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# ICJS

Institute for Islamic, Christian, Jewish Studies

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://icjs.org/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Pages

- [Homepage](https://icjs.org/) - ICJS builds learning communities where dialogue replaces division and religious difference becomes a force for good.
- [Chaplains & Spiritual Caregivers](https://icjs.org/chaplains/) - Explore programs for chaplains focused on religious literacy, spiritual care, dialogue, and navigating religious diversity in caregiving.
- [Congregational Leaders Fellowship](https://icjs.org/congregational-leaders/) - The Fellowship for Congregations is a cohort program for Muslim, Christian, & Jewish congregational leaders to build relationships and deepen understanding.
- [For Nonprofit and Civic Professionals](https://icjs.org/nonprofit-and-civic-professionals/) - The Fellowship for Nonprofit & Civic Professionals is a cohort program to build religious literacy, dialogue skills, & leadership for a multireligious society.
- [Advancing Hope | Dismantling Hate: Campaign for the Interreligious Society](https://icjs.org/advancing-hope-campaign/) - Support the Advancing Hope | Dismantling Hate campaign and help ICJS deepen impact, expand reach, and amplify our public voice for the interreligious society.
- [Fellowship for Teachers](https://icjs.org/teachers-fellowship/) - Join the ICJS Fellowship for Teachers. Build religious literacy, dialogue skills, and an Interreligious Framework for a multireligious society.
- [The Crusades in Popular Culture](https://icjs.org/the-crusades-in-popular-culture/) - The Crusades in Popular Culture Nearly 1,000 years after the first Crusade, Crusader language and imagery continue to appear in mascots, films, cartoons, video games, sports culture, political rhetoric, and public life. What meanings do these symbols carry—and what happens when history becomes a framework for dividing the world into heroes and enemies? In this
- [Newsroom](https://icjs.org/news/) - ICJS Newsroom ICJS in the News Baltimore’s Heather Miller Rubens holds space for respectful religious disagreement, Maryland Daily Record, July 28, 2026. Heather Miller Rubens joined Sloane Brown for The Daily Record’s Off the Record video podcast. In Baltimore, This Organization Is Committed to Unity, Baltimore Jewish Times, July 21, 2026. An interview with ICJS Head of
- [2025-2026 Teacher Fellows](https://icjs.org/2025-2026-teacher-fellows/) - 2025-2026 Teacher Fellows Caitlin Atkins Our Lady of Good Counsel High School Rachel Cawkwell Carver Vocational-Technical High School Jason Creeger The St. Paul’s Schools Deb Dilworth Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School Natalie Leach Friends School of Baltimore Amanda Macomber The Bryn Mawr School Steven Martinez Cross Country Elementary Middle School Patrick Oray Bard
- [For Religious Leaders in Training](https://icjs.org/emerging-religious-leaders/) - For Religious Leaders in Training The Emerging Religious Leaders Intensive (ERLI) The Emerging Religious Leaders Intensive (ERLI) is a week-long residential immersion experience in interreligious learning and dialogue for Christian, Jewish, and Muslim seminary students training for leadership roles. For the past decade, ERLI has filled a key gap in seminary education as few institutions
- [Events and Courses](https://icjs.org/events-lectures-discussions/) - On Demand On Demand Events Author Series with John S. Munayer and Samuel S. Munayer Brothers John and Samuel Munayer, co-editors of The Cross and the Olive Tree, join Benjamin E. Sax to explore Palestinian Christian experience, emerging theology after Gaza, and why humility, listening, and neighbor-blessing matter amid Israel-Palestine’s competing narratives. On Demand Minicourses
- [For Clergy & Religious Leaders](https://icjs.org/for-clergy-and-religious-leaders/)
- [2026 Emerging Religious Leaders Intensive Participants](https://icjs.org/2026-emerging-religious-leaders-intensive-participants/) - 2026 Emerging Religious Leaders Intensive Participants Christian Participants Fuller Theological Seminary Alexander Lee Anna Snider Luther Seminary Rose DiGeronimo Doran Schoeppach Steve Smith Rachel Wyffels United Theological Seminary Rev. Gwen Val Velsor Jewish Participants Academy for Jewish Religion Sue Potechin Gui Susteras Rebecca Van Wagner Alice Yasuna Hebrew College Yitzi Gittelsohn Jaz Twersky Reconstructionist Rabbinical
- [For Higher Ed Faculty](https://icjs.org/higher-ed-faculty/) - For Higher Education Faculty ICJS Hosts Premier Interreligious Lectureship The Silber-Obrecht Lecture is the premiere endowed lecture in the emerging field of Interreligious and Interfaith Studies. The 2025 lecture featured Rabbi Dr. Rachel S. Mikva, Professor of Jewish Studies and Senior Faculty Fellow, InterReligious Institute, Chicago Theological Seminary. A response was given by Dr. Younus
- [2025-2026 Nonprofit and Civic Leader Fellows](https://icjs.org/2025-2026-nonprofit-and-civic-leader-fellows/) - 2025-2026 Nonprofit and Civic Leader Fellows Affiliation listed at time of fellowship Joshua Ackerman Community College of Baltimore County | History professor Tracey Beale Baltimore Museum of Art | Director of Public Programs | Independent artist Megan Brantley The Baltimore Jewish Council | Director of community relations Rev. Neal Christie The Religious Nationalisms Project |
- [2024 ICJS Faculty Seminar](https://icjs.org/2024-icjs-faculty-seminar/) - 2024 ICJS Faculty Seminar Interreligious Perspectives on Death and Dying The 2024 ICJS Faculty Seminar, which was held at ICJS in Baltimore from July 14 to 18, brought scholars, chaplains, and spiritual caretakers into conversation for an interreligious study and reflection on the broad area of Death and Dying. Participants examined how specific themes engage
- [The Silber-Obrecht Lecture 2023](https://icjs.org/the-silber-obrecht-lecture-2023/) - The 2023 Silber-Obrecht Lecture What is the State and the Future of Interreligious and Interfaith Studies? The inaugural Silber-Obrecht Lecture, held April 25–27, 2023, at Loyola University Maryland, featured Francis X. Clooney, S.J., a Harvard Divinity School theologian, and Shubha Pathak, Ph.D., of American University. Clooney reflected on the state and future of interreligious and
- [The 2025 Silber-Obrecht Lecture](https://icjs.org/the-2025-silber-obrecht-lecture/) - The 2025 Silber-Obrecht Lecture What Does it Mean to be Human? Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Perspectives Christian traditions develop theologies of original sin grounded in Genesis. Jewish traditions teach about competing human inclinations for good and evil in rabbinic tradition. Islamic traditions affirm the concept of fitra—an innate ability to discern goodness and recognize God
- [The Silber-Obrecht Lecture](https://icjs.org/silber-obrecht-lecture/) - The Silber-Obrecht Lecture on Interreligious and Interfaith Studies Advancing the Field of Interreligious and Interfaith Studies The Silber-Obrecht Lecture is the first endowed lectureship in the emerging field of interreligious and interfaith studies. Presented biennially by the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies, the lecture advances the field by featuring new and creative work
- [Silber-Obrecht Lecture Videos](https://icjs.org/silber-obrecht-lecture-videos/) - The 2025 Silber-Obrecht Lecture Videos Lecture 1: What Does it Mean to be Human? Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Perspectives Rabbi Dr. Rachel Mikva explores the existential question: Are we good? Lecture 1 Transcript Lecture 2: What Does it Mean to be Human? Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Perspectives Rabbi Dr. Rachel Mikva asks: Are we free?
- [ICJS History](https://icjs.org/icjs-history/) - ICJS History ICJS Milestones When Nobel laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel visited Baltimore to speak on behalf of ICJS in 1989, he urged the crowded audience: “Can we disarm religious hatred? We must!” This simple statement still captures the bold mission of ICJS. Below is a brief history of a remarkable organization, anchored with
- [Manekin-Clark Forum](https://icjs.org/manekin-clark-lecture-series/) - From Religious Intolerance to Creative Engagement Rabbi David Rosen, International Director of Interreligious Affairs, American Jewish Committee, June 2013 Video Not Available Robert Eisen, Ph.D. April 2012 Video Not Available
- [On Demand Programs](https://icjs.org/on-demand-programs/) - Author Series with Rebecca Carter-Chand, Ph.D. Tracing the Salvation Army's shifting identity across political regimes, Rebecca Carter-Chand, Ph.D., reveals how a minority religious group navigated pressure, accommodation, and survival within the Nazi state. WATCH VIDEO Advancing Hope, Dismantling Hate: Building a multireligious democracy with ICJS Can we build a multireligious democracy—one where Americans of every
- [2025 Press Releases](https://icjs.org/2025-press-releases/) - 2025 Press Releases Dabru Emet Anniversary Post-Meeting Announcement (11/20/2025) ICJS Partner Maryland Center for History and Culture (MCHC) Names Curator of Religious History, (10/6/2025) Maryland Clergy Invited to Join New Interfaith Conversation Initiative: “Common Ground” (7/22/2025) Take Action: Protect Nonprofits from Losing 501(c)(3) Status Without Due Process (5/16/2025) ICJS Awards Four 2025 Interreligious Capacity-Building Grants for Chaplains (4/16/2025) ICJS
- [2025 News Clips](https://icjs.org/2025-news-clips/) - 2025 News Clips How Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Nicaea recalls centuries of Muslim-Christian respect, Religion News Service, Nov. 26, 2025, article by Zeyneb Sayilgan. This article was also published in the National Catholic Reporter. 60 years after Vatican II document on non-Christian relations, panelists say work to implement it continues, Catholic Review, Nov. 5, 2025,
- [ICJS Insights Archive](https://icjs.org/icjs-insights-archive/) - ICJS Insights Past Issues 2025 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025
- [Teachers & Educators](https://icjs.org/teachers-education-leaders/) - Explore professional development, classroom resources, and the ICJS Fellowship for Teachers to foster religious literacy in a multireligious society.
- [Understanding Christian Nationalism | ICJS Resources & Analysis](https://icjs.org/christian-nationalism/) - Explore ICJS resources on Christian nationalism, democracy, religion, and public life through articles, events, videos, and dialogue.
- [About Us](https://icjs.org/about-us/) - Learn about ICJS, an independent, educational nonprofit advancing interreligious dialogue to build and sustain a multireligious democracy in the U.S.
- [I and Thou: Martin Buber's Philosophy of Dialogue](https://icjs.org/i-and-thou-martin-buber/) - Explore the profound insights of Buber's Philosophy and its relevance in fostering authentic dialogue and understanding today.
- [On Demand Chaplain Programs](https://icjs.org/on-demand-chaplain-programs/) - On Demand Chaplain Programs ICJS presents public programs online for chaplains to support spiritual caregivers’ learning and growth. Today these recordings form a rich library of resources to increase your religious literacy and understanding. See All Religion at the Intersection: Expanding organizational capacity for interreligious spiritual care Chaplains and spiritual care providers are increasingly called
- [(Events Landing Page) Advancing Hope, Dismantling Hate: Building a multireligious democracy with ICJS](https://icjs.org/advancing-hope-dismantling-hate-all-events/) - Advancing Hope, Dismantling Hate Building a multireligious democracy with ICJS Can we build a multireligious democracy—one where Americans of every religion and no religion—have an equal voice in public life and are able to flourish together? ICJS says “yes”—we can, and we must! Watch Heather Miller Rubens, ICJS Executive Director and Roman Catholic Scholar, in
- [2026 Congregational Leader Fellows](https://icjs.org/2026-congregational-leader-fellows/) - 2026 Congregational Leader Fellows Note: This is a special fellowship of only Christian congregations. Cathedral of the Incarnation Deborah Hazlett Kevin Griffin Moreno The Catholic Community of South Baltimore Barney Aspray Gabriela Kahrl James Wronski Greater Baltimore Church Benjamin Ballah John Whitfield Stefney Whitfield St. John’s Lutheran Church Sweet Air Rev. Lisa Arrington Kristen Essel
- [Privacy Policy](https://icjs.org/privacy-policy-2/) - Privacy Policy This Statement of Privacy applies to the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS) and governs data collection and usage. For the purposes of this Privacy Policy, unless otherwise noted, all references to ICJS include the organization and its website, icjs.org. The ICJS website is a source for interreligious understanding and scholarship.
- [ICJS Authors](https://icjs.org/icjs-authors/) - ICJS Authors Publications by ICJS Scholars and Staff Encounters Dialogue, Antisemitism, and the Israeli–Palestinian Divide By Benjamin E. Sax This volume illuminates the history and complexities at the heart of the world's most contentious and fraught region--and why genuine interreligious dialogue is the only hope for peace. Drawing from scriptural interpretation, philosophical reflection, and his in-the-trenches
- [Discover and Learn](https://icjs.org/discover-and-learn/) - Discover and Learn Learn at your own pace, whatever your timeframe. We have resources to read in as short as five minutes and minicourses with hours of content. Highlights I and Thou: Martin Buber's Philosophy of Dialogue ICJS Jewish Scholar Ben Sax explains “I and Thou,” Martin Buber’s 1923 magnum opus on dialogue and authentic
- [Islam and Islamophobia](https://icjs.org/islam-and-islamophobia/) - Islam and Islamophobia Minicourses on Demand Maryam, the Muslim Mary: An interreligious figure who divides and unites us This course examined the Islamic portrayal of Mary as described in the Qur’an and the holy narrations of Prophet Muhammad, both normative sources for Muslims, identifying similarities and differences that emerge in the Muslim depictions of Mary.
- [2018-2019 Teacher Fellows](https://icjs.org/2018-2019-teacher-fellows/) - 2018-2019 Teacher Fellows Affiliation listed at time of fellowship Baderah AbuDweih Al-Rahmah School, Religion Teacher Marissa Adkins Forest Park High School, English Teacher Maryam Azam Al-Rahmah School, Religion Teacher Jill Azenstein Beth T’Filoh Dohan Community School, Jewish History Teacher Kate Bell Mercy High School, Religion Teacher and Service Learning Director Helen Berkeley Friends School of
- [Resource Filter](https://icjs.org/resource-filter/)
- [2025 ICJS Faculty Seminar](https://icjs.org/2025-icjs-faculty-seminar/) - 2025 ICJS Faculty Seminar No Church | No State: Religious Experiments in Imagining the World Otherwise August 3–7, 2025 Baltimore, MD In a religiously and ethically diverse world, how do we build a life together? People building communities—both with fellow religious believers and interreligious neighbors—adopt, adapt, accommodate, and resist existing political, social, economic, and religious
- [American Unexceptionalism: Global Lessons on Understanding Religious Nationalism](https://icjs.org/american-unexceptionalism/) - American Unexceptionalism is a limited-series podcast about what Americans can learn from people around the world who have resisted religious nationalism.
- [Debate vs. Dialogue](https://icjs.org/debate-vs-dialogue/) - Dialogue vs. Debate Everyone wants to be heard, but a conversation cannot be had if everyone is talking over each other. Use these tips to help navigate difficult conversations. (Adapted from resources developed by Scarboro Missions) Guidelines for Effective Dialogue DIALOGUE Mutual understanding of each other’s point of view I listen to learn. I take seriously
- [Careers](https://icjs.org/careers/) - Careers & Internships at ICJS Work with us to build an interreligious society Career Openings There are no open positions at this time. We encourage you to check back or follow our work for future opportunities.
- [Cultivating Belonging in an Era of Disconnection: A book study](https://icjs.org/cultivating-belonging-era-disconnection/) - Cultivating Belonging in an Era of Disconnection: A book study Whether in a congregational setting or in the public square, religious leaders create spaces of connection; connection to the sacred, amongst neighbors and strangers, nature, and to our authentic selves. This work is vital in an age of great disconnection and loneliness. In Rabbi Sharon
- [Donate today! Advancing Hope | Dismantling Hate: Campaign for the Interreligious Society](https://icjs.org/donate-today-advancing-hope-dismantling-hate/) - Donate to the ICJS Campaign Thank you for investing in ICJS through Advancing Hope | Dismantling Hate: Campaign for the Interreligious Society. You can make a gift today using the form below or make a multi-year pledge or planned gift using the online response form. Please choose the giving level that is right for you:
- [Dialogue](https://icjs.org/dialogue-across-difference/) - Dialogue Across Difference Dialogue: An ICJS Value Dialogue invites us to bring our commitments to each conversation and calls for patience, humility, curiosity, and courage. The outcome of dialogue does not require agreement, and meaningful relationships can exist even where there are irreconcilable differences. We believe that dialogue around religious difference deepens understanding and is an
- [Resources for Teachers During Ramadan](https://icjs.org/resources-teachers-ramadan/) - Resources for Teachers During Ramadan What Teachers Need to Know about Ramadan Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and a sacred time when Muslims fast from dawn to sunset, pray, reflect, and give generously to those in need. Observed by more than a billion Muslims worldwide, the fast is meant to cultivate
- [Women in Religious Leadership](https://icjs.org/women-in-religious-leadership/) - The Women in Religious Leadership Gathering offers a forum for women to cultivate interreligious friendships and support one another in the joys and challenges of leadership. In celebration of Women’s History Month, we will have a special conversation about the movie The Testament of Ann Lee, which tells of the story of Ann Lee, the founder
- [Common Ground](https://icjs.org/common-ground/) - Slideshow (click to advance) Activity: Challenging Perceptions Write three things you think people perceive about your religious identity or community, fairly or unfairly. Share your list with the group. Discussion Questions: Where do you find joy? How would friends or family describe you? How would you describe yourself? What are you passionate about? Post-Meeting Reflection
- [Planning an Interfaith Event? good](https://icjs.org/interfaith-event/) - Planning an Interfaith Event? 10 Questions to Consider PRINT PDF The purpose of interfaith events is to facilitate meaningful encounters among people of differing religious outlooks. They enable us to discover our rich commonalities and deep disagreements, find new things to appreciate in our own and in others’ traditions, and widen the circle of involvement
- [Planned Giving](https://icjs.org/planned-giving/) - Join The ICJS Legacy Society Make the gift of a lifetime with a contribution that costs nothing today Anyone Can Join All it takes is a commitment to support ICJS beyond your lifetime. Members of The ICJS Legacy Society have made a future gift to building an interreligious society. Benefits for You: Support ICJS Receive recognition
- [Course Resources for Howard Thurman: Moral anchor to the Civil Rights Movement](https://icjs.org/course-resources-for-howard-thurman-moral-anchor-to-the-civil-rights-movement/) - Howard Thurman: Moral anchor to the Civil Rights Movement Class 1: Up From Slavery—Introducing Howard Thurman in Historical Context Class 1 Slides Class 1 Video Recommended Readings My People Need Me The Papers of Howard Washington Thurman, Vol. 1 Class 2: Mentoring the Movement Class 2 Slides Class 2 Video Recommended Reading Excerpts from
- [Building a Multireligious Democracy](https://icjs.org/multireligious-democracy/) - Building a Multireligious Democracy Power Grids, not Fireworks Building a multireligious democracy is the long-term, steady work of creating and sustaining social infrastructure. At ICJS, we believe this work looks less like fireworks—bright, brief, and attention-grabbing—and more like a power grid: durable, interconnected, and life-sustaining. Just as a power grid requires vision, planning, and ongoing
- [FAQs](https://icjs.org/faqs/) - Frequently Asked Questions What is the ‘interreligious society’? We actually are not providing a definition or blueprint, rather, we are offering an invitation to co-create an “interreligious society” with us. While religious diversity is a fact of our American life, most people don’t know how to engage their neighbors about religious differences. In fact, many
- [Howard Thurman: Moral anchor to the Civil Rights Movement](https://icjs.org/howard-thurman-moral-anchor-to-the-civil-rights-movement/) - Howard Thurman: Moral anchor to the Civil Rights Movement A three-session minicourse with Fatimah Fanusie, Ph.D. Howard Thurman was arguably the most important 20th century African American religious leader before Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and is universally acclaimed as the moral anchor to the modern Civil Rights Movement. This minicourse introduces participants to Thurman
- [2022-2023 Justice Leader Fellows](https://icjs.org/2022-2023-justice-leader-fellows/) - 2022–2023 Justice Leader Fellows Affiliation listed at time of fellowship Dr. Muslimah ‘Ali, Ph.D. Founder and Owner, Certified Fitness Trainer, The Fitness Doc Sarah Berns-Zieve Founder Director, The Arts Collective BMore Laila Elhadad Founding Board Member, Nia Inc. Keri Frisch Applied Learning Manager, JHU Public Health Studies Jermel A. Gilliam Chaplain, Gilchrist Emily Goodman Director
- [Annual Reports & Financials](https://icjs.org/annual-reports/) - Annual Reports & Financials 2025 Annual Report: Connections | Curiosity | Confidence At the close of the annual five-day residential intensive ICJS offers for Muslim, Christian, and Jewish seminary students, we asked participants to share three words that described what they were taking away. One future clergy leader’s answer struck a chord: “Connections. Curiosity. Confidence.”
- [2023 Emerging Religious Leaders Intensive Participants](https://icjs.org/2023-emerging-religious-leaders-intensive-participants/) - 2023 Emerging Religious Leaders Intensive Participants Jewish Participants Reconstructionist Rabbinical College Emma Fischer Noah Dor Lind Alex Malanych Aviva Marchione Molly Paul Molly Schulman Marques Hollie Yeshivat Maharat Karolyn Benger Christian Participants Catholic University of America Antoni Jeorge David Palmieri Maximilian Muenke Fuller Seminary Johana Williams Aaron Williams General Theological Seminary (GTS) Rosalie DiSimone-Weiss Julia
- [2022 Emerging Religious Leaders Intensive Participants](https://icjs.org/2022-emerging-religious-leaders-intensive-participants/) - 2022 Emerging Religious Leaders Intensive Participants Christian Participants Catholic University of America Ghada Ghazal Kathryn (Kate) Kelly Middleton Howard University School of Divinity Christopher Bonner Kimberly Nelson United Lutheran Seminary Alison Clark Kevin Compton Daniel Smith Virginia Theological Seminary Aaron Dunn Jennifer Fischer Annmarie Dinan Hansen Elizabeth Walker Wesley Theological Seminary Ed Crump Shawan Pettie
- [Sacred Texts, Shared Civic Life](https://icjs.org/sacred-texts-shared-civic-life/) - The ICJS minicourse series, Sacred Texts, Shared Civic Life, will confront the misuse of sacred scripture as a tool of domination—and chart a different path.
- [Sacred Texts, Shared Civic Life](https://icjs.org/sacred-texts-shared-civic-life-2/) - Sacred Texts, Shared Civic Life: A Minicourse Series Scripture is never neutral. It can be wielded to uphold authoritarianism or it can be interpreted to inspire justice and democratic life. In a moment when religion is often portrayed as divisive, ICJS is returning to the heart of our traditions to ask: What kind of civic
- [Exploring Gratitude in Our Traditions](https://icjs.org/gratitude/) - Exploring Gratitude in Our Traditions Expressing Gratitude through Art All three Abrahamic traditions encourage us to recognize the blessings in our lives by expressing gratitude to God and to each other. The collection below, curated by ICJS, brings together artists from each tradition to reflect on gratitude through their work. Each piece is paired with
- [Christian Nationalism and Christian Supremacy](https://icjs.org/christian-nationalism-old/)
- [Donate today!](https://icjs.org/donate/) - Donate Today Thank you for building an interreligious society! Use the form below to make a one-time or monthly gift today. To learn more about other ways to give—through your Donor Advised Fund, your IRA, or with appreciated stock—visit Ways to Give. ICJS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (federal tax #52-1531016).
- [Ways to Give to ICJS](https://icjs.org/ways-to-give/) - Ways to Give to ICJS Your gift helps build an interreligious society. ICJS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. (Federal tax #52-1531016). Donate Today To donate by mail, send a check payable to ICJS to 956 Dulaney Valley Rd., Baltimore MD 21204. To make a one-time gift or monthly contribution, visit icjs.org/donate. Donate Online Other Ways
- [Nostra Aetate 60th Anniversary: A resource guide](https://icjs.org/nostra-aetate-60th-anniversary/) - Nostra Aetate stands as a milestone, inviting the Catholic Church into a new era of dialogue & mutual respect with Jewish, Muslim, & other faith communities.
- [Course Resources for The Qur’an: Exploring Character Virtues for a Shared Civic LifeCourse Resources for Maryam, the Muslim Mary](https://icjs.org/course-resources-quran-character-virtues/) - The Qur’an: Exploring Character Virtues for a Shared Civic Life: Videos and Course Resources Class 1 Class 1 Video Class 1 Slide Deck To Read “The Hajj: A Muslim Vision for the Interreligious Life” by Zeyneb Sayilgan Hajj 2025: The Ancient United Nations Assembly “Qur’an” Exploring Islam by Salih Sayilgan To Watch Koran by Heart
- [Dabru Emet: 25 Years Later](https://icjs.org/dabru-emet-20-years-later/) - Dabru Emet: 25 Years Later A Jewish Statement on Christianity In 2000, Dabru Emet “Speak Truth”: A Jewish Statement on Christians and Christianity was published nationally by Jewish scholars, who produced the statement after studying for years in convenings hosted by ICJS (then known as the Institute of Christian & Jewish Studies). In 2021, ICJS again
- [Judaism and Antisemitism](https://icjs.org/judaism-and-antisemitism/) - Judaism and Antisemitism Dabru Emet In 2000, Dabru Emet “Speak Truth”: A Jewish Statement on Christians and Christianity was published nationally by Jewish scholars, who produced the statement after studying for years in convenings hosted by ICJS (then known as the Institute of Christian & Jewish Studies). READ MORE I and Thou Martin Buber’s “I and
- [2024 News Clips](https://icjs.org/2024-news-clips/) - 2024 News Clips “I grew up Muslim in a Catholic community—and Mary represented common ground,” The Guardian, Dec. 24, 2024, article by ICJS Muslim Scholar Zeyneb Sayilgan. What Catholics can learn from Muhammad about grief, US Catholic, Oct. 23, 2024, essay by ICJS Muslim Scholar Zeyneb Sayilgan. Silber-Obrecht Lectures to Georgetown Press, Publisher’s Weekly,
- [2022 Press Releases](https://icjs.org/2022-press-releases/) - 2022 Press Releases A National Reckoning of the Soul: CCJR Statement on Antisemitism, endorsed by ICJS (12/14/2022) Harvard Theologian Francis X. Clooney, S.J. Named Inaugural ICJS Silber-Obrecht Lecturer (9/15/2022) ICJS Executive Director to Serve as Fall 2022 Visiting Scholar at Princeton Theological Seminary (8/12/2022) Announcing Inaugural Interreligious Dialogue Course for Emerging Muslim & Christian Religious Leaders (5/31/2022)
- [2023 Press Releases](https://icjs.org/2023-press-releases/) - 2023 Press Releases ICJS Awards Four Capacity-Building Grants (12/18/2023) How does ICJS respond to this moment? (10/10/2023) ICJS Awards Four Interreligious Capacity-Building Grants for Chaplains (10/4/2023) ICJS Partners with T. Rowe Price Foundation to Offer Capacity-Building Grants for Justice Leaders Fellowship Alumni (8/30/2023) ICJS Welcomes New Board Officers and Trustees (7/20/2023) ICJS to Offer Capacity-Building
- [2024 Press Releases](https://icjs.org/2024-press-releases/) - 2024 Press Releases Former ICJS President Irfan Malik Named Emeritus Trustee (10/3/2024) Georgetown University Press to Publish ICJS Silber-Obrecht Lecture Series (9/26/2024) ICJS Welcomes New Trustees Julia Nickels Bryan and William J. Stromberg (7/1/2024) ICJS partners with the Maryland Center for History and Culture to explore religious tolerance in Maryland (2/14/2024)
- [2025 Faculty Seminar Participants](https://icjs.org/2025-faculty-seminar-participants/) - 2025 Faculty Seminar Participants Eliza Anderson | Luther Seminary Jeremy Biles | School of the Art Institute of Chicago Hans Gustafson | University of St. Thomas Amber Louisa Lowe | Indiana University-Bloomington Joi Orr | Interdenominational Theological Center Shivani Parikh | Queens Legal Services/ Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus Matthew Rowley | Fairfield University Kristen
- [Interreligious Studies and Secondary Education](https://icjs.org/interreligious-studies-and-secondary-education/) - Interreligious Studies and Secondary Education—Book Featuring Contributions by ICJS Staff and Fellowship Alumni Interreligious Studies and Secondary Education Pedagogies and Practices for Living and Learning in a Religiously Plural World Edited by Christine Gallagher (ICJS), Lucinda Mosher, and Axel Takacs Interreligious Studies and Secondary Education: Pedagogies and Practices for Living and Learning in a Religiously
- [Can We Talk? Urgent Interreligious Conversations in a Time of War](https://icjs.org/can-we-talk-urgent-conversations-time-war/) - Israel and Gaza: ICJS Resources Can We Talk? Urgent Interreligious Conversations in a Time of War Meaningful relationships exist even with irreconcilable differences. In the spirit of continuing intereligious dialogue, even under the most difficult of circumstances, ICJS offers Can We Talk? Urgent Interreligious Conversations in a Time of War, a three-option package to facilitate
- [Israel and Gaza: ICJS Resources](https://icjs.org/israel-gaza-icjs-resources/) - Israel and Gaza: ICJS Resources Dialogue Despite Difference The devastating Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th, including the taking of hostages, and the ongoing war and humanitarian crisis that has killed over 40,000 Gazans, have caused profound grief, anger, and anguish. In this context, it has been challenging to even envision a path to
- [Course on the Philosophy of Martin Buber](https://icjs.org/martin-buber-and-the-life-of-dialogue/) - Session 1 Slides Session 2 Slides Readings: Spinoza, Sabbatai Zvi, and the Baal-Shem The Third Leg of the Table Session 3 Slides Reading: Rosenzweig and Buber on Revelation and Law Session 4 Slides Readings: I and Thou: Part 3 (text) I and Thou (audio) Session 5 Slides Reading: A Land of Two Peoples: Martin Buber on
- [GATE Group | Gather And Talk Experiment](https://icjs.org/gate-group-gather-and-talk-experiment/) - GATE Group | Gather And Talk Experiment What: An interreligious learning community for Baltimore leaders to practice listening and talking about challenging topics and ideas with an interreligious lens. In an ICJS GATE Group, you are invited to bring your commitments to each conversation using patience, humility, curiosity, and courage. We believe that dialogue around
- [Current Openings](https://icjs.org/current-openings/) - Current Openings There are currently no openings.
- [Impact Stories](https://icjs.org/impact-stories/) - ICJS Impact ICJS advances interreligious literacy and builds resilient interreligious networks Through our fellowships, courses, events, and intensive experiences, ICJS is empowering people to create interreligious connections in their communities, congregations, classrooms, neighborhoods, or workplaces. We demonstrate our impact through encouraging people and organizations to take on new initiatives, broaden their relationships, or to simply
- [2024 Emerging Religious Leaders Intensive Participants](https://icjs.org/2024-erli-participants/) - 2024 Emerging Religious Leaders Intensive Participants Christian Participants Fuller Seminary A.J. Block Basak (Dide) Ideus General Theological Seminary (GTS) Jordan Wesley Mary Curlew Howard University School of Divinity Hayden Bourne Lawrence W. Patterson St. Mary’s Ecumenical Institute Cyndi Canner Jewish Participants Academy for Jewish Religion Chana Stein Alliance for Jewish Renewal (ALEPH) Reuven McCullough Muslim
- [2025 Emerging Religious Leaders Intensive Participants](https://icjs.org/2025-emerging-religious-leaders-intensive-participants/) - 2025 Emerging Religious Leaders Intensive Participants Christian Participants Diocese of St. Petersburg Scott Huang Fuller Theological Seminary Rachel Jones Jennifer Kurien General Theological Seminary Victoria Brown St; Mary’s Ecumenical Institute Andeberhan Tensae Dwayne Hess Jewish Participants Academy for Jewish Religion Tehila Eisenstadt Rachel Katz Emily Meyer Hebrew College Noah Baron Noa Kattler Kupetz Leah Weinstein
- [2024-2025 Teacher Fellows](https://icjs.org/2024-2025-teacher-fellows/) - 2024-2025 Teacher Fellows Kelly Blackburn Loyola Blakefield High School Sara Karesh Coxe Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School Courtney Dixon Roland Park Country School James Isaacs St. Andrew’s Episcopal School Morgan Kain The Baltimore City College Kachobe Lassiter Academy for College and Career Exploration Katie Menges Baltimore City College Aquilla Mitchell Frederick Douglass High
- [Course Resources for Speaking Across Differences: Navigating dialogue in polarized times](https://icjs.org/course-resources-speaking-across-differences/) - Course Resources for Speaking Across Differences: Navigating dialogue in polarized times Session 1: Many Ways into Dialogue Session 1 Video Session 1 Slides Suggested Resources I and Thou: Martin Buber’s Philosophy of Dialogue, an 11-minute documentary on Martin Buber with Ben Sax. “Why I, as a Black man, attend KKK rallies,” a TedTalk with Daryl
- [2025 Congregational Leader Fellows](https://icjs.org/2025-congregational-leader-fellows/) - 2025 Congregational Leader Fellows Islamic Congregations Dar Al-Taqwa Fatima Amjad Ahmed Hameeda Hameed Shayan Khan Muslim Family Center Anum Ali Safiatou Amadou Kellie Worrell Jewish Congregations Baltimore Hebrew Congregation Marcia Bornfriend Lisa Jablon Helene Waranch Hinenu Baltimore Avi Roberts Akiva Scherer Christian Congregations Amazing Grace Lutheran Church Rev. Gwen Van Velsor Margaret Wingfield Brown Memorial
- [Christianity](https://icjs.org/christianity/) - Christianity Etic (Outsider) Perspective Intro to Christianity (Pluralism Project): Explores the foundational teachings, historical development, and wide-ranging expressions of Christianity, highlighting its presence and evolution within the American religious landscape. Emic (Insider) Perspective The purpose of this Emic page is to allow religious communities to speak for themselves. One of the biggest areas of interreligious
- [Judaism](https://icjs.org/judaism/) - Judaism Etic (Outsider) Perspective Intro to Judaism (Pluralism Project) Emic (Insider) Perspective The purpose of this Emic page is to allow religious communities to speak for themselves. One of the biggest areas of interreligious dispute is actually within each religious tradition. For example, some Christian religious communities would argue that other Christian communities are not “real Christians.” Some Jews
- [Islam](https://icjs.org/islam/) - Islam Etic (Outsider) Perspective Intro to Islam (Pluralism Project): Provides an accessible overview of Islamic beliefs, practices, and diversity, with a focus on Muslim life and communities in the American religious landscape. Emic (Insider) Perspective The purpose of this Emic page is to allow religious communities to speak for themselves. One of the biggest areas
- [Resources—The Scopes Monkey Trial, a Century Later: Lessons in religion and education policy](https://icjs.org/resources-scopes-monkey-trial/) - Resources Referenced in the Event Slide Deck Religion Matters Religion and Education Collaborative Inquiry Design Model (IDM) Unit Plan: Why is the Scopes Trial Important to Public Education Today? Religion Matters: Classroom Resources for the Scopes Trial “Mapping the Field of K-12 Religious Literacy Education: A Working Report,” Religion and Education, 2025. Additional Resources on
- [Faith Inside & Out](https://icjs.org/faith-inside-out/) - Faith Inside & Out: Exploring Judaism, Christianity & Islam At ICJS, we want to help people of all faiths or no faith to understand the religious traditions and practices of diverse communities. Thus, we want to offer information for introductory study. But what information? And from what sources? Should we platform experts from the “outside”
- [On Being Interreligious and Roman Catholic](https://icjs.org/on-being-interreligious-and-roman-catholic/) - 1. Dialogue of Life Where people strive to live in an open and neighbourly spirit, sharing their joys and sorrows, their human problems and preoccupations. General Examples: Sharing experiences, joys, and challenges in family, school, and work. ICJS Example: Recognizing and Responding to Everyday Antisemitism and Islamophobia (event video). 2. Dialogue of Action In which
- [Nostra Aetate, Paragraph 4: Relation of the Catholic Church and Judaism](https://icjs.org/nostra-aetate-paragraph-4-relation-of-the-catholic-church-and-judaism/) - Nostra Aetate, Paragraph 4: Relation of the Catholic Church and Judaism As the sacred synod searches into the mystery of the Church, it remembers the bond that spiritually ties the people of the New Covenant to Abraham’s stock. Thus the Church of Christ acknowledges that, according to God’s saving design, the beginnings of her faith
