We are thrilled to announce an upcoming event featuring our exceptional 2023 cohort of students in our Study of the U.S. Institutes Program on Religious Diversity and Democracy. This summer, 20 emerging leaders from Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, India, and Indonesia will spend five weeks with the Dialogue Institute learning about the varied religious landscape of the U.S., and its relationship to democratic ideals and practice. Students will also learn the skills of dialogue and civic leadership.

On July 18th, 2023 from 4:00 - 5:30 PM, at Temple University’s Mazur Hall 7 these students will share how their experiences and learning in the U.S. will be applied to a community action project to be implemented in their home countries.

Since 2008, the Dialogue Institute has equipped more than 300 young adult leaders who have become agents of change who work to practice pluralism, and democracy, and advance understanding, compassion, and dialogue across differences through civic, religious, and academic leadership.

This event will take place at Temple University in Mazur Hall 7, just off the main lobby. We invite all community members and friends of the Dialogue Institute and Temple University to mark their calendars and join us for this exciting and informative event! Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to learn from these exceptional students and be inspired to make a difference in your own community. Special greetings will be offered by:

• Dr. Khalid Blankinship, Chair, Religion Department, Temple University

• Dr. Emilia Zankina, Dean Temple University Rome, Interim Vice Provost for Global Engagement, Temple University

Join us June 14, 2023, at 7:00 PM EST!

Political polarization is greater now than it has been in decades. It has become increasingly difficult for Americans to have civil conversations about many topics, including school curriculum. What can we do to foster more compassionate, thoughtful, and inclusive conversations with one another about what our young people learn in school?

In this Zoom event, we will hear from two Pennsylvania state legislators, Rep. Jared Solomon (Democrat) and Rep. Jesse Topper (Republican), who are working to build bridges across partisan lines. They will be joined by three discussants, from a range of political views, who will help to identify the typical points of conflict in current public discourse and explore strategies for fostering sincere dialogue that moves beyond debate and political talking points.

Respondents include:

Rep. Solomon is based in Philadelphia and represents the 202nd district as a Democrat, while Rep. Topper is based in Bedford, Pennsylvania, and represents the 78th District as a Republican. Despite their different political affiliations, they have found ways to work together across partisan lines. Together, we will discuss the challenges of balancing personal beliefs and political opinions with the need for inclusive and equitable curriculum in our public schools.

This event will include a lecture, dialogue, and short walking tour looking at the history of Black-Jewish relations in Philadelphia during the 1960s. It will feature to historic episodes: the Columbia Avenue Riots and the desegregation protests of Girard College. Registration information is forthcoming and will be coordinated by our sponsoring organization, the America Jewish Committee of Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey.

This tour will be available to registrants of the American Society of Church History conference in Philadelphia. To register, visit: https://churchhistory.org/annualmeeting/annual-meeting-2023/

This program is primarily for our SUSI program alumni and invited guests. If you would still like to attend, please reach out to Dave Krueger at dk@dialogueinstitute.org prior to registering.

In the past few years, the term Christian Nationalism has appeared much more frequently in public discourse in the United States. Some politicians are embracing it as a foundation for their political identities. A wave of new books on the topic have recently appeared, some to argue for Christian Nationalism as a political strategy to save the nation and others to illuminate the threat it poses to liberal democracies founded on a commitment to pluralism. In this session, Dr. David Krueger will provide background to the rise of Christian nationalism and discuss its implications for the health of religiously-diverse democracies. This session is intended to be a catalyst for future conversations about religious nationalisms around the world.

Dr. David Krueger is a historian of religion in the U.S., adjunct professor at Temple University, and executive director of the Dialogue Institute.

The 1st Africa Dialogue Conference on Pluralism, Democracy and Dialogue in Africa will take place virtually on December 8, 2022.

The Pan-African Dialogue Institute in collaboration with the Dialogue Institute at Temple University, Philadelphia, United States of America invites the participation of academic, political, traditional, and religious leaders; youth and women organizations, as well as institutes in Africa engaging in the fields of intercultural, interreligious and inter-ideological dialogue and peacebuilding. The conference highlights the successes and challenges of African and African diaspora individuals, organizations and centers in the advancement of stable and peaceful societies that embrace pluralism and democratic norms.

