Interreligious and Inter-ideological Dialogue was a natural progression for Len Swidler, as he traveled around the globe in dialogical engagement. Over the years, Swidler’s numerous books and hundreds of articles have propelled him to international recognition.

In 1978, as a companion arm to JES the academic journal, the “Institute for Interreligious, Intercultural Dialogue” was established with the first International Scholars’ Abrahamic Trialogue. This work evolved into the establishment of a “Global Dialogue Institute.”  Thirty years later, in 2008, The Dialogue Institute has emerged as the collective embodiment of these pioneering efforts in interreligious dialogue.

For the past thirty years, this institutional work translated the cutting-edge research published in JES into concrete activities and partnerships. Numerous conferences were sponsored worldwide on specific issues in the arena of interreligious, intercultural and inter-ideological dialogue. These have included groundbreaking seminars on Jewish-Christian Dialogue in German universities (East and West) and throughout the  United States; Christian-Marxist Dialogue in USA and Europe, in the former Soviet Union and China; and an International Buddhist-Christian Dialogue Conference in Japan.

Professor Swidler, the founder of the Dialogue Institute, now serves as its President. Dr. Julia Sheetz-Willard, a graduate of Temple’s Religion Department, serves as Director, bringing wisdom and experience from years in pastoral, academic, and community work. Dr. Racelle R. Weiman is Senior Director of Global Education and Program Development. A former student of Prof. Swidler, and active participant in many of his global initiatives throughout the decades, Dr. Weiman returns to Temple after 25 years of work in the areas of tolerance education and the prevention of Holocaust and genocide.