- [Nostra Aetate, Paragraph 3: Relation of the Catholic Church and Islam ](https://icjs.org/nostra-aetate-paragraph-3-relation-of-the-catholic-church-and-islam/) - Nostra Aetate, Paragraph 3: Relation of the Catholic Church and Islam The Church regards with esteem also the Muslims. They adore the one God, living and subsisting in Himself; merciful and all- powerful, the Creator of heaven and earth,(5) who has spoken to men; they take pains to submit wholeheartedly to even His inscrutable decrees,
- [Spiritual Care Capacity-Building Grants](https://icjs.org/chaplaincy-grant/) - Spiritual Care Capacity-Building Grants Grant Opportunity ICJS will award Capacity-Building Grants of up to $1,000 each to organizations with volunteer chaplains and/or up to three staff chaplains to pay for supplies, professional development, or other resources. These grants are to specifically address the interreligious needs of chaplains in small organizations with limited access to other
- [Course Resources for Christian Theologies of Power and Resistance](https://icjs.org/course-resources-for-christian-theologies-of-power-and-resistance/) - Course Resources for Christian Theologies of Power and Resistance Session 1: The Early Christian Church Resisting the Roman Empire Session 1 Video Session 1 Slides Suggested Resources New Testament For Everyone, an 18-volume commentary series (they usually use the title of each book in the title, e.g.“Mark for Everyone,” “Revelation for Everyone”), by N.T. Wright.
- [2023 ICJS Faculty Seminar](https://icjs.org/2023-icjs-faculty-seminar/) - 2023 ICJS Faculty Seminar America’s Unexceptional Christian Nationalism: Democratic Lessons from Other Contexts The 2023 ICJS Faculty Seminar brought together scholars and practitioners to look outside the U.S. context—or at least the usual and established locations of “best practice” in the U.S.—to consider possible new approaches, including through interracial and interreligious coalitions, to address religious
- [Zeyneb Sayilgan's Publications and Presentations](https://icjs.org/zeyneb-sayilgan-publications-presentations/) - Zeyneb Sayilgan’s Publications and Presentations Publications: Maydan Islamic Thought, October 23, 2024, Imam Ali and His Wisdom for the Interreligious Life New Orleans Times, September 8, 2024, What the dead teach us about life: A view from Islam’s last rites MuslimMatters, August 23, 2024, The Hijra: Lessons From the First Muslim Migration for Today U.S.Catholic,
- [Strategic Framework](https://icjs.org/strategic-framework/) - ICJS Strategic Framework Goal 1 Inspire the public to champion religious pluralism Primary Aim: Act as a thought leader to help the American public value religious difference. Name, describe and model our vision of a multireligious democracy. Expand the public understanding of religion and interreligious engagement. Participate in the public media landscape and be a
- [Course Resources for Maryam, the Muslim Mary](https://icjs.org/course-resources-for-maryam-the-muslim-mary/) - Maryam, the Muslim Mary: Videos and Course Resources Class 1 Class 1 Video Class 1 Slide Deck To Read “The Muslim Mary” (Zeyneb Sayilgan) “Mary in the Qur’an” (Francis X Clooney) “Mary or Maryam” (Qur’an Chapter 19) “Scripture: The Qur’an” from Exploring Islam: Theology and Spiritual Practice in America (Salih Sayilgan) To Watch Jesus And The
- [Silber-Obrecht Press Release](https://icjs.org/silber-obrecht-press-release/) - Harvard Theologian Francis X. Clooney, S.J. Named Inaugural ICJS Silber-Obrecht Lecturer FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: John Rivera, Communications & Marketing Director Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS) O (410) 494-7161 ext 2002; C (443) 604-2918 jrivera@icjs.org BALTIMORE—The Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS) has named Francis X. Clooney, S.J., a theologian at
- [Media Contact](https://icjs.org/media-contact/) - Media Contact Media Contact John Rivera, Director of Communications & Marketing jrivera@icjs.org Office: 410-494-7161, ext. 2002 Cell: 443-604-2918
- [Grieve and Mourn](https://icjs.org/grieve-and-mourn/) - Israel and Gaza: ICJS Resources Grieve and Mourn We grieve the loss of life and weep with those who suffer. We condemn the violence, especially against civilians—and particularly children and the elderly, the most vulnerable members of our human family. We offer these expressions of grief and mourning from the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions
- [Resources from Jewish Traditions](https://icjs.org/resources-from-jewish-traditions/) - Resources from Jewish Traditions El Maleh Rahamim Exalted, compassionate G-d, grant perfect peace in Your sheltering Presence, among the holy and the pure, whose radiance is like the heavens, to the soul of (name of deceased) who has gone to their eternal home, in the garden of Eden shall it be his place of rest.
- [Resources from Christian Traditions](https://icjs.org/resources-from-christian-traditions/) - “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” Words: Tho­mas A. Dor­sey Music: Adapt­ed by Tho­mas Dor­sey from the tune Mait­land, by George N. Al­len Performed by: Luther Barnes & The Sunset Jubilaires Precious Lord, take my hand, Lead me on, let me stand, I am tired, I am weak, I am worn; Through the storm, through the night,
- [Resources from Muslim Traditions](https://icjs.org/resources-from-muslim-traditions/) - Resources from Muslim Traditions Qur’an 2:155-157 And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient, Who, when disaster strikes them, say, “Indeed we belong to G-d, and indeed to Him we will return.” Those are the
- [Stand Against Religious Bias and Bigotry](https://icjs.org/stand-against-religious-bias-bigotry/) - Israel and Gaza: ICJS Resources Stand Against Religious Bias and Bigotry At ICJS, we believe in equipping everyone with the tools to tackle prejudice in our workplaces, classrooms, friend groups, and families. Conversations with loved ones can be challenging, but they are essential. We are committed to confronting religious prejudice in the U.S. using the
- [Reach Out](https://icjs.org/reach-out/) - The Israel-Hamas War: One Year On Reach Out Dialogue, under the best of circumstances, is difficult. Dialogue about the Israel-Hamas War is especially fraught. Despite the difficulty and the potential for conflict, ICJS has continued to pursue and foster this dialogue. Our goal is not to reach agreement or consensus, or to change anyone’s opinion
- [Interreligious Capacity-Building Grants](https://icjs.org/interreligious-capacity-building-grants/) - Interreligious Capacity-Building Grants Grant Opportunity The 2025 ICJS Interreligious Capacity-Building Grants are now open to alumni of all ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship cohorts. These grants of up to $2,200 will benefit nonprofit and community organizations who have a project or initiative that crosses religious barriers for the common good. These grants are intended to expand
- [2024 Congregational Leader Fellows](https://icjs.org/2024-congregational-leader-fellows/) - 2024 Congregational Leader Fellows Islamic Congregations Hasbuna Allahu Islamic Center Ibrahim Aroworowon Imam Misbau Raji Modinat Bello-Akanbi Masjid Al-Inshirah Momodou Drammeh Wali Walter Jewish Congregations Beth Israel Congregation Rabbi Rachel Safman Chizuk Amuno Congregation Joanne Kraus Jody Harburger Christian Congregations Chestnut Grove Presbyterian Church Rev. Andy Gathman Debbie Schmidt Kelley Dunn-Feliz Holy Communion Lutheran Church
- [Subscribe](https://icjs.org/subscribe/) - Subscribe to ICJS Newsletters Receive news and event information in your inbox
- [2022 Faculty Seminar Participants](https://icjs.org/2022-faculty-seminar-participants/) - 2022 Faculty Seminar Participants Jennifer Bush Jeff Carlson Spencer Dew Hillel Gray Jason Hensley Stanley Jenkins Tim Langille Julia McStrovag Kate Kelly Middleton Umme Wara
- [2023 Faculty Seminar Participants](https://icjs.org/2023-faculty-seminar-participants/) - 2023 Faculty Seminar Participants Raimundo Barreto | Princeton Theological Seminary Danielle Boaz | University of North Carolina at Charlotte João Chaves | Baylor University Joel Day | Princeton University, Bridging Divides Initiative Geethika Dharmasinghe | Colgate University Regina Elsner | University of Münster/Germany S. Ayse Kadayifci-Orellana | Georgetown University Ray Kim | International Center for
- [2024 Faculty Seminar Participants](https://icjs.org/2024-faculty-seminar-participants/) - 2024 Faculty Seminar Participants Jamie Eaddy | Rochester Seminary Mike Hogue | Meadville Lombard Theological School Ekaterina Yael Lechtchiner | Hackensack Meridian Health Richard McCarron | Catholic Theological Union Ellen Possman | Baldwin Wallace University Napah Phyakul Quach | USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture Maryam Sharrieff | Harvard University Melanie Trexler | Roanoke
- [Lived Diversity: Observing Passover, Easter, and Ramadan (Video)](https://icjs.org/lived-diversity/) - Lived Diversity: How we observe and celebrate Passover, Easter, and Ramadan Lived Diversity: Observing Passover, Easter, and Ramadan A resource for learning and dialogue In this 13-minute video produced by ICJS, our interreligious staff captured our own experiences of these three holidays. We’ve also created a Dialogue Facilitation Guide (below) with questions for discussion and
- [2018 Justice Leader Fellows](https://icjs.org/2019-justice-leader-fellows/) - 2018 Justice Leader Fellows Affiliation listed at time of fellowship Rev. Scott Adams Assistant Director of Interfaith and Ecumenical Ministries at Loyola University Cory Anderson Director of Leadership and Engagement at Art with a Heart Kevin Creamer Associate to the Executive Director at Catholic Charities of Baltimore Kathryn Frey-Balter Federal Public Defender for the District
- [Discover and Learn](https://icjs.org/discover-and-learn-old/) - Discover and Learn ICJS provides you with resources to challenge religious bias and bigotry, increase religious literacy, and to confront the historical injustices that have divided our religious communities. Search Use our filters to access the ICJS library of past event videos, articles, and “Voices” column. Search Now Lived Diversity Observing Passover, Easter, and Ramadan
- [History & Current Events](https://icjs.org/history-current-events/) - History & Current Events Minicourses On Demand Christian Nationalism (Un)defined Even as the conversation about Christian nationalism has proliferated, there are raging debates about how to define it and understand its impact on American politics. This minicourse tries to understand these debates while not taking our eyes away from the peril of Christian nationalism. VIEW
- [Videos + Discussion Guides](https://icjs.org/videos-discussion-guides/) - Videos + Discussion Guides or Resources Spiritual Warriors Watch this ICJS-produced documentary on Christian nationalism at the January 6th Capitol riot, featuring Matthew D. Taylor. VIEW RESOURCE Debate vs. Dialogue Everyone wants to be heard, but a conversation cannot be had if everyone is talking over each other. Use these tips to help navigate difficult
- [Imagining Justice In Baltimore](https://icjs.org/imagining-justice-in-baltimore/) - Part 4: Instructions for Group Discussion Before the Group Session Watch video (above) Read Islamic texts from the Qur’an (download below) Review Additional Reading by Imam W.D. Mohammed In the Group Session Use the Discussion Questions for group conversation (below) Download Islamic Texts for Part 4 Water Justice Download Discussion Questions for Part 4 Water
- [ERLI](https://icjs.org/erli/) - Emerging Religious Leaders Intensive (ERLI) Tri-faith encounter to transform leaders Building on a decade of success, ICJS expanded the 2023 session of the Emerging Religious Leaders Intensive (ERLI), a week-long course on interreligious dialogue, to include leaders in training from all three Abrahamic faiths—Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Until now, the program focused on either dialogue
- [2023-2024 Teacher Fellows](https://icjs.org/2023-2024-teacher-fellows/) - 2023-2024 Teacher Fellows Joshua Ackerman Community College of Baltimore County Lupe Bobadilla Maryvale Preparatory School Andy Castro Israel Henry Beren High School Patrick Daniels Baltimore City College Lee Krempel Frederick Douglass High School Rona Mattocks Calvert School Lisa Gabriella Pantano Maryvale Preparatory School Jennifer Penn-Feliciano Achievement Academy High School Victoria Proetto Achievement Academy High School
- [Course Resources for Muslim Perspectives on Death and Dying](https://icjs.org/course-resources-for-muslim-perspectives-on-death-and-dying/) - Muslim Perspectives on Death and Dying: Course Resources Class 1 Theological Foundations: Death and Dying in the Qur’an Class 1 Slides Class 1 Video Class Preparation—to be completed prior to Class 1 Required: Read: Exploring Islam chapter on “The Qur’an” Listen: On Being Muslim Part 1 and Part 2 on the Death in Islam Optional:
- [Resources from Panelists of Chaplains at Community Crossroads](https://icjs.org/resources-from-panelists-of-chaplains-at-community-crossroads/) - Resources from Panelists of Chaplains at Community Crossroads Books: Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care in the 21st Century Cadges and Rambo Handbook of Religion and Health by Harold Koenig, Dana King, and Verna B. Carson Religion Around the World by by Sonja Hagander Elements of African Traditional Religion by Elia Shabani Mligo The Discipline for Pastoral
- [Educator Resources](https://icjs.org/educator-resources/) - Educator Resources How can we best equip teachers to have conversations about religion with their students? There are great resources available on the subject. In addition, during the ICJS Teacher Fellowship, educators develop a Lesson Plan for use in their own classroom or educational institution. They work with ICJS staff to develop expertise and curate
- [A Sacred Argument](https://icjs.org/a-sacred-argument/) - WYPR Interview
- [Dialogue on the Israel-Hamas War](https://icjs.org/facilitated-dialogue/) - Dialogue on the Israel-Hamas War Can we talk about it? Amid the grief, the sorrow, the anger, and the anguish surrounding the Israel-Hamas war is dialogue still possible? The horrific attacks of Oct. 7th, and the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe wrought by the bombing of Gaza, have left both individuals and institutions bereft. For an organization
- [ICJS E-Newsletters](https://icjs.org/icjs-e-newsletters/) - ICJS Newsletters Read past issues of our newsletters, ICJS Insights and Engage. SUBSCRIBE INSIGHTS Voices, Essays, and Perspectives April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 ENGAGE Events, Minicourses, and Fellowships May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024
- [Charismatic Revival Fury: Christian Extremism Podcast](https://icjs.org/charismatic-revival-fury/) - Charismatic Revival Fury: The New Apostolic Reformation An Audio-Documentary Series on the Christian Leaders and Ideas that Fueled the Capitol Riot "Charismatic Revival Fury: The New Apostolic Reformation" is a podcast series on the history of the New Apostolic Reformation with ICJS Protestant scholar Matthew D. Taylor. The series, which is part of the Straight
- [Course Resources for Christian Nationalism (Un)defined](https://icjs.org/course-resources-for-christian-nationalism-undefined/) - Christian Nationalism (Un)defined: Videos and Course Resources Class 1 Class 1 Video Class 1 Slides Additional Resources Podcast: Telling Jefferson Lies Book: was America Founded as a Christian Nation?: A Historical Introduction Class 2 Class 2 Video Class 2 Slides Additional Resources PPRI Survey: A Christian Nation? Understanding the Threat of Christian Nationalism to American
- [Pluralizing Dialogue](https://icjs.org/pluralizing-dialogue/) - Pluralizing Dialogue: Insights, Actions, and Implications in Eva Fleischner’s “Judaism in German Christian Theology Since 1945” Chapter: Developing Theologies of Encounter: Eva Fleischner, Fratelli Tutti, and the Unfolding Legacy of Nostra Aetate By Heather Miller Rubens Download Chapter PDF Chapter: Eva Fleischner and Christian Jewish Dialogue in the Twenty-First Century By Benjamin Sax Download Chapter
- [2023-2024 Justice Leader Fellows](https://icjs.org/2023-2024-justice-leader-fellows/) - 2023–2024 Justice Leader Fellows Affiliation listed at time of fellowship Musaa Abdurrahman City of Baltimore | Muslim Community Liaison Nabeehah Azeez No Boundaries Coalition | Deputy Director Zoe Brown Women’s Center, UMBC | Program Coordinator and Swimming Instructor Julia Nickles Bryan All Votes Count Maryland | Founder John P. Carter Mission Baker | Owner Leigh
- [Spiritual Warriors](https://icjs.org/spiritual-warriors/) - Spiritual Warriors: Decoding Christian Nationalism at the Capitol Riot Film Trailer
- [Gabe's Version: Resources and Responses to Christian Nationalism](https://icjs.org/gabes-version-resources-and-responses-to-christian-nationalism/) - Resources and Responses Three Suggestions from ICJS Scholar Matthew D. Taylor Spread the word of Christian Nationalism Engage people who are sympathetic with Christian nationalism Prepare yourself to defend democracy 1) Spread the word about Christian nationalism Spiritual Warriors Decoding Christian Nationalism at the Capitol Riot Share our Video! Charismatic Revival Fury The NAR is
- [Resources and Responses to Christian Nationalism](https://icjs.org/resources-and-responses-to-christian-nationalism/) - Resources and Responses to Christian Nationalism Take Action: Three Suggestions from Matt Taylor 1) Spread the word about Christian nationalism Share our video: Spiritual Warriors: Decoding Christian Nationalism at the Capitol Riot Listen to the audio-documentary Charismatic Revival Fury. Other helpful resources you can share: A Christian Nation? Understanding the Threat of Christian Nationalism
- [2021 Congregational Leader Fellows](https://icjs.org/2021-congregational-leader-fellows/) - 2021 Congregational Leader Fellows Islamic Congregations Islamic Society of Northern Baltimore (Lutherville-Timonium) Dr. Omer Awan Islamic Society of the Washington Area (Silver Spring) Imam Faizul Khan Sister Marquita Kouyate Sister Faiza Mustapha Jewish Congregations Beth El Congregation Rabbi Dana Saroken Rafi Rone Debbie Lubliner Bolton Street Synagogue Rabbi Andy Gordon Marc Wernick Lauren Kelleher
- [How to Include ICJS in Your Will](https://icjs.org/will/) - How to Include ICJS in Your Will Sample Language for Your Bequest Including in your will a gift to ICJS—called a bequest—can ensure that your legacy conveys your commitment to building the interreligious society. Your gift may be a specific dollar amount, a percentage of your estate, or the remainder after all other provisions are
- [Course Resources for Antisemitism (Un)defined](https://icjs.org/course-resources-for-antisemitism-undefined/) - Antisemitism (Un)defined: Videos and Course Resources Class 1—The History and Politics of Defining Antisemitism Class 1 Video Class 1 Slides Class 2—Israel and Antisemitism: Two definitions, two worldviews Class 2 Video Class 2 Slides Class 3—Definitions of Hate as Political Engagement: Antisemitism in the 21st Century Class 3 Video Class 3 Slides
- [Resource Page: Interreligious Lessons from Thurman’s Jesus and the Disinherited](https://icjs.org/resource-page-interreligious-lessons-from-thurmans-jesus-and-the-disinherited/) - Interreligious Lessons from Thurman’s Jesus and the Disinherited—Resource Page Readings WEEK 1 Please read this chapter from Reimagining Howard Thurman: The Unfinished Search for Common Ground before the first session: Eccentric Apostles Leading from the Growing Edge, by Barbara Brown Taylor WEEK 2 Please read the Preface, Chapter 1, and Chapter 2 from Thurman’s Jesus and
- [Thurman’s Creative Encounter: A clergy book club](https://icjs.org/thurmans-creative-encounter-a-clergy-book-club/) - Thurman’s Creative Encounter: A clergy book club — Resource Page Instructions: Please read chapters 1 and 2 of Thurman’s The Creative Encounter before our first session on Oct. 10. Chapter 1 The Creative Encounter-Intro and Chap 1 Chapter 2 The Creative Encounter-Chap 2 Chapters 3 and 4 The.Creative Encounter-Chap 3 and 4 Reimagining Howard Thurman: The
- [](https://icjs.org/congregational-leaders-fellowship/) - Congregational Leaders Fellowship Cultivating Interreligious Belonging Is your congregation looking for a way to deepen its work and learning around a civic issue? Do you want to partner with other religious communities to address this issue? If so, consider the Congregational Leaders Fellowship. At a time of polarization and partisanship, we need to cross divides
- [2023 Congregational Leader Fellows](https://icjs.org/2023-congregational-leader-fellows/) - 2023 Congregational Leader Fellows Islamic Congregations Gwynn Oak Islamic Community Lisa Cason Sabreen Sharif Mustafa Sharif Islamic Society of Baltimore M. Faisal Rahman Attaulla Khan Mikail Ocasio Jewish Congregations Hinenu Mark Gunnery Maranda Kosten Kol HaLev Sheldon Pearlman Rabbi Emily Stern Brenna Gourgeot Christian Congregations Cathedral of the Incarnation Theresa Thomas Mark Bomster
- [Faculty Seminar: Faiths and Ferocity](https://icjs.org/2022-icjs-faculty-seminar/) - 2022 Faculty Seminar: Faiths and Ferocity Genocide Studies and Interreligious Studies: Comparative Pedagogical and Research Approaches July 2022 The ICJS inaugural Faculty Seminar brought together scholars working in universities and seminaries who research and/or teach in Interreligious Studies or Genocide Studies. We examined encounters between these two areas of study and considered how methodological approaches
- [Educational Presentations for your School](https://icjs.org/educational-presentations-for-your-school/) - Presentations and Workshops for Teachers and Educators Help your Students See the World through an Interreligious Lens Christine Gallagher, ICJS Program Director for Teachers and Schools, is offering free professional learning presentations for secondary schools and district-wide professional development days in the Baltimore area. These 40-to-75-minute presentations cover topics such as religious literacy, religious diversity,
- [Resource Page: Cultivating Interreligious Hospitality in your Congregations & Organizations](https://icjs.org/resource-page-cultivating-interreligious-hospitality-in-your-congregations-organizations/) - Resource Page: Cultivating Interreligious Hospitality in your Congregations & Organizations Articles Interfaith Leadership and Typologies of Religious Plurality Videos Lived Diversity: How We Observe and Celebrate Passover, Easter, and Ramadan Recognizing and Responding to Everyday Antisemitism and Islamophobia Podcasts The risks and rewards of interreligious dialogue, with Catherine Cornille Additional Tools Identifying a Theology or
- [Course Resources for Messianic Judaism and Christian Zionism](https://icjs.org/course-resources-for-messianic-judaism-and-christian-zionism/) - Messianic Judaism and Christian Zionism — Course Resources Class 1: The Jewish-Christian Question Class 1 Slides Class 1 Video Recommended Readings Paula Fredrikson, Augustine and the Jews Jeremy Cohen, Living Letters of the Law Martin Luther, “That Jesus Christ Was Born a Jew,” and “About the Jews and Their Lies.” Class 2: Christians and
- [Silber-Obrecht Workshop](https://icjs.org/silber-obrecht-workshop/) - The Silber-Obrecht Workshop In conjunction with the Silber-Obrecht Lecture, a group of university faculty and graduate students was invited to convene in the ICJS Library on April 27, 2023 to engage in a lively discussion, led by Francis Clooney, S.J., and Shubha Pathak, Ph.D., Ph.D., of topics and issues related to the emerging field of
- [](https://icjs.org/the-silber-obrecht-vip-dinner/) - The Silber-Obrecht Lecture VIP Dinner
- [The Silber-Obrecht Lecture Photo Page](https://icjs.org/the-silber-obrecht-lecture-photo-page/) - The Silber-Obrecht Lectures
- [ICJS Insights](https://icjs.org/icjs-insights/) - ICJS Insights 2022 December 2022: Gearing Up for the Jan. 6 Anniversary November 2022: Countering Christian Nationalism October 2022: A Portrait of American Muslims—Backed by Data September 2022: Learn With Us August 2022: A Scholarly Summer July 2022: Dialogue is Disruptive June 2022: An Interreligious Response to this Perilous Moment May 2022: Taking a Deeper
- [Silber-Obrecht Lecture/Academic Resources](https://icjs.org/silber-obrecht-lecture-academic-resources/) - Readings and Resources for the 2023 Silber-Obrecht Lecture Books by Francis X. Clooney, S.J. Learning Interreligiously: In the Text, in the World Comparative Theology: Deep Learning Across Religious Borders Saint Joseph in South India: Poetry, Mission and Theology in Costanzo Gioseffo Beschi’s Tēmpāvaṇi Books by Shubha Pathak Divine Yet Human Epics: Reflections of Poetic
- [Volumes referenced by Francis X. Clooney, S.J. during Lecture #1](https://icjs.org/volumes-referenced-by-francis-x-clooney-s-j-during-lecture-1/) - Volumes referenced by Francis X. Clooney, S.J. during Lecture #1 This list of volumes was referenced by Francis X. Clooney, S.J. during the inaugural Silber-Obrecht Lecture, April 25th – 27th, 2023 A Partial List of Volumes Offering Perspectives on Interfaith and Interreligious Studies Today Studies in Jewish-Christian Relations, from 2005, thus far 18 annual issues.
- [2021-2022 Teacher Fellows](https://icjs.org/2021-2022-teacher-fellows/) - 2021-2022 Teacher Fellows Maximo Alfaro-Rivera Academy for College and Career Exploration (ACCE), Spanish Teacher William Becker Baltimore County Detention Center (Public school program), Social Studies Teacher Barbara Brumleve, SSND Notre Dame Preparatory, Coordinator of Mission Integration Ryan Cox Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, Social Studies Teacher Niki Creamer Calvert Hall, Religion Teacher Diana Degnan-LaFon Notre
- [Crusades Course Resources](https://icjs.org/crusades-course-resources/) - The Crusades: Are We Prisoners of Our Interreligious History? — Course Resources Class 1: The Crusades and Our Imagination Class 1 Slides Class 1 Video Links to Resources Samuel Huntington’s Clash of Civilizations British World Cup fans dressed as Crusaders The Da Vinci Code clip The Sultan and the Saint clip Robin Hood clip George W.
- [ICJS in the News](https://icjs.org/icjs-in-the-news/) - ICJS in the News 2023 Wisconsin Examiner: Rep. Grothman displays Christian nationalist flag outside congressional office (Matt Taylor quoted), 1/13/23. Baptist News Global: The New Apostolic Reformation drove the January 6 riots, so why was it overlooked by the House Select Committee? (References Matt Taylor’s Charismatic Revival Fury podcast), 1/10/23. Religion Dispatches: Evidence strongly suggests
- [Muslim Prayer in America - Its Meaning and Practice](https://icjs.org/muslim-prayer-in-america-its-meaning-and-practice/) - Muslim Prayer in America: Its Meaning and Practice — Course Resources Class 1 – Theological Foundations: Prayer in the Qur’an Slides from Class 1 Readings: The Five Daily Prayers: Salat Case Studies: Prayer in the Workplace: Newsweek: Muslim Woman in Virginia Claims Asking For Prayer Break Cost Her Job Indianapolis Star: Muslim Man Terminated After Asking
- [2022-2023 Teacher Fellows](https://icjs.org/2022-2023-teacher-fellows/) - 2022-2023 Teacher Fellows James Baker Baltimore Polytechnic Institute Kallie Blakelock Chesapeake High School Gwendolyn Branch Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Anntasia M. Brown Lakeland Elementary Middle School Tonette Campbell The Academy for College and Career Exploration (ACCE) Hagar Ibrahim Tarbiyah Academy Delana Penn The Stadium School Joshua Ratner Friends School of Baltimore Erica Robbins North
- [ALLAH: God in Islam—Course Readings](https://icjs.org/allah-god-in-islam-readings/) - ALLAH: Same as the Biblical God or Totally Other? Class 1 — Theological Foundations: God in the Qur’an Class 1 Slides Class 1 Video Readings ALLAH in national and international news NPR: A Texas school board rejects “In God We Trust” signs in Arabic BBC: Malaysia High Court rules Christians can use “Allah” Book Excerpt
- [Interreligious School Event](https://icjs.org/interreligious-school-event/) - The Interreligious School: A Dimension of Equity work Free Online Workshop for Teachers Many young people’s first experience with religious difference occurs in classrooms, where they encounter a diversity of classmates and are introduced to mind-expanding ideas. How are we equipping students with the ability to engage in dialogue across differences? In this one-hour Zoom
- [Muslim Voices for an Interreligious America: Sacred Texts in Public Life](https://icjs.org/muslim-voices-for-an-interreligious-america/) - Muslim Voices for an Interreligious America A Call For Papers for an Online Forum The Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS), in partnership with the Journal of Interreligious Studies, is soliciting essays (750-1,000 words) for an online academic forum on Sacred Texts in Public Life featuring Muslim scholars who will offer their vision
- [Kathryn Kelley Hoskins Memorial Fund](https://icjs.org/hoskins-memorial-fund/) - Kathryn Kelley Hoskins Memorial Fund For 34 years, Kathryn Kelley Hoskins (1961-2021) worked to build the interreligious society, first as an ICJS founder who wrote the first bylaws, followed by her continual service as a Trustee until her death. Today, ICJS is proud to honor her with a memorial fund to support the work of
- [2022 Congregational Leader Fellows](https://icjs.org/2022-congregational-leader-fellows/) - 2022 Congregational Leader Fellows Islamic Congregations Islamic Society of Baltimore Shayhk Yaseen Shaikh Muslim Community Cultural Center Tala Drammeh Jewish Congregations Beth Am Synagogue Rabbi Tyler Dratch Sharon Achinstein Larry Moscow Beth Israel Congregation Rabbi Ariel Platt Mark Schenerman Christian Congregations Ames United Methodist Church Constance Sims Rosser Ark Church Pastor James Carter
- [Resources for Muslim Voices for an Interreligious America](https://icjs.org/resources-for-muslim-voices-for-an-interreligious-america/) - Muslim Voices for an Interreligious America Primary Resources Selections from the Qur’an: O humankind, We have created you male and female, and made you into races and tribes, that you may know one another. Surely the noblest among you in the sight of God is the most God-conscious of you. God is All-knowing, All-aware. (Qur’an
- [2020 Justice Leader Fellows](https://icjs.org/2020-justice-leader-fellows/) - 2020 Justice Leader Fellows Affiliation listed at time of fellowship Faridah Abdul-Tawwab President, NIA Sher Afgan Tareen Post Doctoral Fellow, The Center for the Study of Religion and the City, Morgan State University Veronica Alexander Stem Educator; Volunteer, Jews United for Justice Teara Booker Director of Development for Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance and Creative Director
- [Francis X. Clooney Bio](https://icjs.org/francis-x-clooney-bio/) - Biography of Francis X. Clooney, S.J. Francis X. Clooney, S.J., the inaugural Silber-Obrecht Lecturer, is the Parkman Professor of Divinity and Professor of Comparative Theology at the Harvard Divinity School. After earning his doctorate in South Asian languages and civilizations at the University of Chicago in 1984, Clooney taught at Boston College for 21 years
- [ERL Jewish-Christian](https://icjs.org/jewish-christian-emerging-religious-leaders/) - "I am forever grateful for the experience," Minister Amie Carter says about her week as a student at the ICJS Emerging Religious Leaders course in 2013, as part of her seminary training. This retreat has been one of the most formative pieces of my first year of seminary. There is a piece of my personal
- [Story Ideas for Religion Reporters](https://icjs.org/story-ideas/) - Story Ideas for Religion Reporters ICJS Scholars and Program Directors are experts in their field and are happy to serve as sources for journalists. Here are a few story ideas that show the kinds of topics they are prepared to discuss. Cancel the Christian seder It is easy to misstep when trying to make a
- [Big Question Project](https://icjs.org/big-ask-project/) - The Big Question Project Tell us one question that you ask—either silently or out loud—when you ponder your own religious heritage, tradition, or faith. ANSWER HERE We want to hear from you We have an invitation for you—that is, to participate in The ICJS Big Question Project. With this project we want to hear from
- [Big Question Project](https://icjs.org/big-question/) - The Big Question Project Tell us one question that you ask—either silently or out loud—when you ponder your own religious heritage, tradition, or faith. ANSWER HERE We want to hear from you We have an invitation for you—that is, to participate in The ICJS Big Question Project. With this project we want to hear from
- [Economic Justice: Interreligious Reflections on Fairness and Dignity](https://icjs.org/economic-justice-interreligious-reflections-on-fairness-and-dignity/) - Economic Justice Course Session #4 | Protestant Reflections on Economic Justice Instructor: Matthew Taylor Instructor’s Note: Our conversation on February 24th will be structured around considering the legacy of American slavery, its impact on our present-day economic inequalities, and how to think about the wealth and power disparities that exist within religious communities. We’ll be
- [2021 Justice Leader Fellows](https://icjs.org/2021-justice-leader-fellows/) - 2021 Justice Leader Fellows Affiliation listed at time of fellowship Miriam Avins Co-chair, Baltimore City Commission on Sustainability Edrees Bridges U.S. Special Agent, Dignitary Protection Division Farah Shakour-Bridges Founder, 4B4 Education, Inc. Candace Chance Board Chair, Baltimore City Intergenerational Initiative for Trauma & Youth (BCIITY) Maura Dunnigan Chief-of-Staff, Baltimore County Senator Shelly Hettleman Jamila Fagge
- [Board of Trustees](https://icjs.org/board-of-trustees/) - Muslim Voices for an Interreligious America Officers Irfan Malik - PRESIDENTKristen S. Kinkopf - VICE PRESIDENTBonnie Clarke - SECRETARYThomas M. Brown - TREASURER Trustees Rev. Scott Hamilton AdamsNancy BryantRabbi Daniel Cotzin BurgMeghan K. CaseyWm. Randall ConeAnthony DayAlan Edelman Robert J. HallockTazeen Hashmi, M.D.Jacob P. HodesDavid KuntzJoseph M. LangmeadRev. Dr. Brent LaythamMost Rev. Denis J. MaddenLarry
- [Be A Leader](https://icjs.org/be-a-leader/) - Discover and Learn ICJS provides you with resources to challenge religious bias and bigotry, increase religious literacy, and to confront the historical injustices that have divided our religious communities. Lived Diversity Observing Passover, Easter, and Ramadan The interreligious ICJS staff capture the lived diversity of three religious observances. (13 min. video with group discussion guide)
- [2020-2021 Teacher Fellows](https://icjs.org/2020-2021-teacher-fellows/) - 2020-2021 Teacher Fellows Affiliation listed at time of fellowship Kenya Beard Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, World History & American Government Teacher Sean Flanigan Loyola Blakefield, English Teacher Patrice Frasier Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, African American Studies & American Government Teacher Bethany Gentry Loyola Blakefield, Spanish & History Teacher Meg Grouzard The Baltimore School for the Arts, World
- [2019-2020 Teacher Fellows](https://icjs.org/2019-2020-teacher-fellows/) - 2019-2020 Teacher Fellows Affiliation listed at time of fellowship Laurie Austen Beth T’Filoh Dohan Community School, Jewish History Teacher Joy Bacon Baltimore School for the Arts, English Teacher Brendan Bailey Loyola Blakefield, English Teacher Bradley Bixler Mergenthaler Vocational Technical High School, World Geography and World History Teacher Selma Vives Ciccarone Loyola Blakefield, Spanish Teacher Elijah
- [Dabru Emet Text](https://icjs.org/dabru-emet-text/) - Muslim Voices for an Interreligious America Background In the late 1990s, the Institute for Christian and Jewish Studies (ICJS – now Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies) hosted the Jewish Scholars Project in Baltimore, Maryland. After several years of meeting, four interdenominational Jewish scholars published Dabru Emet (“Speak Truth”) as a full-page statement in The New York Times, The Baltimore Sun,
- [Contact Us](https://icjs.org/contact-us/) - Contact Us Mailing Address: 956 Dulaney Valley Road Baltimore, MD 21204 Phone: (410) 494-7161 Email: info@icjs.org
- [Disclosure Statement](https://icjs.org/disclosure-statement/) - State Nonprofit Disclosures Certain states require written disclosures for nonprofit organizations soliciting contributions. Individual state disclosures are below. Florida: A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Division of Consumer Services by calling toll-free within the state, 1-800-435-7352 (800-HELP-FLA), or visiting www.FloridaConsumerHelp.com. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval, or
- [ICJS Founders](https://icjs.org/icjs-founders/) - ICJS Founders Rabbi Donald Berlin Richard O. Berndt* George Bunting Calvin Burnett Owen Daly, II The Rev. Carl Fisher, SSJ Donna Lee Frisch Maggi Gaines D. H. Harvey George Hess, Jr. LeRoy Hoffberger Delores Kelley The Rev. Robert Leavitt, S.S. Rabbi Mark Loeb Bernard Manekin* Bishop P. Francis Murphy Charles Obrecht* The Rev. Robert Patterson
- [Staff and Scholars](https://icjs.org/staff-and-scholars/)
- [Exploring the Borders Between Religions](https://icjs.org/borders/) - Tuesday mornings (10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.) or afternoons (4:00–6:00 p.m.) ICJS minicourses provide adult learners with an opportunity to delve into a subject in dialogue between two religions over a series of three weeks each. Choose from morning or afternoon sessions, as the same program repeats. Law and Freedom at the Border of Christianity and Islam