Accepted papers have a focus on Africa and the interrelated fields of religion and democracy. Papers address these issues from cultural, historical, political, philosophical, anthropological, sociological, economic, theological and interreligious perspectives.

The conference begins at 9:00 AM Eastern U.S. Time (Philadelphia) | 3:00 PM Western Africa Time (Nigeria) and will last for approximately three hours.

Conference registration is free, but attendees are asked to make a donation in the range of $50 to $200 to cover costs associated with hosting the conference. Participants in Africa and students living anywhere are not expected to donate.

To register, click the button below.

Schedule

9:00: Welcome by Dr. David Krueger, Executive Director of the Dialogue Institute

9:05: Greeting by Dr. Martyn Miller, Assistant Vice President of Temple University’s Office of Global Engagement

9:10: Welcome by Dr. Effiong Udo, Conference co-facilitator

THEME ONE: Historical Perspectives on Democracy and Dialogue in Africa

9:15 - A HISTORY OF ISLAMIC POLITICAL POWER IN THE SAHEL REGION OF AFRICA 8 TH - 16 TH CENTURY

Moussa Serge Traore, School of Oriental and African Studies,
University of London (Burkina Faso)

9:25 - HOW DOES CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHINGS AFFECT THE CHURCH’S PEACEBUILDING INTERVENTIONS? INSIGHT FROM THE NIGERIAN CIVIL WAR, 1967-1970

Efetobor Stephanie Effevottu, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

9:35 - NAVIGATING THE SACRED SPACE THROUGH THE PRISM OF THE 1992 CONSTITUTION OF GHANA: THE ROLE OF THE STATE

Cosmas Ebo Sarbah, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana.

THEME TWO: Democracy and Dialogue Engagements in Africa

9:50 - CIVIC RELIGIOUS ENGAGEMENT: EMPOWERING CIVIL SOCIETIES IN SOUTH SUDAN AND NIGERIA

Sam Howell, Hardwired Global, United States

10:00 - INTERFAITH CONVERSATIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS: FROM DIALOGUE TO PANALOGUE IN NIGERIA

Leo Iqwe, Humanist Association of Nigeria

10:10 - INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE AS PANACEA FOR RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE IN SOUTHWEST, NIGERIA.

Omomia O. Austin, Mcpherson University, Ogun State. Nigeria.

10:20 - DEMOCRATIC IDEALS FOR POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN A PLURALISTIC AFRICAN SOCIETY: A CASE OF KADUNA STATE

Isaac Peter Maichiki, Kaduna State College of Education Gidan-waya,

Samuel Victor Akwe, University of Jos, Nigeria

10:30 - INTERFAITH DIALOGUE AS A PANACEA TO RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE IN NIGERIA: A MUSLIM PERSPECTIVE

Kazeem Oluwaseun Dauda, National Open University of Nigeria, Jabi-Abuja

10:40 - THE ROLE OF INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE IN UPHOLDING THE ETHOS OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY

Wendy Chinonyerem Benaiah, University of Ibadan (Nigeria)

10:50 - DEMOCRACY, INTERCULTURAL AND INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE IN AFRICA: A PERSPECTIVE FROM CENTRAL AFRICA.

Mutombo Nkulu-N’Sengha, California State University,
Northridge (in Los Angeles)

THEME THREE: Biblical Hermeneutics of Dialogue in Africa

11:05 - PERSUASION AS A VERITABLE TOOL IN DIALOGUE: LESSONS FROM JUDGES 19: 3 TOWARDS DIFFUSING THE PAINS OF PLURALISM IN DEMOCRATIC NIGERIA.

Gerald Emem Umoren, University of Uyo, Nigeria.

