For Religious Leaders in Training
The Emerging Religious Leaders Intensive
Introducing the Emerging Religious Leaders Intensive (ERLI), a week-long residential interreligious experience for Christian, Jewish and Muslim students training for leadership roles that has been a decade in the making.
Since 2013, the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies hosted this one-week residential encounter, first with Jewish rabbinical students and for the first time in 2022, with Muslim emerging leaders. Beginning in 2023, this academic course will be offered to designated Jewish and Muslim theological schools, and Christian seminaries in the U.S. accredited with the Association of Theological Schools (ATS).
Emerging Religious Leaders provides a safe environment for learning and highlighting the values of inter-religious dialogue. It is a great opportunity for religious leaders to meet and have practical and authentic conversation and ask challenging questions.
Catholic University of America, ERL 2022 Participant
I appreciate the faculty’s intentionality to gather us all. I had no idea that it would be us coming together in one place from all over the nation with different backgrounds. There are so many differences among us, but so many similarities that we share.
Howard University, ERL 2022 Participant
I love the fact that even though we were in the same class listening to the same discussions, we both walked away with totally different opinions and perceptions. We could both, then, reflect on the community we both come from and see how we could take all of that back to our community.
Madina Institute, ERL 2022 Participant
There are a lot of similarities between how we live out our faiths. Emerging Religious Leaders has shown me that the God in me is the God in everyone else, and it’s exciting to see.
Wesley Theological Seminary, ERL 2022 Participant
Emerging Religious Leaders has been a very positive and eye-opening experience. I witnessed and participated in some intense conversations and growth. It is a wonderful opportunity to begin some very important and sorely needed conversations. I see the ERL as a starting point for more interreligious work and progress in the future.
Rabata, ERL 2022 Participant
This program was transformative. I feel we all walked away knowing that our common love for God and humanity through our faith is what is most important and how that can lay the groundwork for mutual witness in the world.
Howard University, ERL 2022 Participant