## People

- [Zeyneb Sayilgan, Ph.D.](https://icjs.org/people/zeyneb-sayilgan/) - Maryam, the Muslim Mary: An interreligious figure who divides and unites us 2024-09-12 Mary, the mother of Jesus—Maryam in Arabic—is venerated by Christians and Muslims around the world. This course examines the Islamic portrayal of Mary as described in the Qur’an and the holy narrations of Prophet Muhammad, both normative sources for Muslims, identifying similarities
- [Christine Gallagher](https://icjs.org/people/christine-gallagher/) - Private: Teachers Talk Religion 2021-05-20 Four ICJS Teacher Fellows join in conversation with Christine Gallagher, ICJS program director for Teacher Programs, on where they see religion in their classroom curriculum, what questions students are asking, and how they are learning to transform their institutions into places that promote pluralism and religious understanding. Participants include: Jill
- [Marisa Shultz](https://icjs.org/people/marisa-shultz/)
- [Benjamin E. Sax, Ph.D.](https://icjs.org/people/benjamin-e-sax/) - Antisemitism (Un)defined 2023-10-30 This course explores competing definitions of antisemitism, examining their historical roots, political assumptions, and contemporary implications. Participants consider how these frameworks shape efforts to counter antisemitism and influence broader social and political debates. Martin Buber and the Life of Dialogue 2022-02-28 Martin Buber is one the most influential thinkers of the 20th
- [Melissa Gerr](https://icjs.org/people/melissa-gerr/)
- [Jessica Briggs](https://icjs.org/people/jessica-briggs/)
- [Heather Miller Rubens, Ph.D.](https://icjs.org/people/heather-miller-rubens/) - Pope Leo XIV and the Future of the Roman Catholic Church 2025-06-04 This event featured a panel discussion on the election of Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope in the history of the Roman Catholic Church. Panelists examined the global and interreligious implications of his historic election, his relationship to the legacy of Pope
- [Alisha Wimbush, Th.D.](https://icjs.org/people/alisha-wimbush/) - Spiritual Care for the Grieving 2023-11-02 Spiritual care providers are often called upon to accompany individuals during their time of grief. The impetus for this grief can range from loss of a long-held dream to the loss of a dear loved one. Whatever the catalyst, the grieving person must learn to navigate the complex feelings
- [Christine Krieger](https://icjs.org/people/christine-krieger/)
- [Molly Silverstein](https://icjs.org/people/molly-silverstein/)
- [Fatimah Fanusie, Ph.D.](https://icjs.org/people/fatimah-fanusie/) - Howard Thurman: Moral anchor to the Civil Rights Movement 2023-10-04 Howard Thurman was a theologian, mystic, educator, and influential spiritual guide to the Civil Rights Movement. This on-demand minicourse situates Thurman within the rich history of African American religious and cultural activism and examines his relationships with pivotal 20th-century figures, including Mahatma Gandhi, Reinhold Niebuhr,
- [John Rivera](https://icjs.org/people/john-rivera/)
- [Angela Cava](https://icjs.org/people/angela-cava/)
- [Melissa Zieve](https://icjs.org/people/melissa-zieve/)
- [Laura Urban](https://icjs.org/people/laura-urban/)

## Trustees

- [Lee Sherman](https://icjs.org/trustee/lee-sherman/)
- [Pastor Shanon D. Murray](https://icjs.org/trustee/shanon-d-murray/)
- [Abby Holmes](https://icjs.org/trustee/abby-holmes/)
- [Ainy Haider-Shah](https://icjs.org/trustee/ainy-haider-shah/)
- [Josh Auerbach](https://icjs.org/trustee/josh-auerbach/)
- [Meghan K. Casey, Esq.](https://icjs.org/trustee/meghan-k-casey/)
- [Rabbi Debi Wechsler](https://icjs.org/trustee/rabbi-debi-wechlser/)
- [Nancy Bryant](https://icjs.org/trustee/nancy-bryant/)
- [Arun Subhas](https://icjs.org/trustee/arun-subhas/)
- [Lisa Akchin](https://icjs.org/trustee/lisa-akchin/)
- [Irfan Malik](https://icjs.org/trustee/irfan-malik/)
- [Tazeen Hashmi, M.D.](https://icjs.org/trustee/tazeen-hashmi-m-d/)
- [S. Qaisar Shareef](https://icjs.org/trustee/s-qaisar-shareef/)
- [William J. Stromberg](https://icjs.org/trustee/william-j-stromberg/)
- [Julia Nickles Bryan](https://icjs.org/trustee/julia-nickles-bryan/)
- [Lisa K. Budlow](https://icjs.org/trustee/lisa-k-budlow/)
- [Omar Zalatimo, M.D., M.P.H., M.H.A., F.A.A.N.S.](https://icjs.org/trustee/omar-zalatimo-md-mph-mha-faans/)
- [Ajmel A. Quereshi](https://icjs.org/trustee/ajmel-a-quereshi/)
- [Patricia Batza](https://icjs.org/trustee/patricia-batza/)
- [Thomas M. Brown](https://icjs.org/trustee/thomas-m-brown/)
- [Joseph M. Langmead](https://icjs.org/trustee/joseph-m-langmead/)
- [Sanford Ungar](https://icjs.org/trustee/sanford-ungar/)
- [Rabbi Steven Schwartz](https://icjs.org/trustee/rabbi-steven-schwartz/)
- [Taylor Branch](https://icjs.org/trustee/taylor-branch/)
- [Bishop Denis J. Madden](https://icjs.org/trustee/bishop-denis-j-madden/)
- [Larry Moscow](https://icjs.org/trustee/larry-moscow/)
- [Rev. John E. Roberts](https://icjs.org/trustee/rev-john-e-roberts/)
- [Arnold Richman](https://icjs.org/trustee/arnold-richman/)
- [Kenneth Karpay](https://icjs.org/trustee/kenneth-karpay/)
- [Lee Hendler](https://icjs.org/trustee/lee-hendler/)
- [Ellen M. Heller](https://icjs.org/trustee/ellen-m-heller/)
- [Jean Harvey Baker, Ph.D.](https://icjs.org/trustee/jean-harvey-baker-ph-d/)
- [Rabbi Mitchell Wohlberg](https://icjs.org/trustee/rabbi-mitchell-wohlberg/)
- [Charles F. Obrecht](https://icjs.org/trustee/charles-f-obrecht/)
- [George B. Hess, Jr.](https://icjs.org/trustee/george-b-hess-jr/)
- [George L. Bunting, Jr.](https://icjs.org/trustee/george-l-bunting-jr/)
- [Rev. Dr. Brent Laytham](https://icjs.org/trustee/rev-dr-brent-laytham/)