11:15 - DECOLONIZING DIALOGUE AND DEMOCRACY: AN AFROCENTRIC HERMENEUTICS OF PARABLE OF THE SOWER (LK 8: 11-18)

Effiong Joseph Udo, University of Uyo

11:25 - THE CHURCH AND POLITICAL MESSIAHS: BIBLICAL AND TRADITIONAL RESPONSE TO LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE IN NIGERIA

Michael, N. Nwoko, Abia State University, Uturu, Nigeria

Effiong J. Udo, University of Uyo, Nigeria

THEME FOUR: Youth Participation in Dialogue and Democracy in Africa

11:35 - A POLICY APPRAISAL OF ‘NOT TOO YOUNG TO RUN ACT’ IN THE CONTEXT OF AFRICAN YOUTH, PEACE AND SECURITY FRAMEWORK

Kuyik Ekpenyong, University of Uyo, Akwa IbomState, Nigeria

THEME FIVE: Indigenous Perspectives to Dialogue and Peace in Africa

11:45 - AFRICAN PEACEMAKING DATABASE: THE WORLD’S FIRST GRASSROOTS PEACE INDEX

Seth Kinzie, Pan-African Dialogue Institute

11:55 - AN ETHNOGRAPHIC COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF INDIGENOUS GOVERNANCE AND CONTEMPORARY SYSTEMS FOR SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION IN MERU

Mungathia Paul, Catholic University, Kenya

Information for Presenters

October 13: Notifications of paper acceptance will be sent

November 8: All paper titles, final abstracts, and bios are due.

November 30: Final versions of papers and video presentations are due.

All correspondence can be sent to Dr. Effiong Udo at eju@dialogueinstitute.org and Dr. Mutombo Nkulu-N’Sengha at mutombo.nkulu-sengha@csun.edu.

Submissions - Call for Papers

Abstract of proposals not exceeding 250 words should be submitted by September 30, 2022. To be considered, abstracts and author information must be submitted using the online form HERE.

We invite original papers that have a focus on Africa and the interrelated fields of religion and democracy. Papers should address these issues in the context of the conference theme, and may be approached from cultural, historical, political, philosophical, anthropological, sociological, economic, theological or interreligious perspectives.

The Conference Committee will notify successful applicants by October 4, 2022; while full draft papers from selected participants will be expected by October 30, 2022. Selected participants will be notified on the mode of presentation during the Conference on November 17, 2022. Revised versions of the papers presented may be submitted after the conference to be considered for publication in the Journal of Ecumenical Studies. For further questions about the call for papers and the upcoming conference, send an email to conference coordinators Effiong Udo at eju@dialogueinstitute.org and Mutombo Nkulu-N’Sengha at mutombo.nkulu-sengha@csun.edu. You may also reach out to the Dialogue Institute executive director: dk@dialogueinstitute.org. 

Professor Leonard Swidler has retired after teaching at Temple University’s Department of Religion for 56 years. He is also the co-founder of the Journal of Ecumenical Studies and the Dialogue Institute at Temple University. Join us for this virtual retirement celebration to hear from former students and faculty who have been impacted by Dr. Swidler’s work. To register for this Zoom event, click HERE.

All are invited to share written or video reflections, tributes, or by filling out this Google form.

This tour covers sites in Old City Philadelphia and will include visits to several houses of worship (Protestant, Catholic, Jewish) and entrance inside two of them. The tour also includes sites where religion was practiced and proclaimed in public spaces such as Washington Square and Carpenter’s Hall by a wide array of the city’s residents including enslaved and free people of African descent, white colonial elites, and itinerant preachers. We will uncover the interfaith roots of Philadelphia’s most cherished institutions such as America’s first university and first public hospital. The tour will explore the influence of William Penn’s religiously diverse colony on constitutional debates about religious freedom that continue to this day.

Location: The walking tour typically begins near the William Penn statue in Welcome Park at 129 Sansom Walk, Philadelphia PA 19106.

Email dk@dialogueinstitute.org if you would like to attend. Limited spaces available - sign up now!

Join Temple University’s Global Studies Department and the Dialogue Institute at Temple University for a round table discussion on Global Challenges to Pluralism and Democracy.

Attendees will learn from student leaders from Egypt, Lebanon, India, Indonesia, and Iraq who will offer global perspectives on the challenges faced in diverse democracies. These visiting students are at Temple from October 6-16 to finish a Study of the U.S. Institutes program on religious pluralism funded by the U.S. Department of State.

All are welcome! The event will take place on October 10, 2022 from 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm in Gladfelter Hall 107. View the campus map HERE.

RSVP to this event below.

