- To dismantle religious bias and bigotry, ICJS builds learning communities where religious difference becomes a powerful force for good.
ICJS Manekin-Clark Lecture Series
“Bernie Manekin, one of the founding Jewish trustees of the ICJS, was a man who became entangled in the lives of those that he came to know and love. Jim Clark, a Presbyterian, was a builder who wanted to change the inner, as well of the outer landscape of urban America. Jim was one of the lucky people who came into Bernie’s orbit, and the gravitational pull of Bernie’s personality was irresistible. A lifelong friendship was forged, and while neither Bernie nor Jim are with us on this earth, the Manekin-Clark lecture bears witness to their deep, and resilient interreligious friendship.” (From introduction by Heather Miller Rubens, executive director, 12/10/2019)
The ICJS Manekin-Clark Lecture brings leading interreligious thinkers to Baltimore to engage the general public on a range of topics relevant to interreligious relations and religious pluralism. The lecture is named in honor of two long-time civic leaders, Bernard Manekin and A. James Clark, and their interreligious friendship.
The lecture is made possible by endowment funds from the A. James and Alice B. Clark Foundation and the Manekin family. All lectures are free and open to the public.
Past Lectures
December 2019
Religion & Politics in Transition:
The End of White Christian America
Robert P. Jones
Founder and CEO
Public Religion Research Institute
December 2018
White Supremacy, Power, and the Role of Interfaith
Beverly E. Mitchell, Ph. D.
Professor, Historical Theology
Wesley Theological Seminary
March 2017
Banning Sharia
Anver M. Emon, Ph. D., J.S.D.
Faculty of Law
University of Toronto
April 2016
Rabbi Marc Gopin
Director, Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution
James H. Laue Professor
School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution
George Mason University
May 2015
Interfaith Leadership:
Building a Healthy Democracy
Eboo Patel, Ph.D.
Founder and President
Interfaith Youth Core
May 2014
Collision: Jews, Christians, and Muslims
David Nirenberg, Ph.D.
Deborah R. and Edgar D. Jannotta Professor of Medieval History and Social Thought
University of Chicago
June 2013
From Religious Intolerance to Creative Engagement
Rabbi David Rosen
International Director of Interreligious Affairs
American Jewish Committee
International Director of Interreligious Affairs
American Jewish Committee
April 2012
Robert Eisen, Ph.D.
The Manekin-Clark Lecture is presented annually to honor Bernie Manekin's lifelong commitment to the work of Jewish-Christian relations. The Lecture is made possible by endowment grants from The Clark Charitable Foundation and the Manekin family. These lectures are free and open to the public.