## Resources

- [Showing Up in the Fullness of Interfaith](https://icjs.org/resource/fullness-of-interfaith/) - Colorful prayer rugs set in rows lined the floor of a small conference room transformed into a sacred space, resounding with the chant of the call to prayer. On the second evening of the ICJS Emerging Religious Leaders Intensive (ERLI), Muslim seminarians invited their Jewish and Christian colleagues to experience Maghrib, the Muslim sunset prayer.
- [Building Civic Leadership Across Difference: A Conversation with Molly Silverstein](https://icjs.org/resource/building-civic-leadership-across-difference/) - Molly Silverstein, Program Director for the ICJS Fellowship for Nonprofit and Civic Professionals, spoke with ICJS Director of Communications John Rivera about her path into interreligious work, what distinguishes this fellowship in the civic landscape, and why interreligious learning is essential for leaders working to build a multireligious democracy. Q: What first brought you into
- [ICJS Launches Interfaith Benchmark Initiative for AI](https://icjs.org/resource/icjs-ai-interfaith-benchmark/) - ICJS is developing a benchmark to assess how leading AI chatbots answer questions about Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and interfaith relations.
- [Finding My Voice as a Nonreligious ‘None’](https://icjs.org/resource/finding-my-voice/) - I grew up in a mixed-religion family—one side Jewish, one side Methodist. My parents were effectively nonreligious, but they took my siblings and me to Unitarian Sunday school and encouraged learning about other religions. Because of my background, I was intrigued to learn about the Fellowship for Nonprofit and Civic Professionals at the Institute for
- [A Reconsideration of ‘Separation of Church and State’](https://icjs.org/resource/reconsideration-separation-church-state/) - I grew up believing "the separation of church and state" was gospel. I fought anyone who tried to tell me otherwise. It didn’t help my position that I grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah, where most residents were Mormon and upfront about it. I was an outlier—the one kid in school who didn’t stand
- [Four Lessons from the ICJS Fellowship for Teachers](https://icjs.org/resource/four-lessons-teachers-fellowship/) - For years, ICJS has worked with middle and high school teachers from public, independent, and religious schools navigating one of the most complicated realities of American education: Religion is present in the classroom, even when no one names it. Students bring religious identities, assumptions, histories, holidays, and inherited narratives with them every day. Teachers do
- [Religion Is Already in the Room](https://icjs.org/resource/religion-already-in-room/) - Nonprofit and civic organizations regularly navigate religious difference, whether through workplace culture, community partnerships, public programming, or questions of equity and belonging. Yet many leaders have little formal space to reflect on how religion shapes the environments in which they work. Over the past year, fellows in the program put those ideas into practice through
- [How ICJS Helped a School Community Navigate Religious Difference](https://icjs.org/resource/bryn-mawr-dialogue/) - At ICJS, we often talk about dialogue as a practice—not simply a way of speaking in the moment, but a way of building community through multiple conversations over months, and sometimes even years. In a world of instant communications focused on data and quick yes/no answers, dialogue is slow work, focused on building nuanced understanding
- [5 Texts That Shaped America’s Religious Freedom](https://icjs.org/resource/5-texts/) - From Maryland’s early but short-lived experiment in Christian toleration, to the Constitution’s protections for religious freedom and limits on established religion, to George Washington’s affirmation of Jewish citizenship, religious freedom in America has never been a finished achievement. It has always been an unfolding civic project: An effort to build a society where people of
- [ICJS Announces New Board President Meghan K. Casey and Welcomes Four New Trustees](https://icjs.org/resource/new-board-president/) - ICJS names Meghan Casey as its next Board President and welcomes four new trustees with expertise in law, communications, finance, and public service.
- [Jacob Green Joins ICJS as Graduate Summer Intern](https://icjs.org/resource/jacob-green-intern/) - Jacob Green, a University of Virginia Ph.D. student, joins ICJS this summer as a graduate intern supporting emerging work on AI, religion, & interfaith engagement.
- [Wrestling to Be Open: Developing my interreligious fluency](https://icjs.org/resource/wrestling-be-open/) - I am a firm believer in the power of one-on-one relational meetings in my ministry and professional life. Starting my new job at the Governor's Office for Children on December 10, 2025, I planned to meet one-on-one with at least half of my new colleagues within my first 90 days. It was a weekday morning
- [Deeply Rooted in My Faith: The lost property of wisdom](https://icjs.org/resource/deeply-rooted-faith/) - I joined the ICJS Fellowship for Civic and Nonprofit Professionals carrying a concern common to many people whose faith has been fortified through trials and affirmed through a multitude of blessings. As a Black American Muslim deeply committed to my communities and to the work of sharing the beauty, ethics, and truth of Islam, I
- [What Public Schools Miss When We Flatten Difference](https://icjs.org/resource/what-public-schools-miss/) - There was a moment during the ICJS Fellowship for Teachers when something finally clicked for me. For years, I had understood the role of public schools as firmly secular spaces. Religion, I believed, was something to be handled carefully, and many of my colleagues would often avoid it altogether. I would teach some Bible stories
- [Making the Invisible Visible: Rethinking Religious Equality](https://icjs.org/resource/making-the-invisible-visible-rethinking-religious-equality/) - What does it mean to lead in a society where religious language and symbols are everywhere—but not everyone shares the same faith? For many Christian clergy, that question has become harder to avoid as debates over religious freedom, Christian nationalism, and pluralism increasingly shape public life. That question sat at the center of a recent
- [Dialogue Is a Form of Resistance: A Conversation with Benjamin E. Sax](https://icjs.org/resource/dialogue-form-resistance/) - In a conversation following his five-month sabbatical, Benjamin E. Sax, Ph.D., ICJS head of programs and Jewish scholar, reflected on the experience, how it reshaped his perspective, and the scholarship that emerged from it. He talks about getting started on a new book project, which will follow the upcoming publication of his book, Encounters: Dialogue, Antisemitism,
- [Community Means Standing with our Neighbors: A conversation with Heather Miller Rubens](https://icjs.org/resource/heather-miller-rubens-community/) - Standing with our neighbors is not simply an ideal, it is a responsibility rooted in Community, one of ICJS’ five core values: Responsible civic life requires more than tolerance and coexistence. It requires participation in community, respectful dialogue, mutual understanding, and flexibility with resources and positions. We build robust interreligious communities that interweave the civic,
- [Against the Algorithm: Teaching teens to think beyond social media](https://icjs.org/resource/against-the-algorithm/) - High school teacher Lee Krempel knows that mindfulness is critical when topics that graze religion come up in his classroom. That’s what he found himself navigating in October 2023 after the Hamas attack on Israel launched the still ongoing Gaza War. It was also only a few weeks into his participation in the ICJS Fellowship
- [Sacred Rhythms, Shared Spaces: Learning the practice of interreligious hospitality](https://icjs.org/resource/sacred-rhythms-shared-spaces-learning-the-practice-of-interreligious-hospitality/) - When religious leaders step into sacred spaces beyond their own traditions, the experience can be powerful—and sometimes uncertain. What should you wear? When do you participate, and when should you simply observe? These are the kinds of practical and spiritual questions explored in Sacred Rhythms, Shared Spaces, a recent workshop led by the Rev. Alisha
- [Genocidal Threats Against the Iranian People Violate Human Dignity and International Law](https://icjs.org/resource/genocidal-threats-iranian-people/) - President Donald Trump’s public threat against Iran that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again” is dangerous and immoral. The destruction of an entire people is genocide. Collective punishment and the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international law. Calls for the destruction of civilizations stand in direct opposition
- [Where Hope Takes Shape: Inside ICJS’ campaign for the interreligious society](https://icjs.org/resource/where-hope-takes-shape-icjs-campaign/) - It didn’t happen on a stage. In the weeks after October 7, the requests came quietly—an email from a school leader, a call from a colleague, a note from a community partner: Can you help us talk about this? ICJS responded with small, carefully structured dialogues—often 15 or so people who already knew one another.
- [How One Theater Company Turned to ICJS to Confront Antisemitism and Islamophobia](https://icjs.org/resource/one-theater-company/) - When antisemitic comments and activities in the community were plaguing a longtime member of Shotgun Players, a theater company in Berkeley, Calif., artistic company member and director Katja Rivera felt compelled to address the issue—and knew just where to look for resources that could help. “She felt that we really needed something to defend the
- [There Are No Stupid Questions Across Difference](https://icjs.org/resource/there-are-no-stupid-questions/) - Some people balk at the idea of “no stupid questions.” I have had students cringe or call out their friends when a classmate brashly asks a question that seems insensitive or reveals cultural ignorance. Like when a student asked me this year around the winter holidays how it was possible that I had Christian and
- [Flour and Water/Body and Soul: Making challah as a metaphor for being human](https://icjs.org/resource/four-water-body-soul/) - Throughout the Teachers Fellowship, I’ve come to understand how important it is to teach about religion in schools—especially minority religions. It’s essential for majority communities to respect, support, and uplift minorities. The goal isn’t always to compare religious practices or try to make sense of them from our own perspectives, but rather to learn, listen,
- [Teaching with an Interreligious Framework: Q & A with ICJS’ Christine Gallagher](https://icjs.org/resource/framework/) - Q: You’ve described the goal of the ICJS Teachers Fellowship as helping educators apply an Interreligious Framework to their work. Could you elaborate? We talk with secondary teachers (middle and high school) about this "ICJS Interreligious Framework” as the intersection of what’s in your curriculum, who’s in your classroom, and who you are as a
- [From Being Right to Being in Relationship](https://icjs.org/resource/being-right-being-relationship/) - At our first meeting of the ICJS Fellowship for Teachers, we were given guidelines for cultivating dialogue over debate. I took these to heart; they felt like a message from a higher power about how to improve all of my relationships. The conversations that we were able to have under these norms were challenging for
- [Human Dignity and the Work of Dialogue](https://icjs.org/resource/human-dignity-and-the-work-of-dialogue/) - Affirming the dignity of every human being is not simply a moral principle to be professed, states ICJS’ Heather Miller Rubens, but something that must be learned, practiced, and sustained—especially in a world shaped by dehumanization and polarization. Drawing on Catholic Social Teaching and the work of Pope Francis, Rubens offered a theological account of
- [Dabru Emet Anniversary Post-Meeting Announcement](https://icjs.org/resource/dabru-emet-anniversary-post-meeting-announcement/) - The Center for Christian-Jewish Learning at Boston College held an international gathering of Jewish scholars and leaders on Nov. 20 to discuss the legacy of Dabru Emet, a landmark statement on Jewish views of Christianity, on the occasion of its 25th anniversary. Organized in collaboration with the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies—the institution
- [Dabru Emet Anniversary Post-Meeting Announcement](https://icjs.org/resource/dabru-emet-post-meeting/) - The Center for Christian-Jewish Learning at Boston College held an international gathering of Jewish scholars and leaders on Nov. 20 to discuss the legacy of Dabru Emet, a landmark statement on Jewish views of Christianity, on the occasion of its 25th anniversary. Organized in collaboration with the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies—the institution
- [Emerging Religious Leaders Build Trust Across Divide](https://icjs.org/resource/emerging-religious-leaders-build-trust-across-divide/) - “I’m not looking for someone who agrees with me on everything. I’m looking for someone with an open heart.” —Sarah Taufique, Muslim educator In a time when headlines shout of war, extremism, and fear amid deepening religious and political divides, something quieter happened at a retreat center outside Baltimore: Muslim, Christian, and Jewish emerging religious
- [We Must Not Turn Away](https://icjs.org/resource/we-must-not-turn-away/) - In moments of profound crisis, we look instinctively for leaders who can help us see clearly, act courageously, and respond compassionately. Around the world, humanitarian emergencies are mounting: the devastation in Gaza, where the vast majority of buildings have been damaged or destroyed, entire neighborhoods erased, families buried beneath rubble, and civilians—especially children—face staggering daily
- [A Legacy Still Unfolding: Nostra Aetate and the future of interreligious dialogue](https://icjs.org/resource/a-legacy-still-unfolding-nostra-aetate-and-the-future-of-interreligious-dialogue/) - Sixty years after the Second Vatican Council issued Nostra Aetate—the declaration that reshaped Catholic relationships with Jews, Muslims, and other religious communities—the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS) convened a panel to reflect on its legacy and urgency today. The event, Nostra Aetate at 60, featured Heather Miller Rubens, Ph.D., ICJS Executive Director
- [Speaking Truth, 25 Years Later: ICJS and the Legacy of Dabru Emet](https://icjs.org/resource/speaking-truth-25-years-later-icjs-and-the-legacy-of-dabru-emet/) - In September 2000, The New York Times carried a full-page statement titled Dabru Emet—Hebrew for “Speak Truth.” Signed by more than 170 Jewish scholars and rabbis, it offered a bold Jewish reflection on Christianity, starting with its opening claim: “Jews and Christians worship the same God.” The document emerged from years of deliberation convened here
- [ICJS Partner Maryland Center for History and Culture (MCHC) Names Curator of Religious History](https://icjs.org/resource/maryland-center-for-history-and-culture-names-curator-of-religious-history/) - BALTIMORE, Md. (October 6, 2025) – The Maryland Center for History and Culture (MCHC) has named Anna Majeski, PhD, as the new Lilly Endowment Curator of Religious History. This position is supported by a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative. The $2.5M grant funds a larger programming and research
- [Religion, Law, & Social Justice: Discovering New Frameworks at the ICJS Faculty Seminar](https://icjs.org/resource/religion-law-and-social-justice-new-frameworks-from-the-icjs-faculty-seminar/) - In August 2025, I had the opportunity to participate in the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies' 2025 Faculty Seminar, "No Church | No State: Religious Experiments in Imagining the World Otherwise" that stretched my thinking at the intersections of religion, law, and social justice. The cohort pushed me to consider how religious communities
- [Dialogue is a Practice of Rehumanization in a Dehumanizing Age](https://icjs.org/resource/dialogue-practice-rehumanization/) - Right now, our civic fabric feels fragile, stretched thin and frayed by anger, fear, and the weight of vigilante violence. Can we talk about our deepest differences? In moments like this, it is tempting to go to extremes—to divide ourselves into warring camps who lash out at opponents, or opt out of public conversation all
- [Interreligious Dialogue is Hard—But Necessary](https://icjs.org/resource/interreligious-dialogue-is-hard/) - When I’ve told people about the work we have been doing this past year at ICJS, they have a lot of questions: How are you actually able to do dialogue right now? Has the violence in Israel and Gaza frayed interreligious relationships beyond repair? What are commonly held expectations and fears about interreligious dialogue, particularly
- [God-Seeking and Neighbor-Seeking: Heather Miller Rubens on Clarifying the Aims of Interreligious Work](https://icjs.org/resource/god-seeking-and-neighbor-seeking-heather-miller-rubens-on-clarifying-the-aims-of-interreligious-work/) - ICJS Executive Director and Roman Catholic Scholar Heather Miller Rubens, Ph.D., is shaping conversations at the intersection of faith, scholarship, and public life—both internationally and here at home. This summer, Rubens delivered a keynote lecture at the International Network for Interreligious Research and Education (INIRE) conference in Berlin, Germany. Her address, “God-seeking & Neighbor-seeking: Teleological
- [Is Dialogue Possible? Benjamin Sax Confronts the Hardest Questions About Antisemitism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict](https://icjs.org/resource/is-dialogue-possible-benjamin-sax-confronts-the-hardest-questions-about-antisemitism-and-the-israeli-palestinian-conflict/) - For decades, interreligious dialogue has been a space where differences in theology, belief, and practice could be explored with respect. But ICJS Jewish Scholar Benjamin Sax, Ph.D., argues that one issue consistently breaks that fragile trust: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “People can disagree on deep theological matters and still remain in community,” Sax explained. “But when
- [Speaking Across Traditions: Zeyneb Sayilgan on Writing About Islam for Christian Audiences](https://icjs.org/resource/speaking-across-traditions-zeyneb-sayilgan-on-writing-about-islam-for-christian-audiences/) - What can Islam say to Christianity today? For ICJS Muslim Scholar Zeyneb Sayilgan, Ph.D., this question is not just academic—it’s personal, pastoral, and deeply interreligious. Over the past year, she has shared Islamic perspectives with Christian readers through essays in U.S. Catholic, The Guardian and The Living Church. Her work explores how Muslim tradition speaks
- [Maryland Clergy Invited to Join New Interfaith Conversation Initiative: “Common Ground”](https://icjs.org/resource/maryland-clergy-invited-to-join-new-interfaith-conversation-initiative-common-ground/) - The Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives (GOCI) and the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS) are proud to announce the launch of Common Ground: Clergy | Conversation | Connection, a new statewide initiative bringing together religiously diverse clergy for intentional dialogue and connection. This year-long program will match clergy from various faith traditions
- [ICJS Awards 2025 Interreligious Capacity-Building Grants](https://icjs.org/resource/icjs-awards-2025-interreligious-capacity-building-grants/) - The Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS) has awarded four 2025 Interreligious Capacity-Building Grants to alumni of the ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship. Funded by the T. Rowe Price Foundation, these grants are designed to inspire, equip, and support nonprofit and community leaders as they launch new interreligious initiatives within their spheres of influence.
- [Interfaith Work Behind the Altar: Letting holy envy lead to deeper faith](https://icjs.org/resource/interfaith-work-behind-the-altar/) - Seminarian Aaron Dunn admits he experiences what many call holy envy. He believes the desire to witness the depth, richness, and beauty of another faith tradition is a good place to start interreligious work—but he argues that it shouldn’t end there. Dunn, an alum of the ICJS Emerging Religious Leaders Intensive (ERLI), likens the longing
- [Teaching Religion with Confidence: ICJS staff and Fellowship alumni shape new resource on cultivating religious literacy](https://icjs.org/resource/teaching-religion-with-confidence-icjs-staff-and-fellowship-alumni-shape-new-resource-on-cultivating-religious-literacy/) - “I usually just skip anything about religion because I don't want to make any students uncomfortable.” That honest admission—shared with Christine Gallagher, ICJS program director for teachers, by a teacher at a national social studies conference—reveals the deep discomfort many educators feel when it comes to teaching about religion. In a time of heightened public
- [Bringing Interreligious Dialogue into the Classroom](https://icjs.org/resource/bringing-interreligious-dialogue-into-the-classroom/) - Dialogue has long been at the heart of Josh Ackerman's teaching philosophy. At the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC), where he teaches history and political science, he fosters open discussions among students in his honors seminars, encouraging them to engage critically and thoughtfully with complex topics. Religion, however, was a topic he believed was
- [Midrash and Meaning: How Students Learn to Enter the Story](https://icjs.org/resource/midrash-and-meaning-how-students-learn-to-enter-the-story/) - For Joshua Ratner, an English teacher at the Friends School of Baltimore, the ICJS Teacher’s Fellowship was a profound professional development experience that gave him new tools—and renewed confidence—for guiding students through conversations about religion in the classroom. Joshua Ratner Ratner, who co-teaches a unit for ninth grade students on the Hebrew Bible alongside other
- [Take Action: Protect Nonprofits from Losing 501(c)(3) Status Without Due Process](https://icjs.org/resource/take-action-protect-nonprofits-and-civic-freedom/) - Dear Friend, Today, we are reaching out to ask you to speak up in support of nonprofits. As an interreligious education nonprofit with 501(c)(3) status, ICJS is deeply committed to fostering religious pluralism and civic engagement through dialogue, learning, and collaboration. A vibrant civil society—where diverse voices are free to speak, organize, and advocate—is essential
- [‘We Are All at Risk:’ Baltimore Rabbis Speak Out Against the Detention of Dr. Badar Khan Suri](https://icjs.org/resource/we-are-all-at-risk-four-baltimore-rabbis-speak-out-against-the-detention-of-dr-badar-khan-suri/) - In a powerful act of interreligious solidarity, several Baltimore-based rabbis joined dozens of other Jewish faith leaders from Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginai in signing an open letter calling for the immediate release of Dr. Badar Khan Suri. Dr. Suri, a Muslim and Indian citizen who is a postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University, was detained
- [ICJS Awards Four 2025 Interreligious Capacity-Building Grants for Chaplains](https://icjs.org/resource/2025-chaplain-grant-recipients/) - The Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS) has awarded interreligious capacity-building grants to four organizations to help them expand their ability to offer chaplaincy and spiritual care services. The grants of up to $1,000 each are designed to specifically address the interreligious needs of volunteer chaplains and those serving in organizations that sometimes
- [The Silber-Obrecht Lecture Explores Humanity Across Faiths](https://icjs.org/resource/the-silber-obrecht-lecture-explores-humanity-across-faiths/) - In an era marked by rising polarization, climate anxiety, and rapid technological change, the question of what it means to be human has never felt more urgent. The 2025 Silber-Obrecht Lecture explored that question from Islamic, Christian, and Jewish perspectives—and offered a vision of hope, dignity, and dialogue. At an April 22nd Conversation Event at
- [A Year of Unexpected Prayer](https://icjs.org/resource/year-unexpected-prayer/) - I embarked on the ICJS Teachers Fellowship with the hope of gaining tools for my Modern World History classroom. (I teach in a religiously diverse community, and of course religion is a constant thread through my curriculum.) What I did not expect was to awaken my own religious curiosity and awareness. I was raised in
- [A Reflection on Pope Francis](https://icjs.org/resource/a-reflection-on-pope-francis/) - Pope Francis was elected head of the Catholic Church in March of 2013, when I was just pregnant with my second child. I remember the trees were just beginning to blossom, and that the sunlight was bright. I heard the news while planning for the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council with a group
- [Listening as an Act of Justice](https://icjs.org/resource/listening-act-justice/) - In January 2024, 15 weeks after the eruption of violence in Gaza, ICJS convened an interreligious dialogue about the conflict. I felt called to attend, though I was unsure of what to expect. Everyone, it seemed, was struggling in their own way with the shock and dismay evoked by the news that had been coming
- [5 Interreligious Takeaways from the Pew Religious Landscape Study](https://icjs.org/resource/5-interreligious-takeaways-from-the-pew-religious-landscape-study/) - The Pew Research Center’s Religious Landscape Study provides one of the most comprehensive portraits of religious communities in the U.S. The Center aims to to provide authoritative figures on the size of U.S. religious groups because the U.S. census does not collect that information. The Pew Center has conducted three of these landscape surveys over
- [Teaching with Empathy: How Neil Rubin Brings Interreligious Understanding to the Classroom](https://icjs.org/resource/teaching-with-empathy-how-neil-rubin-brings-interreligious-understanding-to-the-classroom/) - Neil Rubin’s long engagement with the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS) has paralleled his vocational journey—from journalist to scholar. Rubin, who was a member of the first cohort of ICJS Teacher Fellows, has remained actively involved with ICJS over the years, frequently attending events and integrating an interreligious perspective into his curriculum.
- [I Didn't Know What I Didn't Know](https://icjs.org/resource/didnt-know-what-didnt-know/) - When I signed up to be part of ICJS’s Congregational Leaders Fellowship (CLF), I thought I had a pretty good understanding of the core beliefs and practices of the Jewish and Muslim faiths. I had read articles and attended lectures, and I have a few Jewish friends, some more religious than others. I’ve come to
- [ICJS Partner Receives $2.5M Grant to Explore Religious Diversity & Tolerance in Maryland](https://icjs.org/resource/icjs-partner-maryland-center-for-history-and-culture-receives-2-5m-grant/) - Read the Catholic Review article: Maryland Center for History and Culture receives $2.5 million grant to explore religious tolerance in state BALTIMORE, Md. (January 7, 2025) – The Maryland Center for History and Culture (MCHC) has received a $2.5M grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative. The grant will support
- [After the Oct. 7 Attack and the Israel-Gaza War, Educators Find Dialogue is Possible](https://icjs.org/resource/after-the-oct-7-attack-and-the-israel-gaza-war-educators-find-dialogue-is-possible/) - The horrific Oct. 7 attack on Israel and the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza have left both many wondering whether interreligious dialogue is still possible. Schools in particular sought guidance to help teachers and staff talk about these issues amongst themselves, and with students and parents. One of the first to reach out was Friends
- [A Doubting Questioning Mind Arises from Dialogue not Debate](https://icjs.org/resource/doubting-questioning-mind/) - At the beginning of the year, I assigned an essay entitled “This I Believe” to my speech class. The assignment is modeled on the radio program of the same name. The very first essay produced on the program is entitled “A Doubting Questioning Mind.” In it, the 16-year-old author Elizabeth Deutsch writes, ​​“I have visited
- [Fatimah Fanusie to Lead New Initiative with Museums and Libraries for ICJS](https://icjs.org/resource/fatimah-fanusie-museums-and-libraries/) - BALTIMORE—Fatimah Fanusie, Ph.D., has been named to the newly created position of program manager for museums & libraries at the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS). Fanusie previously led ICJS' work with nonprofit and civic leaders, a position she assumed in 2019. She is currently on a leave of absence, living in Senegal
- [ICJS to Offer 2025 Capacity-Building Grants for Chaplains](https://icjs.org/resource/icjs-to-offer-capacity-building-grants-to-chaplains/) - BALTIMORE—With the support of the Bunting Family Foundation, the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS) is launching a Spiritual Care Capacity-Building Grant program for organizations with volunteer chaplains and/or up to three staff chaplains to pay for supplies, professional development, or other resources. ICJS will offer the grants of up to $1,000 each
- [Following God’s Love Command, One Act of Micro-Justice at a Time](https://icjs.org/resource/following-gods-love-command/) - As a trained community organizer, pastor, and Episcopal priest, I began this fellowship confident in my capacity to listen and in the collective power of listening to move us ever closer to living out God’s vision for a peaceful and just world. What is, after all, God’s command to love God and neighbor in practical
- [Navigating Interreligious Experiences in the Workplace](https://icjs.org/resource/navigating-interreligious-experiences-workplace/) - I was born to a Muslim family and grew up in a community where religious pluralism and interreligious relationships were considered a norm. This is in part because, within the same household, you might find a Muslim family, a Christian family, and family of other faiths living together in harmony without prejudice. My grandfather was
- [Uncovering the Rich Tapestry of Religion in Maryland](https://icjs.org/resource/uncovering-the-rich-tapestry-of-religion-in-maryland/) - For the past year, historian Abby Schreiber, Ph.D., has been helping ICJS and the Maryland Center for History and Culture prepare for a major exhibit on religion in Maryland planned to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution in 2026. With funding from a planning grant from the Lilly Endowment, Schreber has traveled
- [Georgetown University Press to Publish ICJS Silber-Obrecht Lecture Series](https://icjs.org/resource/georgetown-university-press-to-publish-icjs-silber-obrecht-lecture-series/) - BALTIMORE—The Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS) and Georgetown University Press have signed an exclusive series agreement to publish the Silber-Obrecht Lectures, the premier international lecture in the field of Interreligious/Interfaith Studies. The Silber-Obrecht Lecture, which aims to advance this developing field of academic inquiry, reflects that there are many modes of response
- [Can We Talk About the Israel-Hamas War?](https://icjs.org/resource/can-we-talk-about-the-israel-hamas-war/) - Amid the grief, the sorrow, the anger, and the anguish surrounding the Israel-Hamas war, is dialogue still possible? The horrific attacks of October 7th, and the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, have left both individuals and institutions bereft. For an organization like the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS), whose mission is to
- [Adult Learners Take Advantage of ICJS On Demand Courses](https://icjs.org/resource/adult-learners-take-advantage-of-icjs-on-demand-courses/) - In the wake of the Oct. 7th attacks and the Israel-Hamas War, members of the adult education committee at Towson Presbyterian Church began looking for educational materials that could provide context to the conflict, and explore antisemitism and Islamophobia. They didn’t have to look far—in fact, only a few blocks away, at the Towson offices
- [Strengthening Democracy: Key to an Interreligious Society](https://icjs.org/resource/strengthening-democracy-key-interreligious-society/) - Achieving and sustaining an interreligious society as envisioned by ICJS may be intrinsically tied to the strength of our democracy. And, sadly, that democracy is at risk. Our constitution’s First Amendment planted the seeds of an ideal of an interreligious society, one where all citizens are treated equally, and no one voice or group holds
- [Creating an Interreligious Sacred Space](https://icjs.org/resource/creating-an-interreligious-sacred-space/) - One of the first things the Rev. Jermel A. Gilliam noticed when he became a hospice chaplain at Gilchrist Center Howard County was that the chapel had become a multipurpose room, a handy space for staff to conduct meetings or write clinical notes. “I had to assert my pastoral authority,” he said. “I just said,
- [In the Spirit of Dialogue: Muslim Students Journey from ICJS to Catholic Theological Union](https://icjs.org/resource/muslim-students-journey-from-icjs-to-ctu/) - Two Muslim ministry students are charting an unconventional path in their pursuit of graduate degrees in interreligious studies. What began with their participation in the ICJS Emerging Religious Leaders Intensive (ERLI) program has led them to Catholic Theological Union (CTU), a Roman Catholic graduate school of theology and ministry in Chicago, where they are now
- [How I Found Spiritual Confidence through Interreligious Learning](https://icjs.org/resource/how-i-found-spiritual-confidence/) - When I reflect on how well grounded one has to be in one’s own faith in order to productively engage in and benefit from interreligious leadership training, a main focus of the ICJS Congregational Leaders Fellowship, I would have to conclude in all honesty that I was a poorly-qualified candidate. First of all, even though
- [Welcoming without Hesitation or Discomfort: My experience visiting other congregations](https://icjs.org/resource/welcoming-without-hesitation-discomfort/) - This year I have had the pleasure of participating in ICJS’s Congregational Leaders Fellowship, and it was an excellent experience. As a young Muslim growing up I had plenty of experiences with other religions because I didn’t see many Muslims around me. In fact, until I got into high school, most of my fellow classmates
- [ICJS Connects with Colleagues at Religion Scholars Conference](https://icjs.org/resource/icjs-connects-with-colleagues-at-religion-scholars-conference/) - For scholars at the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS), the American Academy of Religion (AAR) Annual Conference is more than just an academic gathering—it's a dynamic space for innovation, collaboration, and forward-thinking dialogue about our research and our work on religion. This year, four ICJS scholars attended, sharing research and deepening connections
- [ICJS partners with the Maryland Center for History and Culture to explore religious tolerance in Maryland](https://icjs.org/resource/icjs-partners-with-the-maryland-center-for-history-and-culture-to-explore-religious-tolerance-in-maryland/) - February 15, 2024 BALTIMORE—The Maryland Center for History and Culture (MCHC), with partner and advisor the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS), has been awarded a $100,000 planning grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc. to launch a multidisciplinary initiative exploring the legacy of religious tolerance in Maryland. The grant will fund the work