When: Monday, June 20 from 6:30 to 8:00 PM

Location: Howard Gittis Student Center Room 217 at Temple University

1755 North 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122

SUSI Students to Return to Temple University Summer 2022!

For the first time since 2019, The Dialogue Institute is excited to announce that we will be hosting an in-person cohort of SUSI Students in Summer 2022.

The Dialogue Institute has been hosting Study of the U.S. Institutes (SUSI) for Student Leaders since 2010, focusing on Religious Pluralism in the United States. The five-week program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State (Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs), introduces students to central elements of U.S. history, society, institutions, and democracy through a focus on religious freedom and pluralism in the American context.

The Dialogue Institute has teamed up with Meridian International and The Department of State to host another cohort of Study of the US Institutes (SUSI) students on the theme of religious pluralism in the United States. We have 20 students coming to Philadelphia from Iraq, Indonesia, India, Lebanon, and Egypt.

We would like to extend an invitation for you to join us at our Temple University SUSI 2022 Welcome Reception to be held on Monday, June 20th from 6:30PM to 8PM EST at the Howard Gittis Student Center at Temple University.

This is a private a event. Click on our Tours page to book a private or public tour.

By the time of the Revolution, Philadelphia had more religious diversity, and a larger free Black population, than anywhere else in the American colonies. Learn about the conflicts and experiences that shaped early American debates about religious freedom and race.

Participants will also meet members of the Dialogue Institute research team and guides who will offer future in-person and virtual tours. The event will also raise funds to further develop its tour program and train guide-facilitators to engage the public. 

The event is hosted by Dialogue Institute Executive Director Dr. David Krueger. 

The Dialogue Institute is honored to host a Zoom conversation with holocaust survivor Dr. Harold Kasimow regarding his most recent book, Love or Perish: A Holocaust Survivor’s Vision for Interfaith Peace. Dr. Kasimow received a bachelor’s from the Jewish Theological Seminary before he came to Temple University, where he worked on a master’s and a PhD in Religious Studies, and has dedicated his life to fostering a community of love and respect through interreligious dialogue. His latest book is a continuation of his work in the field of interreligious dialogue, where; he shares his Holocaust experiences, explains the friendship that developed between his mentor Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel and Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., compares and contrasts how Rabbis and scholars of Jewish Studies view the Holocaust, and provides a place for interfaith dialogue among four of the largest world religions. Do not miss this great opportunity to meet Dr. Kasimow and learn firsthand about his experiences.

This is a free event open to all.

What role does school curricula play in fostering or inhibiting understanding between religious and social groups?

This discussion features two recent authors of the Journal of Ecumenical Studies who have written about the importance of implementing curricula in schools and faith communities that teach a commitment to intergroup understanding. Highlighting examples from Palestine-Israel and Bosnia, former headmaster of Huntington School in the United Kingdom David Kibble illustrates how school curricula can sometimes be used to perpetuate misunderstandings between social groups. Kibble will be joined by Professor of Islamic Studies Sobhi Rayan from Al-Qasemi Academic College of Education in Baqa-El-Gharbia, Israel to discuss religious resources from both Christianity and Islam that can help religiously-committed students to celebrate diversity while remaining rooted in their own traditions.

This is a free event open to all.

Panelists:
Dr. Devan Stahl, PhD - Assistant Professor of religion and bioethics at Baylor University and former hospital chaplain and clinical ethicist
Dr. Renee Fennell, RN, DMD - President of Dental First Corp. and Adjunct Professor at Temple University’s Kornberg School of Dentistry
Dr. Bijan Etemad, MD - Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania and practicing Psychiatrist with over 60 years of experience

To many, it would seem that religion has no place in medicine. Yet, since before the time of Hippocrates in the fifth century, the popular belief was that the gods caused as well as cured human diseases. Hippocrates is considered the Father of Modern Medicine and since his time Western societies began to believe that natural forces like the cosmos and an imbalance of the four humours caused disease. Although, western medical practices today are shaped more by science, religious views still have a strong influence for many people and what they expect from caregivers. As a result, religious literacy and the skills of dialogue are essential for medical caregivers. Join us for a dialogue centered on the relationship between religion and medicine and hear our panelist’s personal experiences of navigating diverse religious orientations among their patients.