- [Spiritually Coming of Age: A Commentary on Yitro (Exodus 18)](https://icjs.org/resource/spiritually-coming-of-age-a-commentary-on-yitro-exodus-18/) - Exodus 18 contains the powerful story of Yitro (Hebrew for the name “Jethro”) and Moses coming together, sharing from personal experience, celebrating each other, offering meaningful outside perspective, and being comfortable with separateness. So, I would like to share my reflections on the ICJS Congregational Leaders Fellowship based on this powerful model of interfaith communication.
- [There is More that Connects us than Divides Us](https://icjs.org/resource/more-connects-divides/) - When I was in seminary, I was required to take a course called clinical pastoral education (CPE, a chaplain training course for seminarians). In a CPE course the student is required to do 400 hours of chaplaincy in a clinical setting. I did my chaplaincy in one of the largest hospitals in my community. We
- [When Interreligious Bonds Become Essential](https://icjs.org/resource/interreligious-bonds-essential/) - As I wrap up the ICJS Congregational Leaders Fellowship, I reflect on experiences I had during one of the most difficult periods of my life that laid a strong foundation for my interreligious story and upon which the fellowship built years later. A journey of profound interreligious sharing began when my wife Jill was diagnosed
- [Addressing the Tough Topics: Teaching in tumultuous times](https://icjs.org/resource/addressing-tough-topics/) - This year has been a tumultuous one for most people on the planet. Natural disasters, man-made conflicts, as well as spiritual turmoil have come together to make a very troublesome climate overall. Classrooms in particular are very active with discussions of these very real issues that affect students and teachers both. The role of the
- [Christian Nationalism: Responses and Resources ](https://icjs.org/resource/responses-and-resources/) - Three Suggestions On Responding to Christian Nationalism 1. Spread the word about Christian nationalism Share our video: Spiritual Warriors: Decoding Christian Nationalism at the Capitol Riot Download the Spiritual Warriors Video Discussion Curriculum. Listen to the audio-documentary Charismatic Revival Fury. Other helpful resources you can share: A Christian Nation? Understanding the Threat of Christian Nationalism
- [Our Multireligious Democracy is Under Threat](https://icjs.org/resource/our-multireligious-democracy-is-under-threat/) - At the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS), our mission is to dismantle religious bias and bigotry by fostering learning communities where religious differences become a powerful force for good. In these divisive times, this is a bold aim. The hope for constructive dialogue among people with deeply divergent beliefs has seemed increasingly
- [Former ICJS President Irfan Malik Named Emeritus Trustee](https://icjs.org/resource/former-icjs-president-irfan-malik-named-emeritus-trustee/) - BALTIMORE—Irfan Malik, the first Muslim president of the ICJS Board of Trustees, has been named an emeritus trustee following a unanimous vote by the current Board. He becomes the 14th person to receive this honor. Malik took the helm of the ICJS Board in 2020, helping the organization to navigate the challenges of the global
- [A Self-Care Journey to Interreligious Understanding: One Stitch at a Time](https://icjs.org/resource/a-self-care-journey-to-interreligious-understanding-one-stitch-at-a-time/) - As I reflect on my life’s journey, I find hope and peace in my faith through challenges and triumphs. My life can be described as patchwork stitched together from the threads of my experience as a mother, wife, social work educator, sister, daughter, and leader. Through it all, I have remained committed to the cause
- [ICJS Welcomes New Trustees Julia Nickles Bryan and William J. Stromberg](https://icjs.org/resource/icjs-welcomes-new-trustees-julia-nickles-bryan-and-william-j-stromberg/) - BALTIMORE—The Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS) Board of Trustees welcomes two new members, Julia Nickles Bryan and William J. “Bill” Stromberg, who have each been elected to an initial three-year term. Julia Nickles Bryan is a former structured finance professional now focused on election reform. Her most recent initiative is the creation
- [Announcing Inaugural Interreligious Dialogue Course for Emerging Muslim & Christian Religious Leaders](https://icjs.org/resource/icjs-the-washington-theological-consortium-host-inaugural-interreligious-dialogue-course-for-emerging-muslim-and-christian-religious-leaders/) - BALTIMORE—The Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS), in partnership with the Washington Theological Consortium, is hosting a one-week intensive course in Muslim-Christian dialogue for emerging Muslim religious leaders from around the United States and Christian seminarians from the Mid-Atlantic. The Emerging Religious Leaders course, to be held from June 1-5 on the campus
- [Dialogue Despite Difference](https://icjs.org/resource/dialogue-despite-difference/) - The devastating Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th, including the taking of hostages, and the ongoing war and humanitarian crisis that has killed over 40,000 Gazans, have caused profound grief, anger, and anguish. In this context, it has been challenging to even envision a path to dialogue. Yet, for the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS),
- [Reading Another’s Words: What We Know and Don’t Know](https://icjs.org/resource/reading-anothers-words-what-we-know-and-dont-know/) - Q&A with Melissa Zieve: Facilitated Dialogue on Israel and Gaza In the months after the devastating Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th, including the taking of hostages, and the ongoing war and humanitarian crisis that has killed over 40,000 Gazans, ICJS has received multiple requests from Baltimore-area high schools, organizations, government organizations, leadership programs,
- [A Self-Care Journey to Interreligious Understanding: One Stitch at a Time](https://icjs.org/resource/self-care-journey-interreligious-understanding/) - As I reflect on my life’s journey, I find hope and peace in my faith through challenges and triumphs. My life can be described as patchwork stitched together from the threads of my experience as a mother, wife, social work educator, sister, daughter, and leader. Through it all, I have remained committed to the cause
- [ERLI 2024 creates a safe space for difficult dialogue](https://icjs.org/resource/erli-creates-a-safe-space-for-difficult-dialogue/) - Interreligious dialogue is difficult even in the best of times. But in the fraught atmosphere around the Israel-Hamas War, is dialogue possible—or even a good idea? This dilemma confronted the ICJS scholars this spring as they prepared to lead the annual ICJS 2024 Emerging Religious Leaders Intensive (ERLI), a week-long residential experience at the Pearlstone
- [Fatimah Fanusie and her Daughters Embark on a Global Adventure](https://icjs.org/resource/fatimah-fanusie-and-her-daughters-embark-on-a-global-adventure/) - Fatimah Fanusie, ICJS’ program director for justice leaders, has some exciting news. She will be taking a leave of absence from ICJS while her daughters attend a Qu’ran-focused school in Senegal, while she does scholarly research and works on a book manuscript. The Justice Leaders Fellowship (JLF), led by Fatimah since 2020, will be on
- [‘Everybody’s Lost Somebody:’ ICJS Faculty Seminar on Death Gets Personal](https://icjs.org/resource/everybodys-lost-somebody/) - The ICJS Faculty Seminar typically features a rigorous academic inquiry into a given subject from an interreligious perspective. But the topic of the 2024 seminar—Interreligious Perspectives on Death and Dying—called for something more. Participants brought their personal experiences of mortality into the seminar room. “Anything having to do with death and dying brings a certain
- [Many Roads to the Top of the Mountain](https://icjs.org/resource/many-roads-top-mountain/) - My experience as an ICJS Justice Leaders Fellow this past year has really opened my mind. I was a bit intimidated at our first meeting. I am not a member of any congregation, but I have strong spiritual beliefs. For example, having grown up in a Roman Catholic household, I was taught that we are
- [The Harmony of Interreligious Communication](https://icjs.org/resource/harmony-interreligious-connection/) - My mother was a logophile, a lover of words, who understood nuance even when she spoke directly. She taught her children to speak without the preparatory steps of babble and baby talk. It was a “sink or swim” technique. We developed burgeoning vocabularies and fluency, but I’m not sure that we learned to communicate beyond
- [From Saudi Arabia to the American Classroom: Teaching Religious Tolerance](https://icjs.org/resource/saudi-arabia-american-classroom/) - My first interreligious experiences took place in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where I grew up as a expatriate kid. When my father took a job as a technical instructor for the Royal Saudi Navy, we relocated to the Kingdom in the early ‘80s. Interreligious experiences were woven into expat life at every turn. All
- [My Fellowship Journey in 15 Parts](https://icjs.org/resource/fellowship-journey-fifteen-parts/) - Insularity I feel at home in my synagogue, Chizuk Amuno Congregation. I know what is going on there—its purpose, its values, its taboos. I know the people, what is expected of me, and my opportunities to serve. I've paid my dues, earned my place, feel trusted, and am comfortable as a leader. It has been
- [ICJS Awards 2024 Interreligious Capacity-Building Grants](https://icjs.org/resource/icjs-awards-2024-interreligious-capacity-building-grants/) - The Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS) has awarded four 2024 Interreligious Capacity-Building Grants for alumni of the ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship to inspire, incentivize, and equip these nonprofit and community leaders to create a new interreligious initiative within their spheres of influence. The grants are funded with the support of the T. Rowe Price Foundation,
- [Interreligious Dialogue in a Pluralist Age](https://icjs.org/resource/interreligious-dialogue-pluralist-age/) - Being a part of this year’s Teachers Fellowship at ICJS has given my values much-needed depth and articulation. I found myself in earnest agreement with the mission and purpose behind the meetings and events we participated in. Over and over again, whether it’s on the news, in an article online, or in a podcast, we
- [‘Rodef’ for Justice](https://icjs.org/resource/rodef-for-justice/) - An essay about justice and the rodef and some other things that are vitally important to saving the world because I am a self-righteous white lady and I’m not giving up. When I was ten years old, I asked my mom, “What makes you Jewish?” And she told me, “I express my Judaism through Tikkun
- [Power Grids and Fireworks](https://icjs.org/resource/power-grids-and-fireworks/) - It is always good to explore new metaphors and new ways of understanding interreligious and interfaith efforts. At ICJS, our aim is to build an interreligious, multigenerational, racially diverse network of institutions, schools, nonprofits, and religious communities in our area. What would it take to get there? At our best, we could be bringers of
- [Christology and Dangerous Interreligious Questions](https://icjs.org/resource/christology-and-dangerous-interreligious-questions/) - This essay is collected in the Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not) Project at Indiana University Bloomington's Center for Religion and the Human. The project takes the words spoken by Jesus to Mary Magdalene in the garden after she discovers his empty tomb — noli me tangere (“touch me not”) — as a provocation for reflection
- [Op-Ed: Christian Nationalism Helped Fuel Jan. 6 Insurrection at the Capitol; What’s Next?](https://icjs.org/resource/icjs-scholar-matt-taylors-op-ed-on-christian-nationalism/) - Published in the Nov. 4, 2021 edition of The Baltimore Sun The images of insurrection in the U.S. Capitol have run on a near constant media loop since Jan. 6: Donald Trump refused to concede the election; his supporters assembled on the National Mall, where he riled them up even further; and rioting broke out
- [WYPR's Living Questions Series](https://icjs.org/resource/wyprs-living-questions-series/) - Tom Hall talks to scholars and clergy, believers and non-believers about how different faith traditions influence and inform our personal and collective lives. In 2015-17, WYPR's Midday partnered with the Institute for Islamic, Christian and Jewish Studies, an organization that for nearly 30 years has worked to cultivate religious literacy and interfaith understanding. https://www.wypr.org/living-questions
- [Deepening Congregational Connections in Times of Crisis](https://icjs.org/resource/deepening-congregational-connections-in-times-of-crisis/) - In the midst of a global pandemic, a national reckoning with racism, and increased political and religious polarization, Muslim, Christian, and Jewish religious and lay leaders from nine religious communities committed themselves to building interreligious bridges as the inaugural cohort of the ICJS Congregational Leaders Fellowship. The goal of the year-long fellowship is to build
- [ICJS Justice Leaders Share Visions of Hope for Baltimore](https://icjs.org/resource/icjs-justice-leaders-on-hope-for-baltimore/) - Several past and present participants in our Justice Leaders Fellowship offered their visions of hope for Baltimore in 2022 with The Baltimore Sun. Michelle Deal-Zimmerman: Our hopes for Baltimore in the new year | COMMENTARY It’s that time of year when everything feels bright, shiny and new. Except it doesn’t. Not here in Baltimore. Our
- [Story Corps: Fatimah Fanusie and Faridah Abdul-Tawwab Brown](https://icjs.org/resource/story-corps-fatimah-fanusie-and-faridah-abdul-tawwab-brown/) - Twin sisters, Fatimah Fanusie (46) and Faridah Abdul-Tawwab Brown (46), share a conversation about their unwavering and unquestioning identity as Muslim African-American women. Listen to Story Corps recording
- [StoryCorps: ICJS Founders George Hess and Charles Obrecht](https://icjs.org/resource/storycorps-icjs-founders-george-hess-and-charles-obrecht/) - Two ICJS founding board members, George Hess and Charles Obrecht, reminisce about Jewish-Christian relations in Baltimore and events that led to the creation in 1987 of what was originally called the Institute for Christian and Jewish Studies. Listen to StoryCorps recording
- [StoryCorps: Christopher Leighton and Heather Miller Rubens](https://icjs.org/resource/storycorps-christopher-leighton-and-heather-miller-rubens/) - Former ICJS Executive Director Christopher Leighton and current ICJS Executive Director and Roman Catholic Scholar Heather Miller Rubens talk about transitions and their inspiration for engaging in the work of creating an interreligious community. Listen to the StoryCorps Recording
- [StoryCorps: Justice Fellows Venesa Day and Amy Greensfelder](https://icjs.org/resource/storycorps-justice-fellows-venesa-day-and-amy-greensfelder/) - Venesa Day and Amy Greensfelder, alumni of the 2020 cohort of Justice Leader Fellows, talk about their faith journeys. Listen to StoryCorps Recording
- [StoryCorps: Christine Gallagher and Travis Henschen on the Vocation of Teaching](https://icjs.org/resource/storycorps-christine-gallagher-and-travis-henschen-on-the-vocation-of-teaching/) - Christine Gallagher, Program Director of the ICJS Teachers Fellowship, speaks with her friend and former co-worker Travis Henschen, a former ICJS Teacher Fellow, on how they became educators and on their experience working at Christo Rey Jesuit High School. Listen to the StoryCorps Recording
- [Faith Through a New Lens](https://icjs.org/resource/faith-through-new-lens/) - Morgan State student Evana Upshaw came to the ICJS economic justice course because she had to: it was a course requirement. She stayed because she wanted to. What began as a simple assignment became a way for her to engage with other religious learners outside of her faith. “Dutifully as a student, I went. But
- [The Urgency of Interreligious Pluralism](https://icjs.org/resource/the-urgency-of-interreligious-pluralism/) - Can our religious differences be a powerful force for good? How do we not just envision, but in fact build an interreligious society in the United States? How can ICJS inspire the American public to champion religious pluralism? A healthy, functioning democracy is necessary for the interreligious society to flourish and currently our democracy in
- [A Groundbreaking Experience for Muslim & Christian Emerging Religious Leaders](https://icjs.org/resource/a-groundbreaking-experience-for-muslim-christian-emerging-religious-leaders/) - Over five days of mutual learning, challenging discussion, and blossoming friendships, a group of more than two dozen emerging Muslim and Christian religious leaders recently engaged in an innovative intensive course in interreligious dialogue. The Emerging Religious Leaders (ERL) course, held in early June on the campus of Virginia Theological Seminary, is a groundbreaking program
- [Embodied Pedagogy: Mosque Visitors Experience the Beauty of Islam](https://icjs.org/resource/mosque-visitors-experience-spirituality/) - As a companion experience to her course on Muslim Prayer in America, ICJS Muslim Scholar Zeyneb Sayilgan led a tour of the Diyanet Center of America, a mosque in Lanham, Md., for class participants, as well as staff and friends of ICJS. The tour included a discussion about the architecture led by Zeyneb and one
- [Dialogue is Disruptive](https://icjs.org/resource/dialogue-is-disruptive/) - From Supreme Court rulings to January 6th hearings, we have had a bright spotlight on the political and social polarization in our country. Emotions are raw and discussions quickly turn into arguments. Many of us are asking ourselves, as people of faith who believe in an interreligious society where religious difference becomes a powerful force for
- [Faiths & Ferocity: Q&A with Ben Sax](https://icjs.org/resource/faiths-ferocity-with-ben-sax/) - In July ICJS Jewish Scholar Ben Sax co-led Faiths & Ferocity, the inaugural ICJS Faculty Seminar with Kate Temoney, associate professor in the Department of Religion at Montclair State University. The seminar brought together scholars working in the fields of interreligious studies or genocide studies in the ICJS Library for an intensive week of study
- [Faces of ICJS: Q&A with Jason Hensley](https://icjs.org/resource/faces-of-icjs-jason-hensley/) - Faces of ICJS is a celebration of the lived religious experience of friends of ICJS. Jason Hensley, who participated in the 2022 ICJS faculty seminar, shares how his faith expression changed because of his personal relationships and academic study of the Holocaust. Q: How would you define your worldview in your childhood and early adult
- [Faces of ICJS: Q&A with Taalibah Hassan](https://icjs.org/resource/taalibah-hassan/) - Taalibah Hassan has been facilitating interreligious dialogue for over 10 years. Taalibah received facilitation training at the Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington. She has provided facilitation training to students of Howard University School of Divinity, and she was instrumental to making facilitation a part of ICJS events and courses. Here is her reflection on what
- [Creating connections through storytelling](https://icjs.org/resource/creating-connections-through-storytelling/) - Stories have the power to create connections, build community, and catalyze change. This insight inspired a dozen members of the ICJS Congregational Leaders Fellowship to gather at a retreat center on a recent Sunday afternoon to learn the art of storytelling, and to tell stories of their own. “When we are willing to pull up
- [Confronting Christian Nationalism](https://icjs.org/resource/confronting-christian-nationalism/) - Christian nationalism is increasingly coming under scrutiny as an ideology and a political movement that is a threat to the American values of democracy and pluralism. What is Christian nationalism and why is it a cause for concern? Is there anything wrong with being a Christian and a patriot? A recent ICJS panel, "God on
- [People First: Meeting those in need where they are](https://icjs.org/resource/people-first/) - Caring for people who have experienced trauma means everything to U.S. Army Chaplain (1st Lieutenant) Edrees Bridges, the Maryland National Guard’s first Muslim chaplain. Bridges, who also serves as a nearly 25-year veteran of the U.S. Capitol Police says his first experience with chaplaincy changed the course of his life. While responding to a civilian
- [Repairing the Breach: An interreligious call for racial justice](https://icjs.org/resource/repairing-the-breach-an-interreligious-call-for-racial-justice/) - “The world has always been a multireligious, multiracial, multicultural world—even if our own religious upbringing has not embraced that reality,” says the Right Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland and ICJS Trustee. Bishop Sutton says that it is difficult for people who are contained within the walls of their own
- [JLF Grantees Pursue Interreligious Projects](https://icjs.org/resource/jlf-grantees-pursue-interreligious-projects/) - ICJS fellowships make space for justice leaders, congregational leaders, and educators to learn interreligiously. But at ICJS, we want interreligious practitioners to take what they have learned beyond the classroom and apply an interreligious perspective to their work in and around Baltimore. This past year, with the support of the T. Rowe Price Foundation, ICJS
- [ERLI 2023: Facilitating a Tri-Faith Dialogue for Emerging Religious Leaders](https://icjs.org/resource/erli-2023-facilitating-a-tri-faith-dialogue-for-emerging-religious-leaders/) - Building on a decade of success, ICJS expanded the 2023 session of our Emerging Religious Leaders Intensive (ERLI), a week-long course on interreligious dialogue, to include leaders in training from all three Abrahamic faiths—Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Until now, the program focused on either dialogue between Jewish and Christian or between Muslim and Christian students.
- [Global Perspectives on U.S. Christian Nationalism](https://icjs.org/resource/global-perspectives-on-u-s-christian-nationalism/) - Christian nationalism, the belief that Christianity should hold a privileged social and political status, is gaining increasing attention in media and academia. But much of the focus has been on the surge of Christian nationalist sentiments in the United States. In an effort to broaden that scrutiny, ICJS recently convened a gathering of scholars and
- [Celebrating Faces of ICJS ](https://icjs.org/resource/one-year-of-faces-of-icjs/) - One of my favorite parts of my work as communications associate has been working on Faces of ICJS. I’ve gotten to interview friends of ICJS who have participated in programs of all kinds—from minicourses to fellowships to intensives—and share pieces of our conversations on ICJS social media. It has been amazing to gather and share
- [Winged Words: Q & A with Author Ben Sax](https://icjs.org/resource/winged-words-a-q-a-with-author-ben-sax/) - ICJS Jewish Scholar Benjamin Sax wrote the recently published “Winged Words: Benjamin, Rosenzweig, and the Life of Quotation,” which has the distinction of being the first book to explore the role of quotation in modern Jewish thought. The book focuses on two German-Jewish intellectuals active during the Weimar Republic, Walter Benjamin and Franz Rosenzweig. As
- [Manekin-Clark 2023: A call to create democratic spaces](https://icjs.org/resource/manekin-clark-2023-a-call-to-create-democratic-spaces/) - In his 2023 ICJS Manekin-Clark Lecture, Walter Fluker drew on the wisdom of his mentor Howard Thurman as he issued a call to go beyond personal fulfillment to reimagine democratic spaces where freedom can flourish. “Thurman believed deeply that the practices of the inner life prepared individuals and collectives for transformative engagement in society—in the
- [A Tribute to the Rev. Robert Patterson, ICJS Founding Board Member](https://icjs.org/resource/patterson-tribute/) - The Rev. Robert Patterson (right) with Bishop Frank Murphy. The Reverend Robert Patterson died on October 23, 2023 surrounded by his family. He is best known in Maryland for his leadership at the Church of the Redeemer where he served as the rector from 1965 until he retired to Maine in 1993. He distinguished himself
- [Lent through an Interreligious Lens](https://icjs.org/resource/lent-through-an-interreligious-lens/) - The annual observance of Lent, leading up to the commemoration of Holy Week and Easter, is the highlight of the Christian liturgical calendar, a deeply spiritual time for adherents. But the commemoration of the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus has also, over the course of history, been a troubled time, when scripture, traditions, and
- [We need more religion-talk to safeguard our democracy](https://icjs.org/resource/we-need-more-religion-talk-to-safeguard-our-democracy/) - At ICJS we believe that a multireligious democracy—an interreligious society where religious diversity flourishes and shapes civic life—is not only possible, but absolutely necessary. And if we want a multireligious democracy, we will need to work for it. That work begins when we commit to engaging interreligiously with one another in the public square. That
- [Christian Mission: Moving from Conversion to Dialogue](https://icjs.org/resource/christian-mission-moving-conversion-dialogue/) - This is adapted from an essay in Pluralizing Dialogue: Insights, Actions, and Implications in Eva Fleischner’s “Judaism in German Christian Theology Since 1945"(Seton Hill University, 2024). Eva Fleischner's 1970s theological project began in response to the murder of over six million Jews, including members of her extended family. While primarily a survey of German Christian
- [Connection Outside of Conversion: Learning to dialogue with no expectations](https://icjs.org/resource/connection-outside-conversion/) - I often struggle in environments where I do not feel equipped or qualified by way of education, articulation of speech, knowledge, and life experiences. At times, I can be extremely extroverted, known as a social butterfly. However, in intimidating environments, I become awkwardly introverted and uncomfortable. I worry that I do not belong. I have
- [Leaving Baggage at the Door: Becoming open to interreligious dialogue](https://icjs.org/resource/leaving-baggage-door/) - If interreligious discussions are to take place, then all participants must let go of their personal belief and be receptive to new points of view. I was born and raised a Catholic. Everything we did in our life was based on Catholic religious rites, holidays, and celebrations. The Catholic way of life was embedded into
- [Chalk and Dry Erase: Finding God in the classroom](https://icjs.org/resource/chalk-dry-erase-god-classroom/) - Spelled phonetically and carefully underscored with an undulating white chalk line: yaweh. Strategically placed by the anonymous penman amongst decades of permanent signatures, a place was made for God, in the classroom. I stood for several minutes, attempting to absorb every drop of the spirit that the message contained. My colleagues and I mused about the
- [Stories Create Community](https://icjs.org/resource/stories-create-community/) - As a campus minister at a Baltimore-area Catholic high school, I plan retreats and faith-based programming for students of varying faith backgrounds. The work of campus ministry is often done by telling stories. Lots of stories. In fact, I believe campus ministry is so effective because it is a community formed by simply sharing oneself
- [God is the CDO (Chief Diversity Officer)](https://icjs.org/resource/god-cdo/) - During a 1960 “Meet the Press” interview, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. declared, “I think it is one of the tragedies of our nation, one of the shameful tragedies, that 11 o'clock on Sunday morning is one of the most segregated hours, if not the most segregated hour in Christian America.” The words of Dr.
- [The Imminent Threat of Christian Nationalism](https://icjs.org/resource/imminent-threat-christian-nationalism/) - My most surprising takeaway from the ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship was learning that Christian nationalism is an imminent threat to democracy—not just a fringe problem. The presentation that ICJS Protestant scholar Matthew D. Taylor gave at a fellowship meeting certainly challenged my thinking. Before the fellowship, I was familiar with Christian nationalism, having listened to
- [Transformative Connections: Embracing differences and strengthening faith through the ICJS Fellowship](https://icjs.org/resource/transformative-connections/) - I joined the ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship (JLF) with the hope of building a stronger connection between my Jewish ethnicity and my Christian faith. With this cohort’s focus on economic justice I was excited to gain a deeper understanding of how both faith traditions approach economic justice. I was especially interested in learning more about
- [Embracing Discomfort: A Multireligious Path to Community](https://icjs.org/resource/embracing-discomfort/) - When I was considering applying for the ICJS Congregational Leaders Fellowship, there was one thing that almost stopped me. I felt like an unfit representative of my synagogue, Hinenu, because I rarely go to services. When I do, I get antsy sitting in the pews. I get uncomfortable reading the English translations of the Hebrew
- [Economic Justice in Islam, Christianity, and Judaism](https://icjs.org/resource/economic-justice-in-islam-christianity-judaism/) - Economic justice and empowerment are important concepts within the religious traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. While each tradition has its own unique perspectives, the ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship (JLF) laid bare just how many common themes and principles underpin the Abrahamic religious views on these issues. As a Christian, I am most familiar with
- [From Tolerance to Acceptance: How dialogue changed me](https://icjs.org/resource/from-tolerance-to-acceptance/) - I had been a member of Grace United Methodist Church in Baltimore for only a few months when my pastor asked me if I would like to participate in an upcoming fellowship program at the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies. I said yes right away—and I’m glad I did. Although I didn’t ask
- [Embracing Diversity in the Classroom: Nurturing understanding through religious education](https://icjs.org/resource/embracing-diversity-classroom/) - I have a unique perspective as head of the Islamic Studies Department at a K-8th grade private school and teaching middle school students. I have attended workshops and training about religion in different places, but this is my first time attending a fellowship where I collaborate with colleagues from different religious backgrounds. This was a
- [Finding Common Ground: A journey of faith, love, and unity](https://icjs.org/resource/finding-common-ground/) - “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” (Hebrews 11:1-3 NKJV) My experience during the ICJS Congregational
- [Genesis Reimagined: A Journey of Interreligious Discovery](https://icjs.org/resource/genesis-reimagined-journey-interreligious-discovery/) - I was first introduced to ICJS back in the early 1990s when my congregation participated in the Maryland Interfaith Project. While I had worshiped many times with a Jewish congregation as a visitor, I had never had the opportunity to really know members of the congregation. My interreligious project with my peers in the Congregational
- [Many Paths to God](https://icjs.org/resource/many-paths-god/) - Have you ever considered how enlightenment can occur when diversity is embraced? It was during my sophomore year of undergrad when my eyes were opened to a new understanding of God. During the semester of a religious studies course, I was assigned to visit a synagogue and a mosque to observe and to participate in
- [An “Aha” Moment: Teachers Don’t Need to Know Everything](https://icjs.org/resource/an-aha-moment/) - I am a teacher in Baltimore City at the Academy for College and Career Exploration (ACCE), where one of my responsibilities is to teach a college-level class to high school students. Although I have experience as a special educator, this was my first year teaching this particular course. My main goal was to build a
- [How Gospel Music Connected Me to My Jewish Soul](https://icjs.org/resource/gospel-music-jewish-soul/) - I was raised Jewish, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. When other Jews in the Northeast learn where I am from, at least 75% of the time, the question is, “There are Jews in Chattanooga?!” Yes. And in Knoxville, Nashville, Memphis, and even in smaller towns like Cleveland, Tennessee, or Dalton, Georgia. The truth is that there are
- [An Antidote to Religious Bullying](https://icjs.org/resource/an-antidote-to-religious-bullying/) - In my first year as a Baltimore city school teacher, I saw and experienced many “aha” moments. But one moment stood out, requiring immediate action, follow through, and educational awareness. Picture a student hard at work, when all of a sudden another student begins making the following sounds: “Boom, Boom, Kaboom, Kaboom, Pew, Pew,” followed
- [Providing Mental Health Support that is Spiritually Sound & Culturally Appropriate](https://icjs.org/resource/providing-mental-health-support/) - Salaam… Peace Be Unto You… Shalom Three phrases that capture the divine essence of calm, order, and tranquility of the three Abrahamic faiths. I am grateful to have received not only peace, but it was refreshing to also encounter respect, validation, and compassion from the participants in the ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship. Prior to this
- [The Trouble with Boundaries](https://icjs.org/resource/trouble-with-boundaries/) - There is a sense of hope and urgency in my experience with the ICJS Congregational Leaders Fellowship. The focus and openness have allowed me to be profoundly aware that I, along with a small group of others who have faith traditions that may be quite different yet related, are able to worship, work, listen, learn,
- [In Our Diversity, We Are United By Our Humanity](https://icjs.org/resource/in-our-diversity-we-are-united-by-our-humanity/) - I sat and gazed around the room at this gathering of Justice Fellows, and I could feel the presence of our ancestors. I’m 22 years of age, and I do not consider myself a hugely religious person, although I foresee that changing as time goes on. Right now, I feel more spiritual. The faces I
- [Tell Me About Your Search for God](https://icjs.org/resource/tell-me-about-your-search-for-god/) - My most meaningful interreligious encounter was when I was in high school on an overnight, school field trip to the sacred City of The Ocean—OCMD. It wasn’t a conversation fostered by a trusted adult or a cool journaling activity that got me to see the light. It was a giddy, teenaged-girl gossip session with an
- [Whatever you Believe, I’m Pleased to Meet You](https://icjs.org/resource/whatever-you-believe-im-pleased-to-meet-you/) - When I graduated high school, my Dad asked me what I intended to do. I informed him that I was looking for a job and excited about finally being able to go straight to work. He suggested instead that I go to college at Morgan State University and enroll in the ROTC program. I loved
- [In Islam, the Path of Sacrifice and Charity Leads to Justice](https://icjs.org/resource/in-islam-the-path-of-sacrifice-and-charity-leads-to-justice/) - We Muslims believe that sacrifice and helping those in need is essential to the fabric of a just society. My time as a Justice Leaders Fellow inspired me to think deeply about the concept of charity in my religion, Islam, as it coalesces with those of Christianity and Judaism. It brought back memories of learning
- [Understanding Through Vulnerability](https://icjs.org/resource/understanding-through-vulnerability/) - Growing up, I developed a friendship with a child playing on the playground. As we grew older, we continued to gravitate to each other, noticing that we shared similar values. We didn’t allow ourselves to be negatively influenced by others. We both were stable and firm enough in our values that when peers attempted to
- [‘My Stats, My Story’: Connecting to my students’ religious backgrounds through statistics](https://icjs.org/resource/my-stats-my-story-connecting-to-my-students-religious-backgrounds-through-statistics/) - I teach probability and statistics at the high school level at a project-based, arts-integrated public charter school. At our school, we strive to make sure every student is “Known, Loved, and Inspired.” My work here has driven me to write and implement a curriculum that integrates statistics, storytelling, and social justice. The goal of this
- [Bridging Baltimore’s Many Divides](https://icjs.org/resource/bridging-baltimores-many-divides-2/) - My experience in the ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship has prompted me to think deeply about economic justice issues in Baltimore and around the country. Prior to applying for this fellowship and being advised that economic justice was going to be the focus of the program, the topic about the digital divide came to mind. My
- [How does ICJS respond to this moment?](https://icjs.org/resource/how-does-icjs-respond-to-this-moment/) - October 10, 2023—ICJS recognizes that this is a fearful time; the violence is overwhelming. Hamas attackers invaded Israel. Israeli military operations are intensifying in Gaza. Although the violence is taking place in Israel and Gaza—seemingly a world away—it has hit close to home here in Baltimore. People we know and love at ICJS have lost
- [Tzedakah, Charity, and Sadaqah: Justice in the Abrahamic religions](https://icjs.org/resource/tzedakah-charity-and-sadaqah-justice-in-the-abrahamic-religions/) - As someone who grew up in a Jewish household, within a Jewish community, who now spends my day-to-day job as a Jewish communal professional, I can admit that my knowledge of the Christian and Muslim faiths have been, up until this point, very minimal. Most of what I had previously known about these other two
- [ICJS Awards Four Interreligious Capacity-Building Grants for Chaplains](https://icjs.org/resource/icjs-awards-four-interreligious-capacity-building-grants-for-chaplains/) - The Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS) has awarded Interreligious Capacity-Building grants to four organizations to help them expand their ability to offer chaplaincy and spiritual care services. The grants of up to $1,000 each will help to to specifically address the interreligious needs of volunteer chaplains or chaplains serving in small organizations
- [Welcoming Religious Curiosity](https://icjs.org/resource/welcoming-religious-curiosity/) - This experience working with the ICJS Teachers Fellowship has truly enhanced my viewpoint on interreligious diversity, in the classroom and personally. As a second-year theology teacher in a Jesuit/Catholic High School who is a devoted Christian, I initially struggled with planning lessons that would promote interreligious coexistence. I was afraid of having awkward and uncomfortable
- [ICJS Partners with T. Rowe Price Foundation to Offer Capacity-Building Grants for Justice Leaders Fellowship Alumni](https://icjs.org/resource/icjs-partners-with-t-rowe-price-foundation-to-offer-capacity-building-grants-for-justice-leaders-fellowship-alumni-2/) - BALTIMORE—For the second year, the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS) is offering Capacity-Building Grants for alumni of the ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship to inspire, incentivize, and equip these nonprofit and community leaders to create a new interreligious initiative within their spheres of influence. The grants are funded with the support of the
- [Bridging Baltimore’s Many Divides](https://icjs.org/resource/bridging-baltimores-many-divides/) - My experience in the ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship has prompted me to think deeply about economic justice issues in Baltimore and around the country. Prior to applying for this fellowship and being advised that economic justice was going to be the focus of the program, the topic about the digital divide came to mind. My
- [ICJS Welcomes New Board Officers and Trustees](https://icjs.org/resource/icjs-welcomes-new-board-officers-and-trustees/) - BALTIMORE—The Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS) Board of Trustees welcomes four new members and installed a new slate of officers, including a new Board president, Lee Sherman. Mr. Sherman is a longtime nonprofit executive, currently serving as the executive director of Har Sinai-Oheb Shalom Congregation. He has been an ICJS trustee since
- [Read it and Pass it On: My interreligious classroom library](https://icjs.org/resource/read-it-and-pass-it-on-my-interreligious-classroom-library/) - On a recent educational tour of Egypt, while driving through the sizzling summer sands from Alexandria to Cairo, my group stopped to visit the St. Macarius monastery, a Coptic Orthodox religious community founded in 360 A.D. A friendly resident monk gave us a tour of the grounds and the interior chapels. Unexpectedly, he recited a
- [VeggieTales as Midrash: How we continuously interpret the Bible](https://icjs.org/resource/veggietales-as-midrash-how-we-continuously-interpret-the-bible/) - “Most of our religious experiences are midrash.” That’s what a peer said after I presented my plans for adjusting the current unit I teach on the Hebrew Bible, and I think that’s right. Here’s the narrow definition of Midrash: interpretations of biblical passages, mostly associated with the Talmud. A broader category of Midrash includes a
- [Learning from Missed Interreligious Opportunities](https://icjs.org/resource/learning-from-missed-interreligious-opportunities/) - "Interreligious experience" is an incomplete—and even ambiguous—phrase. The experience itself can take many forms, from having a respectful, open-hearted dialogue with someone of a different faith to experiencing spiritual growth that comes from worshiping together and sharing our beliefs and traditions. But the term interreligious experience can also captures tense moments of misunderstanding between people
- [The Great Cloud of Witnesses: The beauty and blessing of interreligious encounter](https://icjs.org/resource/the-great-cloud-of-witnesses-the-beauty-and-blessing-of-interreligious-encounter/) - I felt a bit awkward that first night of our ICJS Congregational Leaders Fellowship. As a Christian discussing religious differences with Jews and Muslims, I wondered which questions were appropriate and which might be too bold. I silently berated myself for not knowing more about Islam. But as we each took our turn speaking, the
- [ICJS to Offer Capacity-Building Grants for Chaplains](https://icjs.org/resource/icjs-to-offer-capacity-building-grants-for-chaplains/) - BALTIMORE—With the support of the Bunting Family Foundation, the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS) is launching a Capacity-Building Grant program for organizations with volunteer chaplains and/or up to three staff chaplains to pay for supplies, professional development, or other resources. ICJS will offer the grants of up to $1,000 each to specifically
- [Harvard Theologian Francis X. Clooney, S.J. Named Inaugural ICJS Silber-Obrecht Lecturer](https://icjs.org/resource/clooney-named-silber-obrecht-lecturer/) - BALTIMORE—The Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS) has named Francis X. Clooney, S.J., a theologian at the Harvard Divinity School and a leader in the field of comparative theology and interreligious studies, as the inaugural Silber-Obrecht Lecturer. The Silber-Obrecht Lecture, the first endowed lectureship in the emerging field of Interreligious and Interfaith Studies,
- [Upcoming Books by ICJS Scholars](https://icjs.org/resource/upcoming-books-by-icjs-scholars/) - Two of our ICJS scholars, Protestant Scholar Matthew D. Taylor and Jewish Scholar Benjamin Sax, have books that will be published in the coming months. Matt's book, Scripture People: Salafi Muslims in Evangelical Christians’ America, will be published by Cambridge University Press in August. In this work, Matt explores the experiences of the Salafi community
- [Examining the Pioneering Role of Imam W. Deen Mohammed and the Committee to Remove All Images that Attempt to Portray the Divine (CRAID)](https://icjs.org/resource/examineing-the-pioneering-role-of-imam-w-deen-mohammed-and-the-committee-to-remove-all-images-that-attempt-to-portray-the-divine-craid/) - Fatimah Fanusie Speaks at Princeton University Fatimah Fanusie, PhD, ICJS Program Director for Justice Leaders, spoke at an event for Princeton University's Muslim Life Program. She discussed Imam W. Deen Mohammed's effort to establish the Committee to Remove All Images that Attempt to Portray the Divine (CRAID) movement. Fatimah begins speaking at 22:07. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZYEPvbSSE8&t=1332s
- [ICJS Launches Support Initiative for Maryland Chaplains](https://icjs.org/resource/icjs-launches-support-initiative-for-maryland-chaplains/) - BALTIMORE—The Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS) is inaugurating a program to provide support to chaplains and spiritual caregivers in Maryland, especially for smaller organizations with fewer resources. The ICJS Chaplaincy Initiative will provide interreligious education and networking opportunities to those ministering in diverse communities and institutions, including hospitals and hospices, educational campuses,
- [Becoming Beacons of Hope](https://icjs.org/resource/becoming-beacons-of-hope/) - The world is in a place today where problems are global in nature and know no boundaries. Too often our political system and discourse encourages us to think of solutions only in a tribal sense. We live in red states or blue states; we are people of color or white; we are friends or enemies;
- [A National Reckoning of the Soul: A Call to the Churches of the United States to Confront the Crisis of Antisemitism](https://icjs.org/resource/a-national-reckoning-of-the-soul-a-call-to-the-churches-of-the-united-states-to-confront-the-crisis-of-antisemitism/) - This statement was endorsed by ICJS. The United States is facing the greatest crisis of public antisemitism in a century. Prominent figures—entertainers, athletes, media personalities, politicians—are using twenty-first century technologies to spread antisemitic lies and conspiracies to millions of people. So-called “Christian” nationalists openly declare that true Christians hate Jews. Jews are being verbally and
- [The Need for Religious Literacy](https://icjs.org/resource/the-need-for-religious-literacy/) - The fact is that there are so many different religions in this city and all around me. You can encounter them any and everywhere in your daily walk of life. At my job as a teacher, I have come across at least five different people with five different religious beliefs: Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, and
- [A Journey Toward Interreligious Appreciation](https://icjs.org/resource/interreligious-appreciation/) - My paternal great-grandfather emigrated from Germany in the mid-to-late 19th century. From an early age, I was told by my father that we had Jewish “roots” but were not actually Jewish. That line of heredity had been broken sometime in the distant past. However, my feelings towards Jewish people were always positive and remain so.
- [My personal religious journey—so far](https://icjs.org/resource/my-personal-religious-journey-so-far-2/) - Fr. Casciotti, S.J., pastor of St. Ignatius Catholic Community in Baltimore and an ICJS Congregational Leader Fellow, offers this reflection of how his own religious journey, which began in Altoona, Pa., has given him a greater appreciation for religious difference and asking: What can we learn from listening to each other and walking together? Fr.
- [Entering Interreligious Spaces with Woundedness](https://icjs.org/resource/interreligious-space-woundedness/) - I am proud of my Judaism, but I wear it quietly. In the USA I have had years of developing an understanding of my identity as a minority outsider—years of growing up with the view that religious belief belongs in the private sphere, shared gently and carefully among those of one’s own faith. I am
- [Curiosity. Community. Spirit. Repairing the Word.](https://icjs.org/resource/curiosity-community-spirit/) - Beginning—Jewish Values—universal Values—collision of beliefs/values/perspectives—onward A Journey through Curiosity/Hakira—asking questions—openness—learning from each other—welcoming each other—my eyes—your eyes—our eyes—see A Journey through Community/Kehilla—new eyes—new words—new experiences—taking steps together—walking—action A Journey through Spirit/Ruach—getting into our center, our core, your core, my core, our core—heart A Journey through Repairing the World/Tikkun Olam—working together, this work to-gether, will make
- [Strength Through Religious Difference: The String that Ties us Together](https://icjs.org/resource/strength-through-religious-difference/) - “It can be helpful to think of humanity like a pearl necklace. Each human being is a pearl with distinct characteristics, but underneath there is a string that ties us all together, invisible to the naked eye.” (Gudjon Bergmann, Experifaith: At the Heart of Every Religion; An Experiential Approach to Individual Spirituality and Improved Interfaith
- [An Artistic Rendering of My Sacred Objects](https://icjs.org/resource/my-sacred-objects/) - When we started the Congregational Leaders Fellowship, we were asked to bring our most sacred book to a meeting. This exercise caused me to think more deeply about my sacred books and what they mean to me. My rabbi recently did a d’var Torah (introduction to the weekly Torah portion) about the section called Terumah.
- [Freddie Gray and Me: Finding My Voice through His Story](https://icjs.org/resource/freddie-gray-and-me/) - After surviving the most challenging phases of Covid-19, I was seeking a connection with my faith at a new level. I am a lay leader in a United Methodist church and prior to participating in the ICJS Congregational Leaders Fellowship, I mostly practiced my Christian faith through my actions. The fellowship provided me an opportunity
- [The Potential Offered by Interfaith Collaboration](https://icjs.org/resource/potential-interfaith-collaboration/) - I grew up in a suburb of Philadelphia. It was the ‘50s, when kids played outside much of the time and knew the day was over and it was time to head home when the local fire house five o’clock whistle blew. My family was a member of the budding Catholic community in our town.
- [Holy Moments in Others’ Holy Spaces](https://icjs.org/resource/holy-moments-in-others-holy-spaces/) - As most fulltime pastors with a congregation of more than 1,200 active members, I am very busy. I can barely find time for myself to relax—to take on another responsibility beyond my pastoral responsibilities is almost unthinkable. Becoming a part of ICJS Congregational Leaders Fellowship was an act of faith. I was feeling rather uncertain
- [Intersectional Instruction Against Islamophobia](https://icjs.org/resource/intersectional-against-islamophobia/) - I co-teach a course for which I cover world literature, and my partner teaches world religions. The idea is for the course to meld the two subjects into one class. Ideally, the two teachers will become comfortable teaching both subjects together. For our unit on Islam, we have often been challenged by the preconceived, mostly
- [There is no Progress without a Commitment to Others](https://icjs.org/resource/there-is-no-progress-without-a-commitment-to-others/) - “All real living is meeting.” -Martin Buber, I and Thou (pictured above) Before attending the ICJS event with Paul Mendes-Flohr and Ben Sax conversing about philosopher Martin Buber, I had been wrestling with seemingly opposing commitments. I struggled to talk about my growing dedication to my Catholic faith and my simultaneous commitment to interreligious learning
- [Embracing Connections Between History and Religion](https://icjs.org/resource/embracing-connections-history-religion/) - Teaching history inherently means discussing religion—but I didn’t always believe that. I started my teaching career with the mindset that religion was a topic I needed to tiptoe around in order to be both respectful to the diversity of students in my classroom and to stay compliant with rules prohibiting the promotion or denigration of
- [Love thy neighbor: learning a universal truth among diverse religions](https://icjs.org/resource/love-thy-neighbor/) - Over the course of the past year, there have been many conversations and discussions that I’ve had the pleasure of sitting in on during the ICJS Teachers Fellowship. I say “sitting in” because I was not much of a participant during many of these gatherings, only an attentive observer. This is unlike my typical nature.
- [Baltimore Youth Experience Dignity Through First Jobs](https://icjs.org/resource/baltimore-youth-experience-dignity-through-first-jobs/) - I came to Baltimore for my first job, as the first full-time employee at Dent Education, a youth-centered social enterprise empowering Baltimore youth to be social innovators, creators, and entrepreneurs. There are many ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship (JLF) concepts that have evolved my understanding of economic justice through a religious lens and informed how I
- [ICJS Partners with T. Rowe Price Foundation to Offer Grants for Justice Leaders Fellowship Alumni](https://icjs.org/resource/icjs-partners-with-t-rowe-price-foundation-to-offer-capacity-building-grants-for-justice-leaders-fellowship-alumni/) - BALTIMORE—With the support of the T. Rowe Price Foundation, the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS) is launching a Capacity-Building Grant program for alumni of the ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship to inspire, incentivize, and equip these nonprofit and community leaders to create a new interreligious initiative within their sphere of influence. Since 2016,
- [A teacher learns to keep learning](https://icjs.org/resource/teacher-learns-keep-learning/) - When I first started teaching 25 years ago and realized that teaching religion was my vocation, I threw myself into doing summer research so that I was prepared to teach scripture. My primary goal was to anticipate my students’ questions before they even asked. My secondary goal, though, was to be authentic to the faith
- [The Power of Storytelling](https://icjs.org/resource/the-power-of-storytelling/) - “Building community is to the collective as spiritual practice is to the individual.” —Grace Lee Boggs One of the main lessons I learned from participating in the ICJS Congregational Leaders Fellowship is the power of stories to help grow a synagogue and interact with people I do not know. As Sam Keen once said, “The
- [Me, Myself, and Regular Jesus](https://icjs.org/resource/me-myself-and-regular-jesus/) - In February 2021, I came across a ridiculous Tweet floating around the internet. In a facetious sort of way, the Tweet creator wrote, “From now on when I speak about Jesus to other people, I have to clarify, are you referring to trump jesus, or regular Jesus?” I have to admit, I chuckled way too
- [The Power of Storytelling—With a Nudge from the Spirit](https://icjs.org/resource/the-power-of-storytelling-with-a-nudge-from-the-spirit/) - I surround myself with creative people, but I usually do not consider myself to be creative. So I was shocked that I volunteered to work one-on-one with a storyteller to tell my Teachers Fellowship cohort a story at our Fellowship retreat. I am a preacher and a teacher, but I have never done something like
- [Religion Enlivens a Spanish Curriculum](https://icjs.org/resource/religion-enlivens-spanish-curriculum/) - As a first-generation immigrant and Spanish teacher in Baltimore, the process of putting together my presentation for the other teacher fellows was quite challenging. The multiple reasons for the difficulty of this task ranged from incorporating the topic of religion in a language class (Spanish) to presenting a religious topic in a non-religious school. However,
- [ICJS Executive Director to serve as Fall 2022 Visiting Scholar at Princeton Theological Seminary](https://icjs.org/resource/icjs-executive-director-to-serve-as-fall-2022-visiting-scholar-at-princeton-theological-seminary/) - BALTIMORE—Heather Miller Rubens, Ph.D., ICJS Executive Director and Roman Catholic Scholar, will be a visiting scholar at Princeton Theological Seminary this fall as she researches and writes a book to advance ICJS’ vision of an interreligious society. The book will be an accessible work for a broad audience about why ICJS’ vision of an interreligious society
- [Empathy and Education as an Antidote to Religious Illiteracy](https://icjs.org/resource/empathy-education-antidote-religious-illiteracy/) - I originally decided to make religious studies a part of my career path when I was working as a teacher in a middle school 10 years ago and realized the lack of importance being placed upon religious literacy in practically all the areas where it should be most important. As I started to dig in
- [ICJS Report to the Catholic Synod](https://icjs.org/resource/icjs-listening-session-report-to-the-catholic-synod/) - The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore invited the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies to offer our insights on interreligious dialogue and our efforts to help build an interreligious society. In March 2022, ICJS held an online listening session attended by Bishop Denis J. Madden of Baltimore, who is also an ICJS board member.
- [Statement on the Mass Shooting in Buffalo](https://icjs.org/resource/icjs-statement-on-the-mass-shooting-in-buffalo/) - The Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS) mourns the lives of our brothers and sisters who were murdered in Buffalo, New York. ICJS strongly condemns the racism and bigotry behind this hate crime, and we stand in solidarity with Black communities who are experiencing deep pain, grief, hurt, and fear. The perpetrator of
- [Statement on Texas Synagogue Hostage Incident](https://icjs.org/resource/icjs-statement-on-texas-synagogue-hostage-incident/) - The Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS) gives thanks for the safe release of members of Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, who were taken hostage in their synagogue during Shabbat services this weekend. ICJS strongly condemns antisemitism and all acts of religious hatred and violence. Everyone should be able to worship safely
- [Better Together](https://icjs.org/resource/better-together/) - I grew up in church. The Church on Sunday from 8am-8pm, Monday night prayer group, Wednesday night youth group, Friday worship rehearsal kind of church. I grew up memorizing Bible verses, singing Sunday School songs, and learning what it means to be a “good Christian.” There was a lot of learning about sacrifice, community, and
- [A Deeper Understanding of the Common Ground](https://icjs.org/resource/a-deeper-understanding-of-the-common-ground/) - Having studied Comparative Religion as my major in undergraduate studies at George Washington University, I have always had a profound respect and appreciation for all religions, particularly the monotheistic faiths. However, I have never interacted with the other faiths as intimately as I have this last year through ICJS’s Congregational Leaders Fellowship. This experience has
- [Gallagher Evelius & Jones establishes Kathryn Kelley Hoskins Memorial Fund at ICJS](https://icjs.org/resource/gallagher-hoskins-fund/) - Gallagher Evelius & Jones LLP Attorneys at Law has made a generous philanthropic commitment to the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS) in honor of Kathryn Kelley Hoskins and her 34-year record of service to build an interreligious society. The firm has established the Kathryn Kelley Hoskins Memorial Fund at ICJS to receive
- [Laughter, Trust, and Love](https://icjs.org/resource/laughter-trust-and-love/) - A few weeks ago, Bolton Street Synagogue, a Reform Jewish congregation where I serve as rabbi, and St. Matthew Catholic Church gathered together for an interfaith event. On that Sunday afternoon, over 30 people entered the church’s meeting hall and found seats set up in two concentric circles. Over the next hour and a half,
- [Telling the Whole Truth](https://icjs.org/resource/telling-the-whole-truth/) - As a teacher in Baltimore City Public Schools, the ICJS Teachers Fellowship experience has taught me there aren't enough lessons or teachings about race and religion. It is essential that we expose all students to people of color in all subjects, whether it is having a teacher of color; learning about significant people of color
- [Faith, Wealth, and Social Justice](https://icjs.org/resource/faith-wealth-and-social-justice/) - I lead a Baltimore nonprofit that operates from a foundation of faith and explicit values that acknowledges the following: Work is fundamental to the dignity of the person; Work is God's invitation to be co-creators and co-laborers in creation's unfinished work; every person is created in God's image; and that through our own lived experiences,
- [Toward Personal and Congregational Growth](https://icjs.org/resource/toward-personal-and-congregational-growth/) - In the midst of the pandemic, my congregation, St. Matthew Catholic Church, has also experienced a transition in leadership. While the congregation has gone through the process of grieving the loss of a beloved leader, his legacy of welcoming and reaching out to communities not considered “mainstream” has remained. As a congregation we are committed
- [Relationship Before Task](https://icjs.org/resource/relationship-before-task/) - A key principle in leadership settings, and particularly in intersectional spaces, is the concept of “relationship before task.” Essentially what this posits is that a foundational relationship based on trust and mutual respect are the ingredients underlying any meaningful work to create shared goals or to make change. Let’s say you put several different interest
- [Forming a Different Kind of Torah](https://icjs.org/resource/forming-a-different-kind-of-torah/) - The ICJS and the Torah have something in common: they both value stories. I used to be a story skeptic, especially in the world of interfaith work. The Torah, like the ICJS Congregational Leaders Fellowship (CLF), starts with stories. But the Torah’s first commentary, as reported by Rashi in the 11th century, poses a challenge
- [What Does it Take?](https://icjs.org/resource/what-does-it-take/) - As a member of a local synagogue and as a member of the ICJS Congregational Leaders Fellowship, I am discovering pathways to become an interreligious leader. I am also learning that there are many entryways into interreligious dialogue and collaboration. Over the summer, I had the opportunity to be part of two listening sessions with
- [An Interreligious Opening](https://icjs.org/resource/an-interreligious-opening/) - Faith has almost always been a comfort to me. Even when circumstances don’t turn out the way I think they would, and when it feels like I don’t understand God, I find myself turning to God over and over again. Christianity has been the religion on which I have hung my hat; not out of
- [Seeing Myself as an Interfaith Leader](https://icjs.org/resource/seeing-myself-as-an-interfaith-leader/) - Although prior to the ICJS Fellowship I would not have called myself or seen myself as an interfaith leader, having participated in the program for more than six months now, I do feel that many of my cross-cultural global experiences, my personal faith, and my professional exposure to other faiths have changed my perceptions of
- [Adding Heartbeats to the Beloved Community Through Interreligious Engagement](https://icjs.org/resource/adding-heartbeats-to-the-beloved-community-through-interreligious-engagement/) - It is almost impossible to describe how the ICJS Congregational Leaders Fellowship has helped me better understand the Abrahamic faith traditions and see each of our religions as expressions of our belief systems. While there are differences in beliefs and practices it seems that the essence of the God we honor is love. As an
- [Discovering Common Ground with the Bible in One Hand and the Newspaper in the Other](https://icjs.org/resource/discovering-common-ground-with-the-bible-in-one-hand-and-the-newspaper-in-the-other/) - When I have searched for inspiration to help my preaching preparation, I often turned to the phrase “a good preacher has the bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other,” which I’ve always attributed to Dorothy Day, founder of the Catholic Worker Movement. I recently learned that this phrase was attributed to the
- [A Deeper Dive: An Interview with an ICJS Fellow](https://icjs.org/resource/a-deeper-dive-an-interview-with-an-icjs-fellow/) - Q: How has the fellowship experience helped you rethink how your congregation builds bridges across inter/intra- religious differences? What are the challenges? What are the opportunities for growth? A: Participating in this fellowship has given me the opportunity to familiarize myself with other clergy, leaders and congregants within the greater religious community. In terms of
- [Reimagining a More Expansive Idea of Faith](https://icjs.org/resource/reimagining-a-more-expansive-idea-of-faith/) - I am what many (including myself) refer to as a "Jew by Choice." Several years ago I decided to start exploring the option and process of conversion: I was in a committed, long-term relationship with my now husband who was raised Jewish and who felt strongly about raising any future children in the same faith
- [Prayer For Our Country](https://icjs.org/resource/prayer-for-our-country/) - I want to share what I just sent to a wonderful new Muslim friend, with whom I am in a small cadre of Teaching Fellows at the Baltimore-based Institute for Islamic, Christian and Jewish Studies. We meet monthly as part of the Fellowship and do some cross-community work in the interim. My colleague was sharing
- [Contemplative Practices in the English Classroom](https://icjs.org/resource/contemplative-practices-in-the-english-classroom/) - My excitement over teaching a new contemplative English course this year drew me to the teaching fellows program at the ICJS. I’m grateful for the opportunities to teach the course and to learn with the ICJS cohort. My course, called Wise Readings, invites students to find personal connections between each other and with the texts.
- [Kindness to Neighbors](https://icjs.org/resource/kindness-to-neighbors/) - My participation in the ICJS Teaching Fellowship has opened many spiritual doors and provided a variety of deep and important life experiences that surely make me a more open-minded person and understanding educator. I now realize that coming into this program that I was bankrupt in the religious sense, having left the Christian church for
- [Embracing Theological Messiness](https://icjs.org/resource/embracing-theological-messiness/) - At a recent meeting of our high school’s Gay Straight Alliance Club, a young gay student (let’s call him Roland) steered the conversation in an unexpected direction. Roland needed to unload a bit: he confessed that he was having a hard time in his Theology class on Roman Catholic Sacraments; not academically, but emotionally. As
- [Bringing Religious Difference Into the Classroom](https://icjs.org/resource/bringing-religious-difference-into-the-classroom/) - Religion has always played a huge part in my life. I was raised Roman Catholic, but then as a rebellious teenager, I had an “enlightening” and denounced Catholicism. Years later my mom died, and that drew me back to Catholicism. At the same time, I was working in theater, and religion was a factor in
- [Why Study Religion?](https://icjs.org/resource/why-study-religion/) - An average high school student in the United States will study the Revolutionary and Civil War in U.S. history courses, as well as the Greeks, Romans and the rise of the European Enlightenment in European History. At some point in art courses, they might view the Sistine Chapel, the Madonna and Child, or Michelangelo’s David.
- [Teaching religion in a Jewish history class](https://icjs.org/resource/teaching-religion-in-a-jewish-history-class/) - Why can’t we use the Bible as a historical source? Why learn stories from ancient texts if we don’t know if they are true? Why study Christianity and Islam in Jewish History? If Jesus and all his followers were Jewish, why/how is Christianity so different from Judaism now? If Jews had a “Golden Age” under
- [If there is anyone who could understand the dynamics of hate and heresy, it would be Elie Weisel.](https://icjs.org/resource/dynamics-of-hate-and-heresy-elie-weisel/) - If there is anyone who could understand the dynamics of hate and heresy, it would be Elie Weisel. As a Holocaust survivor, he witnessed heresy that turned churches into propaganda arms of the Nazi regime and hatred that plumbed the depths of humanity. And yet what frustrated him the most was not hate, ugliness, or
- [Holding Dearly to Faith At the Southern Border](https://icjs.org/resource/holding-dearly-to-faith-at-the-southern-border/) - Last summer I had a life-changing experience. At the invitation of the Jewish nonprofit digital platform JSurge.org, in cooperation with the Good People Fund, I traveled with Rabbi Steven Bayar, the founder of JSurge, to the border cities of El Paso and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Rabbi Bayar and I arrived on August 4, the day
- [Empowering Religious Literacy in the Classroom](https://icjs.org/resource/empowering-religious-literacy-in-the-classroom/) - Last spring, I presented a short film, “Hiyab,” to one of my Spanish classes relating to the unit’s main topic, “The Value of Ideas.” The film—one of a series of short films that go along with each unit—touches on the topic of religious and cultural ideological differences. In the film, the leading character is a
- [We are the Something Greater](https://icjs.org/resource/we-are-something-greater/) - As a Baltimore City school teacher, it is common to comfort my students who have lost friends, relatives, and community members to violence. In the daily grind of teaching, grading, mentoring, meetings, planning, and, of course, consoling, it is easy to question the existence of something greater. Then again, perhaps we are the something greater.
- [Teaching in a Pandemic](https://icjs.org/resource/teaching-in-a-pandemic/) - This is not how we have been trained to teach. This is not how our courses have been designed. This is not what we “signed up for.” This is not “how we do it.” Nonetheless, circumstances now compel us to transform ourselves from classroom teachers to asynchronous virtual learning providers in just a few days.
- [COVID 19 Quarantine Day 40: The liturgy remains the same](https://icjs.org/resource/covid19-quarantine-day-40-the-liturgy-remains-the-same/) - A few years ago, I was teaching a class of incredibly gifted and diverse students who were in the midst of multiple Advance Placement (AP) classes, laboratory research internships, term papers, and extracurricular activities. They were struggling to keep it all together on a daily basis. One student was hospitalized for weeks for depression and
- [Giving Our Students Confidence to Ask Bold Questions](https://icjs.org/resource/giving-our-students-confidence-to-ask-bold-questions/) - I have always imagined, though never officially verified, that communion wafers would taste delicious with Helluvagood French Onion dip. I recognize the irony in the “helluvagood” brand name considering the context of the aforementioned item being dipped into it, but “irony” was not a term I understood when I was just 14 years old, serving
- [What Can the Prophets Teach Young People During the COVID-19 Crisis?](https://icjs.org/resource/what-can-the-prophets-teach-young-people-during-the-covid19-crisis/) - As educators, it is important that we teach empathy. It is imperative that we teach our students to become wise and critical thinkers, investigating information for themselves and making it a point to talk to the voiceless, balancing the yearning of the voiceless with the highest values from our sacred traditions. The prophets in the
- [We Teach How We Are Taught](https://icjs.org/resource/we-teach-how-we-are-taught/) - When friends heard I took on yet another commitment this school year, they were hardly surprised. Since an early age, I have never settled for a traditional one-track lifestyle. One of the greatest sacrifices my parents made for my sister and me was ensuring that we were able to take advantage of varied interests, often
- [Confessions of a Religious “None” Educator](https://icjs.org/resource/confessions-of-a-religious-none-educator/) - As a teacher living through the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s a lot to think about. Are my students safe and healthy? Was that haphazard Zoom lesson even remotely effective? Is my job secure? How can I develop as an anti-racist educator in Baltimore? Despite the complete disruption to my usual teaching routines, I’ve had the opportunity
- [Discovering Holy Envy While Seeking Clarity](https://icjs.org/resource/discovering-holy-envy-while-seeking-clarity/) - As a teacher and Christian, I always pray for each of my students and their families, as well as about every spoken word in my class. Teaching “Faith and Justice in the World” at a Catholic high school in Baltimore has sparked many questions from my students about peace and its relationship to faith and
- [Holy Envy, Interreligious Engagement and Reconciliation](https://icjs.org/resource/holy-envy-interreligious-engagement-and-reconciliation/) - Self-reflection personally and professionally is something I do quite frequently yet not always as deeply as I would like. As a teacher, questions like, “Was this lesson clear enough?” “Did it engage the students?” “Is the type and amount of feedback on assessments helpful?” are constantly present in my mind. Indeed, every class, every interaction
- [The Soul Unfolding](https://icjs.org/resource/the-soul-unfolding/) - Memory obscures the facts, details are up for debate, and the truth is built upon whom you ask. This much I know: My membership with the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (better known to school-aged Catholic children as “CCD”) ended abruptly on a crisp November afternoon when I was 11. I don’t remember my teacher’s name,
- [Building Religious Literacy in the Classroom](https://icjs.org/resource/building-religious-literacy-in-the-classroom/) - As a public high school world history teacher, my experience teaching students about religion often centers on basic outlines of five religions and belief systems: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Confucianism works its way in there once or twice as well. These belief systems are often situated early on in the class curriculum and
- [Learning While Teaching: Pedagogy at Work](https://icjs.org/resource/learning-while-teaching-pedagogy-at-work/) - One of the mikva’ot of the Lloyd Street Synagogue. This one was built in the early 1900s by the third congregation to worship in the building, Shomrei Mishmeres HaKodesh. JMM 1988.183.004 It may sound like a cliché these days, but I am so grateful for the opportunities I have to learn from the students who
- [Teaching Religions Other Than Our Own: Toward an Interreligious Future](https://icjs.org/resource/teaching-religions-other-than-our-own/) - As a history teacher, there seem to be many ways to incorporate discussions of Judaism and Islam into the classroom. One roadblock is that I, as the teacher, do not have a particularly strong understanding of Judaism and Islam. I was raised in a Catholic family and always went to Catholic schools. Religion and politics
- [Changing the World for the Better](https://icjs.org/resource/changing-the-world-for-the-better/) - After the murder of George Floyd that was recorded by a bystander and blasted across all media outlets in May 2020, many Americans reflected on the ongoing injustices experienced by African Americans. Corporations, sports teams, and even the music industry took part in this reflection process, including changing racially insensitive names. PepsiCo, relinquished the racist
- [Keep Watch and Pray](https://icjs.org/resource/keep-watch-and-pray/) - “And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will. And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with
- [A Business Built on Faith](https://icjs.org/resource/a-business-built-on-faith/) - Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. — Hebrews 11:1 (KJV) I remember it like it was yesterday. We were sitting in the hospital room watching television and sharing jokes as we had always done when the surgeon who performed my mother’s emergency surgery just 72-hours before
- [Are We Working Hard Enough on the Inclusion of Islam?](https://icjs.org/resource/are-we-working-hard-enough-on-the-inclusion-of-islam/) - Efforts to increase inclusion and diversity seem to be everywhere, don’t they? Whether it’s work, school, or politics, people are attempting to bring others into realms where they were not represented before. As a Muslim, I’m sure that it’s a worthy effort deserving of our support. Of course, that doesn’t mean that I’ve seen these
- [We are Commanded to Speak up for Justice](https://icjs.org/resource/we-are-commanded-to-speak-up-for-justice/) - Tariq Najee-ullah is assistant imam at the Muslim Community Cultural Center of Baltimore, a patent agent, founder of the interfaith education organization DC Musliman, and a member of the 2018 ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship. Baltimore is part of a national conversation around questions of justice, race, and community. Members of the ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship
- [Our Ethical Imperative, our Faithful Force](https://icjs.org/resource/our-ethical-imperative-our-faithful-force/) - When asked, “What is sacred?” we accessed our religious cores. It was our first gathering as 2018 Imagining Justice in Baltimore fellows and already, I came up shortchanged. Attenuated from Judaic doctrine and practice, I paused inside my familiarly vacant religious corridor located adjacent to my otherwise full soul, and struggled to define “sacred.” If
- [As the Crowd Bows](https://icjs.org/resource/as-the-crowd-bows/) - I write as an individual fully grounded in my identity as a black man, endowed with the love and strength of my ancestors, and unapologetic for my devotion to the teachings of Jesus Christ. I enter this reflection through a conversation on justice, race, and community, and arrive carrying the burden of grief, mourning, exhaustion,
- [Finding a Balance: Service, Advocacy, and the Role of Religion](https://icjs.org/resource/finding-a-balance-service-advocacy-and-the-role-of-religion/) - In today’s world, I find it increasingly difficult to separate distinct parts of my life and put them in nicely partitioned boxes. At times, aspects of my life bleed into one another in a harmonious symphony and at times they seem to run up against one another and clash ferociously. Oftentimes I debate as to
- [We Need More Than Religion](https://icjs.org/resource/we-need-more-than-religion/) - Over the years, I’ve had numerous conversations about the difference between religion and spirituality. Questions were raised whether there is indeed a difference and how do we ascribe to one or the other in our daily lives. Spirituality is a deep connection to the soul, a divine closeness to the Creator, and a move away
- [Progressive Values, Progressive Faith](https://icjs.org/resource/progressive-values-progressive-faith/) - As I listened to the other Imagining Justice in Baltimore fellows share their thoughts on the text we had been studying during one of our meetings, I came to a realization. I scribbled it on the paper in front of me, “progressive values, progressive faith.” That spring 2018 evening, we had been trying to glean
- [Finding Our Religious Voices for Social Justice](https://icjs.org/resource/finding-our-religious-voices-for-social-justice/) - Cassandra Vincent is Personal Development Coach and Speaker at Vincent Media, and a member of the 2018 ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship. Baltimore is part of a national conversation around questions of justice, race, and community. Members of the ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship consider how Jewish, Christian, and Muslim teachings and practice can contribute to the
- [Humility Builds Interfaith Relationships](https://icjs.org/resource/humility-builds-interfaith-relationships/) - “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” —
- [A Jewish Journey from Indifference to Inspiration](https://icjs.org/resource/a-jewish-journey-from-indifference-to-inspiration/) - When I was eighteen, right before I headed off to my freshman year of college, I announced to my parents that once I graduated, I planned to join the Peace Corps. I wanted to travel, to see parts of the world I had never seen before, and above all (my naive teenaged self-thought), I wanted
- [Seeking Justice at Home in Baltimore](https://icjs.org/resource/seeking-justice-at-home-in-baltimore/) - Baltimore City is my home. I choose to live and work in Baltimore. And I choose to work in the public sector serving Baltimore. These choices are the foundation of my professional advocacy work in economic development where I have the opportunity to partner with many different constituencies to grow our city’s economy. The economic
- [Pound the Pavement for Justice](https://icjs.org/resource/pound-the-pavement-for-justice/) - This spring, I was standing with a group of young people in front of a church in McElderry Park, an East Baltimore neighborhood that’s been pinned beneath the intersection of over-policing and under-investment. The group was there to work alongside neighbors as they prepared garden beds behind the church for summer planting and pulled weeds
- [Standing Firmly for Justice](https://icjs.org/resource/standing-firmly-for-justice/) - “O ye who believe! stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor: for Allah can best protect both. Follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest ye swerve, and if ye distort (justice) or decline to
- [Leaving the Church, Committing to Faith and Justice](https://icjs.org/resource/leaving-the-church-committing-to-faith-and-justice/) - My parents immigrated, separately, to the United States from Haiti in the late 1970s. They met in Washington DC, married, and moved to Maryland where they had two children. It was important to my mother that my sister and I were raised a Catholic even though my father was Baptist. As a child, I experienced
- [Lifting the Curtain, Seeking the Light](https://icjs.org/resource/lifting-the-curtain-seeking-the-light/) - After a horrific event like the massacre in Pittsburgh in October, many people claim they have no words. When I learn of a tragedy, I am shocked, confused, numb. I have no words. Then, I sense the words — they are buzzing just behind a curtain. I do not want to lift the protective veil.
- [Molding the Next Generation of Interfaith Leaders](https://icjs.org/resource/molding-the-next-generation-of-interfaith-leaders/) - They intersect in my thoughts immediately as I enter any ICJS meeting. I hear the murmurs, then the tone, then catch an end of a sentence, a response from someone, a smile, a laugh, intensely interested stares. I catch the trajectory of a conversation. A safe, respectful, philosophical, yet structured series of conversations that always
- [Black, American, and Muslim](https://icjs.org/resource/black-american-and-muslim/) - As a religious minority in America, one cannot help but be influenced by the majority religion, Euro-centric Christianity. Euro-centric Christianity is all around us. It influences our government, our societal norms, even our self-image, as God in this form of Christianity is a White Male. Growing up Black, American, and Muslim meant that you got
- [Spiritual and Social Reform](https://icjs.org/resource/spiritual-and-social-reform/) - Rasheedah Sharif is an IT professional working at Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women, and a member of the 2019 ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship. Baltimore is part of a national conversation around questions of justice, race, and community. Members of the ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship consider how Jewish, Christian, and Muslim teachings and practice can
- [The Women of Justice](https://icjs.org/resource/the-women-of-justice/) - I belong to and love a branch of the Christian tradition. In the way that good Southern feminists do, I learned to appreciate it, even as I found myself suspicious of it and the men who so systematically, meticulously constructed it. My tradition surfaces in my teaching, in relating, and in preaching. It drives me
- [Begin With the End in Mind](https://icjs.org/resource/begin-with-the-end-in-mind/) - As a college administrator, I often have conversations with my students about the goals they seek to achieve and the process they must employ in order to reach those goals. When I was an undergraduate student, one of my mentors, the late LaMont Tolliver, would often quote Steven Covey, “Begin with the end in mind.”[1]
- [A Tale of Two Rodefs](https://icjs.org/resource/a-tale-of-two-rodefs/) - While I consider myself relatively well versed in Jewish ideology (15+ years of Hebrew school once a week had to get me somewhere), I wouldn’t by any means say that I am learned in the ins-and-outs of Jewish law. So it wasn’t a complete surprise to me when the framing for that night’s discussion centered
- [Beyond Thoughts and Prayers](https://icjs.org/resource/beyond-thoughts-and-prayers/) - “I don’t want thoughts. I don’t want prayers.” — Susan Orfanos Our nation continues to face crisis and tragedy that rocks us to the core. Tragedies we could never imagine and in scared spaces, we pray would never become targets of such hatred and evil. Another black father ripped from his family and killed by
- [Leading Differently](https://icjs.org/resource/leading-differently/) - “I cannot accept your canon that we are to judge Pope and King, unlike other men, with a favorable presumption that they did no wrong. If there is any presumption it is the other way against holders of power, increasing as the power increases. Historic responsibility has to make up for the want of legal
- [Sacred Space: Spirituality and Faith Culture in Social Justice Movements](https://icjs.org/resource/sacred-space-spirituality-and-faith-culture-in-social-justice-movements/) - I recently had the pleasure of attending the national Facing Race conference for the first time. It was an enormously informative and inspiring three days, full of learning and connecting with the 3,500 other attendees, all of whom advocate for justice and equity in some way. During the conference, one of the speakers shared this
- [Using My Religious Voice for Advocacy](https://icjs.org/resource/using-my-religious-voice-for-advocacy/) - Faith Leaders called to this work must not be silent. We are called to use our religious voices lest we become a complicit cloud of witnesses to the injustices that envelop us. As people of faith, we are called out to reflect the image of Christ in our way of being and doing (i.e. our
- [Finding a Religious Voice for Economic Justice](https://icjs.org/resource/finding-a-religious-voice-for-economic-justice/) - Imagining Justice in Baltimore (IJB) fellow colleague, Michael Hunt wrote in his blog post “Humility says — I don’t know what to do. I don’t understand it all. But I am going to show up and be present in a relationship with you…I can’t be all that I can be without you”. Michael’s words resonate
- [What Would Jesus Do?](https://icjs.org/resource/what-would-jesus-do/) - What Would Jesus Do? Do you remember the bracelets? Popular in the 90s, I owned several bracelets, in various colors, etched with the letters, WWJD, abbreviated for “What Would Jesus Do?’ Worn by many Christians and what some have called a cultural revolution, the bracelets were very popular accessories intended to serve a symbolic reminder
- [Together with my Christian, Jewish, and Muslim Brothers and Sisters](https://icjs.org/resource/together-with-my-christian-jewish-and-muslim-brothers-and-sisters/) - Growing up as a kid, I was your average church boy attending a black Baptist church. While my friends were outside playing basketball, I would hop in the church van and attend choir practice, vacation bible school, or some church function that was happening during the week. At church, I would learn how to sing,
- [Individually and In Unison](https://icjs.org/resource/individually-and-in-unison/) - Amid the swirl of emotion after the Tree of Life massacre in Pittsburgh, I went somewhere defensive, suspicious, and culturally isolationist. I wondered as Nathan Englander’s eponymous short story probed in his What Do We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank collection, who among my friends, my neighbors, my colleagues would hide us
- [Let Us Work Together for a Better World](https://icjs.org/resource/let-us-work-together-for-a-better-world/) - Tariq Najee-ullah is assistant imam at the Muslim Community Cultural Center of Baltimore, a patent agent, founder of the interfaith education organization DC Musliman, and a member of the 2018 ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship. Baltimore is part of a national conversation around questions of justice, race, and community. Members of the ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship
- [Finding Common Faith](https://icjs.org/resource/finding-common-faith/) - Over the course of the year-long Imagining Justice in Baltimore fellowship with the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies I had many thought-provoking and opinion-altering moments. Being a part of the Imagining Justice in Baltimore Fellowship allowed me the space to bring my religious upbringing, practices, and dare I say baggage, to a forum
- [Muslim and Navigating the Holidays](https://icjs.org/resource/muslim-and-navigating-the-holidays/) - It’s that time of year, the “Holiday Season” when Muslims get really awkward. There are three types of Holiday Season Muslims, those who do not celebrate but are happy to accept holiday wishes from others, grinches who are genuinely offended that your holiday cheer is being spewed all over them “Bah!! No cheer for me!”,
- [Sending the Best](https://icjs.org/resource/sending-the-best/) - “Wow we haven’t seen each other since we were kids,” I said looking at a picture in their hallway as I left a brief meeting with long-time friends of my family and the Mom & Dad of one of my childhood friends. We are all part of a multi-generational community of Muslims here in Baltimore
- [Do Say Something](https://icjs.org/resource/do-say-something/) - “O, believers! Stand firm for Allah and bear witness to the truth. Do not let the hatred of a people lead you to injustice. Be just! That is closer to righteousness. And be mindful of Allah. Surely Allah is All-Aware of what you do.” (Surah 5:8) For me, teaching young people requires God’s calling and
- [Tear Down Walls, Build Bridges](https://icjs.org/resource/tear-down-walls-build-bridges/) - As-salamu alaykum “Peace be upon you” a greeting which so many are attacked & persecuted for using. Although its meaning is so heavy that once said the person saying is declaring he or she will not cause any physical or verbal harm to the other. Hati Mohemmed Daoud Nabi, 71, offered a similar peace offering,
- [Our Collective Responsibility to Seek Justice](https://icjs.org/resource/our-collective-responsibility-to-seek-justice/) - I grew up in an interfaith household – my mother is Jewish and my father is Christian. When I was younger, my parents told us that growing up in an interfaith household was a “big deal,” but I did not quite understand why. In my mind, it was normal to go to synagogue for Rosh
- [What We Are Made Of](https://icjs.org/resource/what-we-are-made-of/) - Have you ever lived in a desert? The kinds where weeks or years go by without rain? I did for a short time, living in the Sonoran Desert for a month and the Negev Desert for seven weeks. It didn’t take long to miss green so deeply that when I drove out and saw a
- [Pursuing Justice](https://icjs.org/resource/pursuing-justice/) - Our ingrained sense of justice is hard to change. Even when we’re trying to broaden our perspectives, we hold fast to what is familiar and what we think we know to be true. That is where I found myself as we read the “Justice and Sacred Texts” passages provided during our first Justice Leader Fellows
- [The Importance of Religious Conversations](https://icjs.org/resource/the-importance-of-religious-conversations/) - Teara Booker is Director of Development for Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance, Creative Director for Y.A.M. Baltimore (Yoga, Artistic Expression, and Mindfulness), and a member of the 2020 ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship. Baltimore is part of a national conversation around questions of justice, race, and community. Members of the ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship consider how Jewish,
- [Seeking God’s Truth Through Clouded Waters](https://icjs.org/resource/seeking-gods-truth-through-clouded-water/) - Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Is. 55:1 (NIV) Humans can interfere with water’s necessary role in human life in at least three ways: poisoning the water; hoarding the water; and
- [Commitment to Justice](https://icjs.org/resource/commitment-to-justice/) - Kylie Patterson is Director of Economic Inclusion at the Johns Hopkins University and Health System, and a member of the 2021 ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship. Baltimore is part of a national conversation around questions of justice, race, and community. Members of the ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship consider how Jewish, Christian, and Muslim teachings and practice
- [Accepting Limitations, Learnings Within Context](https://icjs.org/resource/accepting-limitations-learnings-within-context/) - I came to this fellowship with a fair amount of knowledge of Judaism and Christianity, and a frankly paltry knowledge of Islam (remedying such is one of the reasons I wanted to do this). The child of a United Methodist pastor, I was raised in a Protestant family that was very religiously engaged and church
- [Individual Truths, Shared Values](https://icjs.org/resource/individual-truths-shared-values/) - As the Baltimore Community Organizer at a Jewish-led organization, I have continuously strived to better understand how Judaism frames our advocacy, and how our leaders engage in our work through their Jewish identity and understanding. I grew up in a very secular household, and never felt particularly strongly toward Judaism or any religion. What I
- [Let Justice Be Served](https://icjs.org/resource/let-justice-be-served/) - I’ve had many learning opportunities in my life, but none compare to what I have just experienced at the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies. As I reflect on the first half of our 2020 Justice Leaders’ Fellowship and our interreligious dialogue concerning water justice, I realize that I have developed an increased awareness
- [Key Takeaways](https://icjs.org/resource/key-takeaways/) - Venesa Day is an ambassador for Baltimore Ceasefire, and a member of the 2021 ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship. Baltimore is part of a national conversation around questions of justice, race, and community. Members of the ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship consider how Jewish, Christian, and Muslim teachings and practice can contribute to the public conversation about
- [Water is Life](https://icjs.org/resource/water-is-life/) - In the Jewish tradition, our relationship to water cannot be understood without also exploring our relationship to Gd. The two are interwoven in a bond that transcends humanity. Written in our holy texts, water existed even before creation. Before life existed on earth, Gd offered this primordial gift of sustenance to all that would one
- [The Tributaries of Justice](https://icjs.org/resource/the-tributaries-of-justice/) - What water justice is and looks like is as fluid as water itself—literally and metaphorically. As we reflect on the first half of the 2020 ICJS Justice Leaders’ Fellowship, our world is currently drifting in a seemingly unforgiving flood of chaos. Whether we are being tossed in the relentless sea of alternative facts, raging economic
- [The World Is In Trouble…](https://icjs.org/resource/the-world-is-in-trouble/) - “The world is in trouble You better be humble” – World Crisis, Raging Fyah As a 2020 Justice Leaders Fellow (JLF) at the Institute for Islamic, Jewish, and Christian Studies, I have embarked upon a yearlong interfaith study of water justice in the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions. Under the guidance of American religious historian
- [Equality in the Court of Water Justice](https://icjs.org/resource/equality-in-the-court-of-water-justice/) - Like water, justice must take many forms. Justice must conform to the frame of the society it serves; and must be continuously refined until purity is well established. Where nations and cultures intersect, the channels of justice remain damned and contaminated by the unclean history of diversity and conflict. Following the murder of George Floyd,
- [Water Within Abrahamic Faith Traditions](https://icjs.org/resource/water-within-abrahamic-faith-traditions/) - A mindfulness-seed, once planted, grows within us. It deepens our knowledge of ourselves and awareness of human kinship. Participating in the ICJS Justice Leaders’ Fellowship expanded my understanding of water justice as social justice, and the Abrahamic followers’ collective potential to work in spiritual partnership for earthly social justice. Water has always been connected, for
- [Contributing to Interfaith Dialogue as a “None”](https://icjs.org/resource/contributing-to-interfaith-dialogue-as-a-none/) - I’m at an event for nonprofit staff to meet and mingle with representatives from foundations. Just writing this in 2020 makes me squeamish—the gathering was about a year ago on an extremely hot day, and we were packed shoulder-to-shoulder in the event space. Hands were being shaken freely, there were shared doughnuts and coffee, and
- [At the Table](https://icjs.org/resource/at-the-table/) - Honestly speaking. when I heard the term “water justice,” I didn’t exactly jump out of my skin with excitement. But with each meet-up, I got more and more into the topic and interested in hearing what everyone around me had to say and how their religion impacts their views. I applied for the ICJS Justice
- [A Renewed Awareness of Mercy and Justice](https://icjs.org/resource/a-renewed-awareness-of-mercy-and-justice/) - In the beginning there was God…and there was water. Although a majority of my mental and emotional realm has always revolved around God and my relationship with God, I had never really taken the time to reflect on water—its relationship to the Divine and its implications for my own relationship to both God and other
- [Apocalypse as Urban Planning: The New Jerusalem in the Book of Revelation](https://icjs.org/resource/apocalypse-as-urban-planning/) - Over the course of the Justice Leaders’ Fellowship, I gained a richer understanding of how water shapes scriptural writings. The close reading of the verses in the Christian Book of Revelation, for instance, helped me understand that its author was as intuitively aware of the importance of water to cities as are urban designers and
- [A Sacred Time Capsule](https://icjs.org/resource/a-sacred-time-capsule/) - For many people in our group, this was the first time that they had encountered this interpretive tradition, and we were discussing its implications: If water existed with Gd, before anything else, was water Gd’s partner in Creation? Or perhaps, at a minimum, a divine resource wielded by Gd to bring life to this
- [Dialogue Across Difference: Achieving Goals by Shaping Key Aspects of the Dialogue](https://icjs.org/resource/dialogue-across-difference-pantzer/) - The end of something is better than its beginning, endurance of spirit is better than loftiness of spirit. Ecclesiastes 7:8 (trans., John Goldingay) I spent the past year interacting within a cohort of 18 Fellows from a variety of religious backgrounds and communities, as we tugged and prodded at the issue of “water justice in
- [Economic Empowerment Through the Lens of Faith](https://icjs.org/resource/economic-empowerment-through-the-lens-of-faith/) - As the United States recovers from the health and financial crisis imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the fault lines of race and the wealth gap continue to divide its citizens. While the gap widens, the U. S. Congress is fervently being called upon to pass laws to address inequalities and inequities involving impoverished communities. Judges
- [Seeing the Full Picture](https://icjs.org/resource/seeing-the-full-picture/) - Candace Chance is the founder and CEO of The VPI Firm, Board Chair at the Baltimore City Intergenerational Initiative for Trauma & Youth (BCIITY), and a member of the 2021 ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship. Baltimore is part of a national conversation around questions of justice, race, and community. Members of the ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship
- [Gaining a Greater Understanding](https://icjs.org/resource/gaining-a-greater-understanding/) - Sterling McKinley is the president of Diversify Digital, and a member of the 2021 ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship. Baltimore is part of a national conversation around questions of justice, race, and community. Members of the ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship consider how Jewish, Christian, and Muslim teachings and practice can contribute to the public conversation about
- [Faithful Economic Justice](https://icjs.org/resource/faithful-economic-justice/) - Darriel Harris is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Health Behavior and Health at the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, and a member of the 2021 ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship. Baltimore is part of a national conversation around questions of justice, race, and community. Members of the ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship consider
- [Love Requires Economic Means to Make One Whole](https://icjs.org/resource/love-requires-economic-means-to-make-one-whole/) - During the course of the ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship, my understanding of economic justice and empowerment in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions has evolved. Learning more about these religious traditions has led to an understanding of some key ingredients that, if applied properly, would lead to peace across the planet. All the traditions seem to
- [Seeing Scriptural Similarities in the Real World](https://icjs.org/resource/seeing-scriptural-similarities-in-the-real-world/) - Marvin Mitchell is a Health Scientist at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and a member of the 2021 ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship. Baltimore is part of a national conversation around questions of justice, race, and community. Members of the ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship consider how Jewish, Christian, and Muslim teachings and practice can
- [Embracing Economies of Justice](https://icjs.org/resource/embracing-economies-of-justice/) - During the first half of the ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship, I have gained new insight into perspectives of economic justice from Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions. As a white American raised in a mainline Christian Protestant tradition, in a middle- and upper-middle-class congregation, I grew up hearing messages that sought to offer charity, but not
- [I Still Have Questions](https://icjs.org/resource/i-still-have-questions/) - When the foundation of your faith tradition is abruptly shaken to the point of being severed, it can leave bitterness, cynicism, and trauma in its wake. And so it was for me–no longer identifying with the faith in which I was raised, yet humbled to find myself a member of the ICJS Justice Leaders Fellows.
- [I am Because We Are](https://icjs.org/resource/i-am-because-we-are/) - Learning more about the threads of commonality among the Abrahamic traditions has deepened my understanding of economic justice and empowerment concepts as seen through the scriptures and the lived experiences of my colleagues. As a fellow in the ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship (JLF), I have learned to look beyond the religious titles and rather to
- [Moving Forward For All](https://icjs.org/resource/moving-forward-for-all/) - Shawn Gunaratne is an Economic Development Officer with the Baltimore Development Corporation, and a member of the 2021 ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship. Baltimore is part of a national conversation around questions of justice, race, and community. Members of the ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship consider how Jewish, Christian, and Muslim teachings and practice can contribute to
- [Building Community, One Conversation at a Time](https://icjs.org/resource/building-community-one-conversation-at-a-time/) - When I was 18 in my first year of college, I hurt a friend. She was a woman I had met the first week of school and immediately bonded with–a Turkish Muslim woman who expressed desire to join me at the Passover seder. I questioned her interest in learning about my Jewish observances. I couldn’t
- [Articulating Useful Visions for Justice](https://icjs.org/resource/articulating-useful-visions-for-justice/) - I’ve participated in and watched many different Jewish communities—sat in many synagogues, heard many sermons, and listened to lots of conversation. Many values show up in these contexts, some of them inspiring, and some less inspiring. Seldom is economic justice a primary theme. In many Jewish communities, I feel an insular tendency; after all, we
- [Work & Worship](https://icjs.org/resource/work-worship/) - Leon F. Pinkett, III is a Baltimore City Councilman in the 7th District, and a member of the 2021 ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship. Baltimore is part of a national conversation around questions of justice, race, and community. Members of the ICJS Justice Leaders Fellowship consider how Jewish, Christian, and Muslim teachings and practice can contribute
- [Different Paths, Collective Efforts](https://icjs.org/resource/different-paths-collective-efforts/) - I am more spiritual than I am religious. While I am a Christian from the Baptist tradition, I have been influenced by Phillip Harris's Jesus Taught It, Too!, and Rabbi Daniel Lapin’s Business Secrets from the Bible. Both embrace scripture as a basis for their thought-proving analysis, one Christian and the other Jewish. Now, don't
- [The Building Blocks to Economic Justice](https://icjs.org/resource/building-blocks-to-economic-justice/) - Interacting and engaging with peers and colleagues from other faiths has opened my eyes to a few issues. I realized that prejudice and bias exist not only towards Muslims, but also other groups. In many situations it manifests its ugly face as an outcome of unintentional ignorance and cultural baggage, influenced by media and societal
- [Finding Our Spiritual Truth](https://icjs.org/resource/finding-our-spiritual-truth/) - The human experience is a complex and often disorienting ride. Collectively, we encounter common questions over and over again through the chapters of our lives and the long arc of human history. We ask: “What’s it all for? What is my purpose in this life? How can we be good to one another?” These questions
- [The Tension of Religious Intolerance](https://icjs.org/resource/the-tension-of-religious-intolerance/) - I moved to Nigeria, my home country, immediately after I graduated from elementary school for my middle school years. My parents were unhappy with how quickly we were losing a sense of our Islamic language, and cultural identities. Upon our arrival in Nigeria, my sister and I were enrolled in a prestigious, all-girls, Catholic missionary

## Calendar Items

- [The Classroom and the Commandments: Religion, the Bible, and Public Schools](https://icjs.org/events/classroom-commandments/) - Register About the Participants Mark A. Chancey, Ph.D. Mark A. Chancey, Ph.D., is University Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies at Southern Methodist University. His research focuses on the Gospels, the historical Jesus, early Judaism, biblical archaeology, and Roman Palestine. He is the author of The Myth of a Gentile Galilee and Greco-Roman Culture and the
- [Democracy and Religion: What's at Stake?](https://icjs.org/events/democracy-religion-whats-stake/) - Register About the Participants The Rev. Moya Harris The Rev. Moya Harris is an itinerant elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and serves on the clergy staff of Metropolitan AME Church in Washington, D.C. She is director of racial justice at Sojourners, a Christian organization dedicated to social justice, peace, and faith-rooted action. Rev.
- [Beyond Wellness: How Restoring the Religious Roots of Spiritual Practices Can Heal Us](https://icjs.org/events/beyond-wellness/) - Register About the Participants Liz Bucar, Ph.D. | Author Liz Bucar is a University of Chicago–trained religious ethicist, professor of religion at Northeastern University, and public scholar. Her writing has appeared in The Atlantic, the Los Angeles Times, Teen Vogue, and The Wall Street Journal, and she publishes the Substack newsletter Religion, Reimagined. She is
- [Reimagining Spiritual Care: A Book Study for Chaplains and Spiritual Providers](https://icjs.org/events/reimagining-spiritual-care/) - Register About the Facilitator The Rev. Dr. Alisha Wimbush The Rev. Dr. Alisha Wimbush is the ICJS program director for religious leaders. She has a B.A. in Social Work from Messiah College and is a graduate of Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA, where she earned both her M.Div. and a Th.D. in Pastoral Care and
- [Complexity as Common Ground: Muslim and Jewish Voices in Dialogue](https://icjs.org/events/complexity-common-ground/) - Watch Video About the Panelists Rabbi Emerita Melanie Aron | Panelist Rabbi Emrita Melanie Aron was ordained at the Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion in 1981. She served for 40 years as a congregational rabbi, thirty years of which were at Congregation Shir Hadash in Los Gatos, California where she became Rabbi Emerita
- [Howard Thurman: Moral anchor to the Civil Rights Movement](https://icjs.org/events/howard-thurman-moral-anchor-to-the-movement-online/) - Class 1: Up From Slavery—Howard Thurman in Historical Context The opening session places Howard Thurman in the generation “up from slavery,” showing how his family history, the Black church, and a communal commitment to education and mentoring shaped his early spiritual and intellectual life. It traces how these influences—along with his early mysticism and complicated
- [Building Delight Muscles: An Interreligious Spiritual Discipline](https://icjs.org/events/building-delight-muscles-an-interreligious-spiritual-discipline/)
- [Recapturing the Prophetic Tradition: A Challenge for Interreligious Dialogue](https://icjs.org/events/manekin-clark-lecture-2021/) - Recapturing the Prophetic Tradition: A Challenge for Interreligious Dialogue Susannah Heschel Susannah Heschel is an American scholar and the Eli M. Black Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies at Dartmouth College. The author and editor of numerous books and articles, she is a Guggenheim Fellow and the recipient of numerous awards, including four honorary doctorates. She
- [Antisemitism, Christianity & the Holocaust Reckoning](https://icjs.org/events/antisemitism-christianity-the-holocaust-reckoning/) - Share
- [The End of White Christian America, Robert P. Jones, Dec. 2019](https://icjs.org/events/manekin-clark-lecture-2019/)
- [Economic Justice: Interreligious Reflections on Fairness and Dignity](https://icjs.org/events/economic-justice/) - See Course Resources Course Schedule Session #1: Introduction & Catholic Reflections Shoulder-to-Shoulder Dialogue; Dorothy Day and the Deserving/Undeserving Poor (Heather Miller Rubens). Session #2: Muslim Reflections on Economic Justice Said Nursi on Justice (Zeyneb Sayilgan). Session #3: Jewish Reflections on Economic Justice Society and Accountability; The rabbinic interpretation of the Sodom and Gomorrah story (Ben Sax). Session
- [Confronting Religious Hate in our Neighborhoods with Zeke Cohen](https://icjs.org/events/confronting-religious-hate-in-our-neighborhoods-with-zeke-cohen/)
- [Martin Buber and the Life of Dialogue](https://icjs.org/events/martin-buber-and-the-life-of-dialogue-online/) - SEE COURSE RESOURCES
- [Walking the Justice Talk: How 4 Baltimore Leaders Put Principles into Practice](https://icjs.org/events/walking-the-justice-talk-how-4-baltimore-leaders-put-principles-into-practice/)
- [Recovered Voices 101: A Conversation with BSO Artistic Advisor James Conlon](https://icjs.org/events/recovered-voices/) - Recovered Voices with James Conlon To watch the full presentation, view this on the ICJS You Tube page.
- [American Muslims at a Crossroads: Navigating identity in an interreligious world](https://icjs.org/events/manekin-clark-2022/) - Full Lecture: American Muslims at a Crossroads About Dalia Mogahed Dalia Mogahed is the Director of Research at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU), where she leads the organization’s pioneering research and thought leadership programs on American Muslims. Mogahed is former executive director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies and co-author of
- [Advocating for democracy—A Jewish grassroots approach](https://icjs.org/events/advocating-for-democracy-a-jewish-grassroots-approach/) - Watch Video
- [God on the Ballot? A Discussion of Christian Nationalism on the Eve of the Election](https://icjs.org/events/god-on-the-ballot-a-panel-on-christian-nationalism/) - Watch Video Panelists Philip S. Gorski - Yale University Philip S. Gorski (Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley 1996) is a comparative-historical sociologist with strong interests in theory and methods and in modern and early modern Europe. His empirical work focuses on topics such as state-formation, nationalism, revolution, economic development and secularization with particular attention to
- [Oxford Interfaith Forum: Psalm 19—Muslim Reflections on Creation](https://icjs.org/events/oxford-interfaith-forum-psalm-19-muslim-reflections-on-creation/)
- [White Christian Nationalism and the Capitol Riot: How did we get here and what comes next?](https://icjs.org/events/christian-nationalism-capitol-riot/) - Watch Video About Brad Onishi Brad Onishi is a social commentator, scholar, writer, teacher, and co-host of the Straight White American Jesus (SWAJ) podcast, which ranks in the Top 50 of Politics shows on Apple’s podcast charts—ahead of programs from NPR, the New York Times, and other national outlets. Onishi interviewed ICJS’ Matt Taylor on
- [The Crusades: Are We Prisoners of Our Interreligious History?](https://icjs.org/events/the-crusades-are-we-prisoners-of-our-interreligious-history/) - Session #1: The Crusades and Our Imagination Session #2: The Crusades and Sacred Land Session #3: The Crusades and Sacred Violence SEE COURSE RESOURCES Session #4: Representations of the (Un)Civilized About the Instructors Halla Attallah Halla Attallah is doctoral candidate at Georgetown University’s theological and religious studies department. Her research focuses on the Qur’an, its
- [Ministry of Presence: A portrait of chaplains in Maryland](https://icjs.org/events/ministry-of-presence-a-portrait-of-chaplains-in-maryland/) - Watch the Video Alisha Tatem, Th.D. Alisha Tatem is the Program Director for Religious Leaders at ICJS. She has a B.A. in Social Work from Messiah College and is a graduate of Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA, where she earned both her M.Div. and a Th.D. in Pastoral Care and Counseling. Most recently Alisha
- [Holy Envy: Writing in the Jewish Christian Borderzone](https://icjs.org/events/holy-envy-writing-in-the-christian-jewish-borderzone/) - Watch Video About the Author Maeera Y. Shreiber is an associate professor of English and former director of Religious Studies at the University of Utah, where she teaches and writes about poetry, Jewish American literature, ethnic American studies, religious studies, and interfaith relations. Shreiber is the author of, among other books, Singing in a Strange
- [Interreligious Environmentalism: Confronting the climate crisis together](https://icjs.org/events/interreligious-environmentalism-confronting-the-climate-crisis-together/) - Watch Video Panelists Rev. Dellyne Hinton | United Methodist ChurchRev. Dellyne Hinton is pastor of Gwynn Oak and Arlington-Lewin United Methodist churches and has been a passionate voice for environmental issues, both within her church and the wider community, as well as an advocate for green legislation. She also serves as president of the Central Maryland
- [Messianic Judaism and Christian Zionism](https://icjs.org/events/messianic-judaism-and-christian-zionism-2/) - Session #1: The Jewish-Christian Question Session 2: Christians and the State of Israel Session #3: Messianic Judaism and Christian Zionism Today COURSE RESOURCES About the Instructor Matthew D. Taylor Matthew D. Taylor, Ph.D., is the Protestant Scholar at ICJS, where he specializes in Muslim-Christian dialogue, Evangelical and Pentecostal movements, religious politics in the U.S., and
- [Sacred Pregnancy: Birth, Motherhood, and the Quest for Spiritual Community](https://icjs.org/events/sacred-pregnancy-birth-motherhood-and-the-quest-for-spiritual-community/) - Watch Video About the Author Ann W. Duncan (Ph.D., University of Virginia) is Professor of American Studies and Religion at Goucher College in Baltimore. Her research and teaching focus on intersections of religion and public life including religion and politics, new religious movements, the religious "nones," and motherhood and American religion. Her courses often integrate community-based
- [Wake Up Running: A Vision for connection and transformation | 2023 Manekin-Clark Lecture](https://icjs.org/events/wake-up-running-a-vision-for-connection-and-transformation-online/) - About the Speaker Walter Earl Fluker, Ph.D., Guest Lecturer Dr. Fluker is a Distinguished Professor of the Howard Thurman Center at Hartford University for Religion and Peace in Hartford, Conn. He served from 2020-2023 as the Professor of Spirituality, Ethics, and Leadership at Candler School of Theology at Emory University and is professor emeritus and
- [Backs Against the Wall: A Howard Thurman documentary film](https://icjs.org/events/backs-against-the-wall-a-howard-thurman-documentary-film/) - Melissa Zieve is the Senior Director for Program, Scholarship, and Operations. A life-long Baltimorean, she brings decades of experience in local social justice, religious, and education communities. She previously served as President of Bolton Street Synagogue, where she had also worked as Education Director and teacher. READ MORE Ben Sax, Ph.D., is the Jewish Scholar
- [Antisemitism (Un)defined](https://icjs.org/events/antisemitism-undefined/) - Class 1—The History and Politics of Defining Antisemitism Class 2—Israel and Antisemitism: Two definitions, two worldviews Class 3—Definitions of Hate as Political Engagement: Antisemitism in the 21st Century View Course Resources About the Presenter Benjamin Sax, Ph.D., ICJS Head of Scholarship and Jewish Scholar Ben Sax serves as the Head of Scholarship and the Jewish
- [Thinking Interreligiously: A guide for teaching youth](https://icjs.org/events/thinking-interreligiously-a-guide-for-teaching-youth/) - About the Presenter Christine Krieger has more than a decade of experience in education, event planning, congregational leadership, and program management. She holds a B.A. in History and Gender Studies from McDaniel College and an M.A. in Women’s History from Sarah Lawrence College, and she is drawn to providing visibility to people who were previously
- ['On the Seventh Day:' Interreligious reflections on the Sabbath ONLINE](https://icjs.org/events/on-the-seventh-day-interreligious-reflections-on-the-sabbath-online/) - About the panelists and moderator Katherine E. Brown, Ph.D., Panelist, is an alum of Wesley Theological Seminary and an ordained deacon in The United Methodist Church. Her interest in close reading of authoritative texts, developed as an attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, was significantly furthered through her studies at Wesley (M.Div. 2006) and
- [Did the U.S. and Brazil Have Parallel Christian Insurrections?](https://icjs.org/events/did-the-u-s-and-brazil-have-parallel-christian-insurrections/) - About the participants Raimundo C. Barreto Jr., Ph.D. | Panelist Raimundo C. Barreto Jr., Ph.D., is an associate professor of World Christianity at Princeton Theological Seminary. His teaching and research span multiple fields and disciplines, including world Christianity, ecumenical and intercultural studies, Latin American/Latinx religion, and liberation and decolonial theologies. His most recent publications includes
- [Muslim Perspectives on Death and Dying](https://icjs.org/events/muslim-perspectives-on-death-and-dying-2/) - Session 3: Culture and ContextDeath and Dying in American Muslim Life About the Presenter Zeyneb Sayilgan, Ph.D. Zeyneb Sayilgan, Ph.D., is the Muslim Scholar at ICJS, where her research centers around Islamic theology and spirituality, Christian-Muslim relations, and the intersection of religion and migration. Her personal experience of growing up in Germany as a child
- [Serving Our Immigrant Communities](https://icjs.org/events/serving-our-immigrant-communities/) - About the Presenters Giuliana Valencia-Banks Giuliana Valencia-Banks serves as Baltimore County’s first chief of immigrant affairs, assuming the newly created position in 2021. She partners with other offices and organizations to promote the wellbeing of immigrant communities across Baltimore County and serves as a liaison for those communities. Guiliana was most recently in the spotlight
- [Christopher Leighton at the Church of the Redeemer](https://icjs.org/events/christopher-leighton-at-the-church-of-the-redeemer/)
- [Democracy and the Soul of America: Book group for religious leaders and clergy](https://icjs.org/events/democracy-and-the-soul-of-america/) - About the Presenter The Rev. Dr. Alisha Wimbush The Rev. Dr. Alisha Wimbush is the ICJS program director for religious leaders. She has a B.A. in Social Work from Messiah College and is a graduate of Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA, where she earned both her M.Div. and a Th.D. in Pastoral Care and
- [Journeying Through Lent with an Interreligious Lens: A workshop for Christian clergy](https://icjs.org/events/journeying-through-lent-with-an-interreligious-lens-a-workshop-for-christian-clergy/) - Weeks 1 and 2: We will focus on confronting New Testament passages central to Jesus’ death and suffering that have been leveraged throughout Christian history to fuel antisemitism and anti-Judaism. We will consider the questions: How have these texts influenced Christians’ thinking about Jewish people and Judaism? Is there a way to read these texts
- [Journeying Through Lent with an Interreligious Lens: An in-person workshop for Christian clergy in Maryland](https://icjs.org/events/journeying-through-lent-in-person-workshop/) - About the presenter The Rev. Dr. Alisha Wimbush The Rev. Dr. Alisha Wimbush is the ICJS program director for religious leaders. She has a B.A. in Social Work from Messiah College and is a graduate of Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA, where she earned both her M.Div. and a Th.D. in Pastoral Care and
- [Welcoming the Stranger: Communities of Faith and the Changing Refugee Landscape](https://icjs.org/events/welcoming-the-stranger-communities-of-faith-and-the-changing-refugee-landscape-2/) - About the Presenters Kristyn Peck Kristyn Peck is the Chief Executive Officer of Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSSNCA). Since joining LSSNCA in 2020, Kristyn has quadrupled its revenue and tripled its staff. Kristyn led LSSNCA’s response to the largest humanitarian crisis in a generation, providing refugee resettlement services to 4,500 Afghan
- [Speaking Across Differences: Navigating dialogue in polarized times](https://icjs.org/events/speaking-across-differences-navigating-dialogue-in-polarized-times/) - Session 3: Dialogue as Resistance About the Presenter Benjamin E. Sax, Ph D. Ben Sax is the Jewish Scholar and Head of Scholarship at the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies in Baltimore. Ben is an experienced professor, university administrator, scholar, award-winning teacher, public speaker, and practitioner and facilitator of interreligious dialogue. Ben holds
- [Spiritual Care for Interreligious Families](https://icjs.org/events/spiritual-care-interreligious-families/) - Watch Video About the Panelists and Moderator The Rev. Samantha Gonzalez-Block | Panelist The Rev. Samantha Gonzalez-Block is the Christian Spiritual Leader at the Interfaith Families Project of Greater Washington (IFFP), a community of Jewish-Christian families practicing both traditions. A graduate of Barnard College and Union Theological Seminary, she is passionate about building bridges across
- [Common Ground: Clergy | Conversation | Connection](https://icjs.org/events/common-ground-clergy-conversation-connection/) - Watch Video About the Moderators Lora Hargrove, Ph.D. | Moderator Lora F. Hargrove, Ph.D., a Baltimore native, began her career as an inner-city teacher before entering communications and ministry. She holds degrees from Howard University and Wesley Theological Seminary, where she earned a Doctorate in Homiletics and a Ph.D. in African Diaspora History. Her work
- [Building Bridges through Storytelling](https://icjs.org/events/building-bridges-through-storytelling/) - About the Moderator The Rev. Dr. Alisha Wimbush | Moderator The Rev. Dr. Alisha Wimbush is the ICJS program director for religious leaders. The Rev. Dr. She has a B.A. in Social Work from Messiah College and is a graduate of Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA, where she earned both her M.Div. and a Th.D.
- [Rethinking Religious Equality (Christian Edition)](https://icjs.org/events/rethinking-religious-equality-christian-edition/) - About the Moderator AThe Rev. Dr. Alisha Wimbush | Moderator The Rev. Dr. Alisha Wimbush is the ICJS program director for religious leaders. The Rev. Dr. She has a B.A. in Social Work from Messiah College and is a graduate of Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA, where she earned both her M.Div. and a Th.D.
- [Women in Religious Leadership (November)](https://icjs.org/events/women-in-religious-leadership-november/) - About the Facilitator The Rev. Dr. Alisha Wimbush | Moderator The Rev. Dr. Alisha Wimbush is the ICJS program director for religious leaders. The Rev. Dr. She has a B.A. in Social Work from Messiah College and is a graduate of Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA, where she earned both her M.Div. and a Th.D.
- [Interreligious Studies & Secondary Education: Book party with ICJS authors](https://icjs.org/events/interreligious-studies-secondary-education/) - Christine Gallagher serves as the Head of Programs and Program Director for Teachers and Schools at the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS). She leads a yearlong fellowship for public, private, and independent school teachers to explore how religion is present in their curriculum and to gain confidence in talking about religion in the
- [Sharing Our Stories: The Inaugural ICJS Women’s Gathering](https://icjs.org/events/sharing-our-stories/) - About the Presenter Christine Krieger Christine Krieger currently serves as the Program Director for Congregations at the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS). She leads a year-long fellowship for Muslim, Christian, and Jewish clergy and lay leaders to increase interreligious literacy, engage in dialogue, and build community in the Greater Baltimore area. In
- [Women in Religious Leadership (October)](https://icjs.org/events/women-religious-leadership-october/) - About the Facilitator The Rev. Dr. Alisha Wimbush | Moderator The Rev. Dr. Alisha Wimbush is the ICJS program director for religious leaders. The Rev. Dr. She has a B.A. in Social Work from Messiah College and is a graduate of Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA, where she earned both her M.Div. and a Th.D.
- [Democracy Under Pressure: Faith, Freedom, and the Future of Public Life](https://icjs.org/events/democracy-under-pressure/) - About the Participants Ruth Braunstein, Ph.D. | Panelist Ruth Braunstein, Ph.D., is a sociologist at Johns Hopkins University’s SNF Agora Institute and director of the Meanings of Democracy Lab. She is the author of My Tax Dollars and Prophets and Patriots, and co-editor of Religion and Progressive Activism. She hosts the podcast When the Wolves
- [Author Younus Y. Mirza on The Islamic Mary](https://icjs.org/events/author-series-with-younus-mirza/) - Younus Y. Mirza, Ph.D. | Author Younus Y. Mirza, Ph.D., is the founding director of the Barzinji Institute for Global Virtual Learning at Shenandoah University. He holds a doctorate in Arabic and Islamic Studies from Georgetown University, and his research examines the shared stories between the Bible and the Qur’an. He is the author of
- [Creative Care: Using art to bridge divides](https://icjs.org/events/creative-care-using-art-bridge-divides/) - Sangeetha Kowsik | Participant Sangeetha Kowsik is a Hindu chaplain at New York University and the founder of both the NYU Hindu Center and the award-winning creative studio Ihsan Ishan Design. A graduate of Parsons School of Design with more than two decades of professional experience, she is one of the few Hindu Indian American
- [Faith in the Public Square: Safeguarding our multireligious democracy](https://icjs.org/events/faith-public-square/) - About the Presenter Christine Krieger Christine Krieger serves as the Program Director for Congregations at the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS). She leads a year-long fellowship for Muslim, Christian, and Jewish clergy and lay leaders to increase interreligious literacy, engage in dialogue, and build community in the Greater Baltimore area. In addition,
- [Sacred Rhythms, Shared Spaces: A Workshop on Interreligious Hospitality](https://icjs.org/events/sacred-rhythms-shared-spaces/) - About the Moderator The Rev. Dr. Alisha Wimbush | Moderator The Rev. Dr. Alisha Wimbush is the ICJS program director for religious leaders. Most recently Alisha served as an Associate Chaplain at a continuing care retirement community in Pennsylvania. She has more than 15 years of experience working and providing leadership in nonprofit and congregational settings.
- [Deepening Our Capacity for Interreligious Spiritual Care](https://icjs.org/events/deepening-our-capacity-interreligious-spiritual-care-2/) - About the Presenter The Rev. Dr. Alisha Wimbush | Moderator The Rev. Dr. Alisha Wimbush is the ICJS program director for religious leaders. Most recently Alisha served as an Associate Chaplain at a continuing care retirement community in Pennsylvania. She has more than 15 years of experience working and providing leadership in nonprofit and congregational settings.
- [Film: Islam's Greatest Stories of Love](https://icjs.org/events/film-islams-greatest-stories-of-love/)
- [Author Series with John S. Munayer and Samuel S. Munayer](https://icjs.org/events/author-series-john-munayer-samuel-munayer/) - About the Participants John S. Munayer | Author John S. Munayer is a Palestinian theologian from Jerusalem and holds degrees from King’s College London, the University of Edinburgh, and VU University Amsterdam. John is currently involved in interreligious activism and is the founder and editor of the Journal of Palestinian Christianity at the Bethlehem Bible
- [Reflect and Refresh Gathering: Courageous Compassion in a Multireligious Democracy](https://icjs.org/events/reflect-refresh-gathering-courageous-compassion/) - About the Facilitator The Rev. Dr. Alisha Wimbush | Facilitator The Rev. Dr. Alisha Wimbush is passionate about building bridges across diverse communities and fostering meaningful relationships. As Program Director for Religious Leaders, she oversees ICJS programming for clergy, chaplains, and spiritual caregivers. Under her leadership, ICJS launched its chaplain outreach initiative following a statewide
- [Abraham's Bridge: A Conversation with Filmmaker Ellie Pierce](https://icjs.org/events/abrahams-bridge/) - About the Participants Ellie Pierce | Filmmaker Elinor (Ellie) Pierce is a Boston-based filmmaker, writer, and humanities professional. Her multimedia work includes a Webby Award–winning website and the films Fremont, USA (2008), Autism: A Somali-American Story (2013), Les Deux (2019), and Abraham’s Bridge (2024), which she produced and directed. She is the author of Pluralism
- [The Prophetic Voice: Hebrew scripture and public life](https://icjs.org/events/prophetic-voice/) - Watch Videos View Slide Decks Session 1 Slide Deck Session 2 Slide Deck Session 3 Slide Deck About the Presenter Benjamin E. Sax, Ph D. | Instructor Ben Sax is the Jewish Scholar and Head of Scholarship at the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies in Baltimore. Ben is an experienced professor, university administrator,
- [Women in Religious Leadership Gathering (virtual)](https://icjs.org/events/women-in-religious-leadership-gathering-virtual/) - About the Facilitator The Rev. Dr. Alisha Wimbush | Facilitator The Rev. Dr. Alisha Wimbush is passionate about building bridges across diverse communities and fostering meaningful relationships. As Program Director for Religious Leaders, she oversees ICJS programming for clergy, chaplains, and spiritual caregivers. Under her leadership, ICJS launched its chaplain outreach initiative following a statewide
- [Building a Multireligious Democracy with ICJS: Schools and Teachers](https://icjs.org/events/building-multireligious-democracy-schools-teachers/) - Watch Video About the Panelists Christine Gallagher | Panelist Christine Gallagher serves as the Head of Program and Program Director for Teachers and Schools at the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS). She leads a yearlong fellowship for public, private, and independent school teachers to explore how religion is present in their curriculum and
- [Building a Multireligious Democracy with ICJS: Nonprofits, Museums, and Libraries](https://icjs.org/events/building-multireligious-democracy-nonprofits-museums-libraries/) - Watch Video About the Panelists Fatimah Fanusie, Ph.D. | Panelist Fatimah Fanusie, Ph.D. is a historian of 19th- and 20th-century American religion whose research is an evolving reappraisal of the study of African American Islam, the modern Civil Rights Movement and Islam in the West. She is also a lecturer in the Islamic Studies department
- [Religion at the Intersection: Expanding Organizational Capacity for Interreligious Spiritual Care](https://icjs.org/events/religion-at-the-intersection-expanding-organizational-capacity-for-interreligious-spiritual-care/) - Watch Video About the Panelists Chaplain Kyrian Buba | Panelist Rev. Kyrian Buba is a dedicated Minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and currently serves as Lead Staff Chaplain at the University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown Campus. Rev. Buba is a licensed and ordained Minister. He is a Board-Certified Chaplain (BCC) with the
- [Author Series with Rebecca Carter-Chand, Ph.D.](https://icjs.org/events/author-series-with-rebecca-carter-chand/) - Watch Video About the Participants Rebecca Carter-Chand, Ph.D. | Author Rebecca Carter-Chand is director of Programs on Ethics, Religion, and the Holocaust at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Mandel Center. She co-edited Religion, Ethnonationalism, and Antisemitism in the Era of the Two World Wars. Her research examines Christian minority groups in Nazi Germany. She
- [Care as Resistance: Spiritual support in the face of systemic injustice](https://icjs.org/events/care-as-resistance-spiritual-support-in-the-face-of-systemic-injustice/) - About the Facilitator The Rev. Dr. Alisha Wimbush The Rev. Dr. Alisha Wimbush is passionate about building bridges across diverse communities and fostering meaningful relationships. As Program Director for Religious Leaders, she oversees ICJS programming for clergy, chaplains, and spiritual caregivers. Under her leadership, ICJS launched its chaplain outreach initiative following a statewide survey—conducted in
- [David Rubenstein on Democracy & Religion | The 2026 ICJS Manekin-Clark Forum](https://icjs.org/events/american-experiments-democracy-religion/) - David Rubenstein joined ICJS for a conversation on democracy, religion, and America’s founding ideals in a multireligious society.
- [On Being Muslim, with ICJS Muslim Scholar Zeyneb Sayilgan](https://icjs.org/events/on-being-muslim/) - What does it mean to be Muslim? ICJS Muslim Scholar Zeyneb Sayilgan explores how Muslims embody faith, peace, and devotion in daily life.
- [Women in Religious Leadership Gathering (In-Person)](https://icjs.org/events/women-in-religious-leadership-gathering-in-person/) - About the Facilitator The Rev. Dr. Alisha Wimbush The Rev. Dr. Alisha Wimbush is passionate about building bridges across diverse communities and fostering meaningful relationships. As Program Director for Religious Leaders, she oversees ICJS programming for clergy, chaplains, and spiritual caregivers. Under her leadership, ICJS launched its chaplain outreach initiative following a statewide survey—conducted in partnership
- [Women in Religious Leadership Gathering (Online)](https://icjs.org/events/women-in-religious-leadership-gathering-online/) - About the Facilitator The Rev. Dr. Alisha Wimbush The Rev. Dr. Alisha Wimbush is passionate about building bridges across diverse communities and fostering meaningful relationships. As Program Director for Religious Leaders, she oversees ICJS programming for clergy, chaplains, and spiritual caregivers. Under her leadership, ICJS launched its chaplain outreach initiative following a statewide survey—conducted in partnership
- [Exploring Character Virtues in the Qur’an](https://icjs.org/events/the-quran-virtues-minicourse/) - Class 3: Embodied Qur’anic VirtuesProphetic Character—Part 2 About the Presenter Zeyneb Sayilgan, Ph.D. Zeyneb Sayilgan, Ph.D., is the Muslim Scholar at ICJS, where her research centers around Islamic theology and spirituality, Christian-Muslim relations, and the intersection of religion and migration. Her personal experience of growing up in Germany as a child of Kurdish Muslim immigrants
- [Sounding the Shofar: Leadership, antisemitism, & democratic renewal](https://icjs.org/events/sounding-the-shofar/) - About the Moderator & Panelists Kevin Rachlin | Panelist Kevin Rachlin is the Vice President for Government Relations and Washington Director at the Nexus Project, a research and policy initiative developing strategies to strengthen democracy and counter antisemitism in the United States. He brings more than a decade of experience in U.S.-focused advocacy, including roles
- [Building a Multireligious Democracy with ICJS: Congregations, Clergy, and Chaplains](https://icjs.org/events/building-multireligious-democracy-congregations-clergy-chaplains/) - Watch Video About the Panelists: Christine Krieger | Panelist Christine Krieger leads the ICJS Fellowship for Congregations, which brings Christian, Jewish, and Muslim communities in Greater Baltimore together for interreligious learning, dialogue, and relationship-building. Before joining ICJS in 2021, she spent over a decade in higher education, most recently directing the first-year experience at Goucher
- [Women in Religious Leadership (in person)](https://icjs.org/events/women-in-religious-leadership-in-person/) - About the Facilitator The Rev. Dr. Alisha Wimbush | Facilitator The Rev. Dr. Alisha Wimbush is passionate about building bridges across diverse communities and fostering meaningful relationships. As Program Director for Religious Leaders, she oversees ICJS programming for clergy, chaplains, and spiritual caregivers. Under her leadership, ICJS launched its chaplain outreach initiative following a statewide
- [Author Series with Katherine Stewart](https://icjs.org/events/author-series-with-katherine-stewart/) - About the Participants Katherine Stewart | Author Katherine Stewart is an award-winning journalist and author who has reported on the intersection of religion, politics, and democracy for over 16 years. Her latest book, Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy (Bloomsbury 2025), is a New York Times bestseller. She is also
- [Christian Nationalism (Un)defined](https://icjs.org/events/christian-nationalism-undefined/)
- [Maryam, the Muslim Mary: An interreligious figure who divides and unites us](https://icjs.org/events/maryam-the-muslim-mary/) - VIEW MINICOURSE RESOURCES About the Presenter Zeyneb Sayilgan, Ph.D. Zeyneb Sayilgan, Ph.D., is the Muslim Scholar at ICJS, where her research centers around Islamic theology and spirituality, Christian-Muslim relations, and the intersection of religion and migration. Her personal experience of growing up in Germany as a child of Kurdish Muslim immigrants from Turkey informs her
- [Christian Theologies of Power and Resistance](https://icjs.org/events/christian-theologies-of-power-and-resistance/) - Session 3: Can We Move Past Christendom? About the presenter Matthew D. Taylor, Ph.D. Matthew D. Taylor is the Protestant scholar at ICJS, specializing in American Christianity, Islam, religious politics, and extremism. His new book, The Violent Take It by Force (2024), explores the New Apostolic Reformation’s role in the January 6th Insurrection and its
- [Nostra Aetate—Celebrating 6 decades of Catholic engagement with Jews & Muslims](https://icjs.org/events/nostra-aetate-at-60/) - A scholarly panel on the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the Vatican II declaration that transformed Catholic engagement with Jews, Muslims, & other faiths.
- [Celebrating Our Call to Compassion](https://icjs.org/events/celebrating-our-call-compassion/) - About the Panelists & Moderator Fatima Ahmed | Panelist Fatima Amjad Ahmed’s spiritual care journey started as a volunteer at a hospice facility in 2023 after witnessing some of her own family members receive hospice care. Being on the receiving end of spiritual care as a family member of someone in hospice allowed her to
- [Now What? Debriefing the 2024 Election](https://icjs.org/events/now-what-debriefing-the-2024-election/) - Watch Video About the Panelists Sarah Posner Sarah Posner is the author of UNHOLY: How White Christian Nationalists Powered the Trump Presidency, And the Devastating Legacy They Left Behind. Her 2008 book, God’s Profits: Faith, Fraud, and the Republican Crusade for Values Voters, explored the unholy alliance between the Republican Party and prosperity televangelists. Her
- [Deepening Our Capacity for Interreligious Spiritual Care](https://icjs.org/events/deepening-our-capacity-interreligious-spiritual-care/) - About the Presenter The Rev. Dr. Alisha Wimbush | Moderator The Rev. Dr. Alisha Wimbush is the ICJS program director for religious leaders. She has a B.A. in Social Work from Messiah College and is a graduate of Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA, where she earned both her M.Div. and a Th.D. in Pastoral
- [The 2025 ICJS Silber-Obrecht Lecture: What Does it Mean to be Human? Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Perspectives (livestream)](https://icjs.org/events/the-2025-icjs-silber-obrecht-lecture-livestream/) - About the Lecturer and Respondent Rabbi Dr. Rachel S. Mikva | Lecturer Rabbi Dr. Mikva is the Herman E. Schaalman Professor of Jewish Studies and Senior Faculty Fellow, InterReligious Institute at Chicago Theological Seminary. She served as a congregational rabbi for 13 years before returning to academia. Her research explores the interpretation of the Hebrew
- [Pope Leo XIV and the Future of the Roman Catholic Church](https://icjs.org/events/pope-leo-xiv/) - About the Panelists and Moderator Stephen Okey, Ph.D. | Panelist Dr. Stephen Okey is Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Theology, and Religion at Saint Leo University in Florida, where he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in systematic theology and ethics. He holds a Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from Boston College, with a dissertation on David Tracy’s
- [The Scopes Monkey Trial, a Century Later: Lessons in religion and education policy](https://icjs.org/events/the-scopes-monkey-trial-a-century-later-lessons-in-religion-and-education-policy/) - About the Panelists Tim Hall, Ph.D., is a K-12 Social Studies Instructional Specialist, Executive Director of Religion Matters, and President of the North Carolina Council for the Social Studies. He also serves as Vance County Coordinator for the North Carolina Council on the Holocaust, as a member of the Education Advisory Board of the Tanenbaum
- [Shoulder to Shoulder: Building Coalitions to Challenge Islamophobia](https://icjs.org/events/shoulder-to-shoulder/) - About the Presenters Nina M. Fernando Nina M. Fernando is the Executive Director of the Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign, a multifaith coalition working to counter anti-Muslim discrimination and violence in the U.S. She joined the organization in 2017. Fernando holds a Master’s in Interreligious and Cultural Studies from Claremont School of Theology and a BA
- [Unpacking Bonhoeffer's Legacy Today](https://icjs.org/events/unpacking-bonhoeffers-legacy-today/) - About the presenters Victoria Barnett, Ph.D. Victoria J. Barnett is one of the world’s preeminent scholars of religion and the Holocaust, as well as a leading expert on the German Protestant theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. She is the general editor of the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works (English edition), author of Bystanders: Conscience and Complicity During the Holocaust
- [Manekin-Clark Lecture: Building Community in a Fractured World](https://icjs.org/events/manekin-clark-lecture-building-community-in-a-fractured-world/) - About Sharon Brous Sharon Brous is the senior and founding rabbi of IKAR, a leading edge Jewish community based in Los Angeles, and author of The Amen Effect: Ancient Wisdom to Heal Our Hearts and Mend Our Broken World, a national bestseller. She was named #1 on the Newsweek/The Daily Beast list of most influential Rabbis in America, and has been recognized
- [The Sacred Passage: Spiritual care for the dying](https://icjs.org/events/the-sacred-passage-spiritual-care-for-the-dying/) - The Rev. Dr. Jamie Eaddy | Panelist The Rev. Dr. Jamie Eaddy is a thanatologist, public theologian, and founder of Thoughtful Transitions, LLC. She specializes in grief support, trauma-informed care, and death doula services, working within communities impacted by violence. Dr. Jamie is dedicated to challenging oppressive systems and creating sacred spaces for healing. As
- [The Violent Take It By Force: Book launch with Matt Taylor](https://icjs.org/events/the-violent-take-it-by-force-book-launch-with-matt-taylor/) - About the Presenter Matthew D. Taylor, Ph.D. Matthew D. Taylor, Ph.D., is a Senior Scholar and the Protestant Scholar at ICJS, where he specializes in Muslim-Christian dialogue, Evangelical and Pentecostal movements, religious politics in the U.S., and American Islam. Taylor holds a Ph.D. in Religious Studies and Muslim-Christian Relations from Georgetown University and an M.A.
- [Could the Muslim Vote Swing the 2024 Election?](https://icjs.org/events/could-the-muslim-vote-swing-the-2024-election/) - About the Presenters Youssef Chouhoud, Ph.D., Christopher Newport University Youssef Chouhoud, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Political Science affiliated with the Reiff Center for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution at Christopher Newport University. He studies comparative political attitudes and behavior, with particular expertise in Muslim and Arab public opinion both in the US and
- [Reparations through an Interreligious Lens](https://icjs.org/events/reparations-through-an-interreligious-lens/) - Watch the Video Read Color Us Love: An Interfaith Guide to Reparations Read the Guide About the Panelists and Moderator Rev. Kay F. Albury | Panelist Rev. Kay F. Albury is the pastor of St. Matthew United Methodist Church and was a part of the Congregational Leaders Fellowship cohort in 2023. Within forty years of
- [A Sacred Argument: Dispatches from the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim Encounter—ONLINE](https://icjs.org/events/a-sacred-argument-online/) - Christopher M. Leighton Christopher M. Leighton, Ed.D., is the founding director of the Institute for Islamic, Christian, Jewish Studies (ICJS), successfully leading the organization until his retirement in 2018. In addition to his 33 years of interreligious leadership at the ICJS, he has served as an adjunct professor at the Johns Hopkins University and at St.
- [Muslim Prayer in America: Its Meaning and Practice](https://icjs.org/events/muslim-prayer-in-america-its-meaning-and-practice-online-2/) - View Course Resources
- [Martin Buber: A Life of Faith and Dissent — A conversation with biographer Paul Mendes-Flohr](https://icjs.org/events/paul-mendes-flohr/)
- [The Capitol Riot & the Crisis in Christian Identity](https://icjs.org/events/jan6th-riot-and-christian-identity/) - About the Presenter Matthew D. Taylor, Ph.D., is the Protestant Scholar at ICJS, where he specializes in Muslim-Christian dialogue, Christian theology and interreligious engagement, religious politics in the U.S., and American Islam. Prior to coming to ICJS, Taylor served on the faculty of Georgetown University and The George Washington University, and he is currently a
- [Recognizing and Responding to Everyday Antisemitism and Islamophobia](https://icjs.org/events/recognizing-and-responding-to-everyday-antisemitism-and-islamophobia/) - Watch Video About the Instructors Halla Atallah Halla Attallah is doctoral candidate at Georgetown University’s theological and religious studies department. Her research focuses on the Qur’an, its narrative content, and the early history of Islam. Attallah served as the Visiting Muslim Scholar at ICJS from 2019-2020. She has also taught courses at the University of
- [Race, Trauma, and Healing: Insights from Jewish antiracism practitioners](https://icjs.org/events/race-trauma-and-healing-insights-from-jewish-antiracism-practitioners/) - About the Presenters Tracie Guy-Decker is currently on sabbatical both from her role as Senior Partner with Joyous Justice, LLC, and as the co-host of the Joyous Justice Podcast (formerly Jews Talk Racial Justice). Tracie completed her undergraduate degree at Oberlin College and has an MA in Religious Studies from the Divinity School of the
- [Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, and Jewish Perspectives on Spiritual Care](https://icjs.org/events/buddhist-christian-muslim-and-jewish-perspectives-on-spiritual-care-2/) - About the Panelists Chaplain Tahara Akmal, Panelist From personal and professional experiences of interfaith work and world travel to sacred spiritual and religious sites, Chaplain Tahara Akmal developed a passion for ministry within pluralistic environments. Chaplain Akmal is an Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) Certified Educator. She is the first Muslim woman to become
- [Spiritual Care for the Grieving](https://icjs.org/events/spiritual-care-for-the-grieving/) - Watch Video About the Panelists and Facilitator Rev. Joe Ella Darby, M.S., M.Div., Panelist The Rev. Joe Ella Darby is the Vacation Bible School Coordinator at the Sunday School Publishing Board of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., in Nashville. Rev. Darby is an active member—serving as Assistant to the Pastor for Discipleship—of First Baptist
- [When 'Radical Islam' Met American Evangelicalism: A surprisingly hopeful story of pluralism](https://icjs.org/events/when-radical-islam-met-american-evangelicalism-a-surprisingly-hopeful-story-of-pluralism/) - Watch Video About the Author and Facilitator Matthew D. Taylor, Ph.D., Senior Scholar and Protestant Scholar | Author Matthew D. Taylor, Ph.D., is a Senior Scholar and the Protestant Scholar at ICJS, where he specializes in Muslim-Christian dialogue, Evangelical and Pentecostal movements, religious politics in the U.S., and American Islam. Prior to coming to ICJS,
- [ALLAH: Same as the Biblical God or Totally Other?](https://icjs.org/events/allah-same-as-the-biblical-god-or-totally-other-2/) - SEE COURSE RESOURCES
- [Rediscovering Susan Taubes: Jewish writer, philosopher, and mystic](https://icjs.org/events/rediscovering-susan-taubes-jewish-writer-philosopher-and-mystic/) - About the Speaker Elliot R. Wolfson, Guest Elliot R. Wolfson a scholar of Jewish studies, a poet and a painter. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Jewish Research and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and is the Marsha and Jay Glazer Endowed Chair in Jewish Studies and Distinguished Professor of
- [Spiritual Warriors: Decoding Christian Nationalism at the Capitol Riot](https://icjs.org/events/spiritual-warriors-decoding-christian-nationalism-at-the-capitol-riot/) - About the participants Michael Ivan Schwartz | Filmmaker and Panelist Michael Ivan Schwartz is a storytelling maestro who has been honing his craft for over 20 years at the helm of Loud Communications. From his humble beginnings at the age of ten, capturing his mother’s priceless expression during her surprise 50th birthday party, Michael Ivan’s
- [Confronting Antisemitism and Islamophobia as Chaplains](https://icjs.org/events/confronting-antisemitism-and-islamophobia-as-chaplains/) - With Panelists From: Additional Members of the Task Force:
- [Chaplains at Community Crossroads: Integrating spirituality in diverse sectors](https://icjs.org/events/chaplains-at-community-crossroads-integrating-spirituality-in-diverse-sectors/) - RESOURCES FROM PANELISTS About the Participants Pastor Susan Beck | Panelist Pastor Susan Beck is the pastor of the Community of St. Dysmas Lutheran Church which is a ministry within the Maryland State Correctional System. She never expected that ministry would take her “behind bars,” but she is finding that that’s exactly where the gospel
- [Democracy, Religion, and Ethics in Today's Israel](https://icjs.org/events/democracy-religion-and-ethics-in-todays-israel/) - About the Presenters Mikhael Manekin Mikhael Manekin, who is the grandson of ICJS founding trustee Bernard Manekin, is the director of the Alliance Fellowship program, an Arab-Jewish political network in Israel. An Orthodox Jew living in Jerusalem, he is one of the leaders of Faithful Left, a movement of religious Jews promoting equality through the
- [Providing Spiritual Care to the Religiously Unaffiliated](https://icjs.org/events/providing-spiritual-care-to-the-religiously-unaffiliated-2/) - About the Presenters The Rev. Dr. Susan (Sue) Pizor Yoder The Rev. Dr. Susan (Sue) Pizor Yoder has been a pastor for 39 years and previously served Presbyterian churches in Allentown and Bethlehem, Pa., and Liberty Corner, N.J. In 2005 she founded The Barn, an intergenerational, innovative faith community in Allentown. She is currently planting
- [The Roots and Reality of U.S. Christian Nationalism](https://icjs.org/events/the-roots-and-reality-of-u-s-christian-nationalism/) - Session #3: Christian Nationalism and the Capitol Riot About the Instructor Matthew D. Taylor is the ICJS Protestant Scholar and an expert on American Evangelicalism and Islam. He is currently writing a book about the role that Christianity played in the January 6th Capitol Riot. Course Resources Session #1 Readings from Session 1 Christian Nationalism

## Lesson Plans

- [LESSON PLAN: Religious Syncretism and Semana Santa](https://icjs.org/lesson/lesson-plan-religious-syncretism-and-semana-santa/)
- [LESSON PLAN: Introduction to the Abrahamic Religions](https://icjs.org/lesson/lesson-plan-introduction-to-the-abrahamic-religions/)
- [LESSON PLAN: Fashion and Religion](https://icjs.org/lesson/lesson-plan-fashion-and-religion/)
- [LESSON PLAN: Sufism, Rumi and Radical Love](https://icjs.org/lesson/lesson-plan-sufism-rumi-and-radical-love/)
- [LESSON PLAN: Impact of the Russian Revolution on the Russian Jewish Population](https://icjs.org/lesson/the-impact-of-the-russian-revolution-on-the-russian-jewish-population/)
- [LESSON PLAN: White Christian Nationalism: Connecting the Past to the Present](https://icjs.org/lesson/lesson-plan-white-christian-nationalism/)

## Religions

- [Jewish](https://icjs.org/religion/jewish/)
- [Muslim](https://icjs.org/religion/muslim/)
- [Christian](https://icjs.org/religion/christian/)
- [Interreligious](https://icjs.org/religion/interreligious/)

## Subjects

- [Social Studies](https://icjs.org/subject/social-studies/)
- [World History](https://icjs.org/subject/world-history/)
- [U.S. History](https://icjs.org/subject/u-s-history/)
- [English](https://icjs.org/subject/english/)
- [World Religions](https://icjs.org/subject/world-religions/)
- [Theology](https://icjs.org/subject/theology/)
- [Spanish](https://icjs.org/subject/spanish/)

## Topics

- [Russia](https://icjs.org/topic/russia/)
- [Russian Revolution](https://icjs.org/topic/russian-revolution/)
- [Tsar Nicolas II](https://icjs.org/topic/tsar-nicolas-ii/)
- [Bolshevik Party](https://icjs.org/topic/bolshevik-party/)
- [Judaism](https://icjs.org/topic/judaism/)
- [Jewish People](https://icjs.org/topic/jewish-people/)
- [Art & History](https://icjs.org/topic/art-history/)
- [Nationalism](https://icjs.org/topic/nationalism/)
- [Current Events](https://icjs.org/topic/current-events/)
- [Poetry](https://icjs.org/topic/poetry/)
- [Religious Figure](https://icjs.org/topic/religious-figure/)
- [Love](https://icjs.org/topic/love/)
- [Fashion](https://icjs.org/topic/fashion/)
- [Latin America](https://icjs.org/topic/latin-america/)