September 7, 2007
Difficult Dialogues program at Clark University focuses on religious tolerance
Worcester, Mass. -
Does religion promote intolerance? How do we reconcile faith in a particular tradition with tolerance and good will toward members of other faiths? Leaders representing four different religious faith traditions—Buddhism, Christianity, Islam and Judaism—will come together at Clark University to address these issues in a dialogue, "Faith and Tolerance in a Multicultural World." This interfaith dialogue will take place at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 20, in Tilton Hall, Higgins University Center, 950 Main Street. The program is co-sponsored by the Difficult Dialogues Initiative and the Andrea B. and Peter D. Klein Professorship. It is free and open to the public.
The program moderator is Paul Ropp, Andrea B. and Peter D. Klein Distinguished Professor of History and Asian Studies at Clark University. He organized the panel to enable leaders of diverse faiths to have an honest dialogue on how religious traditions that may have conflicting truth claims can work toward mutual understanding and tolerance.
"The aim of the panel is to promote a better sense of understanding of each other's positions in regard to tolerance and living together peacefully in a multicultural world," said Ropp.
The panel will tackle such questions as: Is monotheistic religion especially susceptible to intolerance? Is religious intolerance or hatred caused by a misreading or misapplication of religious faith? Do we have a responsibility within each of our faith traditions to be willing to criticize or break with those within our own traditions who might promote hatred and intolerance in the name of religion?
Panelists include:
- Melissa Blacker, Zen teacher (sensei), Boundless Way Zen and director of Professional Education and Training, Center for Mindfulness, University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester;
- David Coyne, director of Clark Hillel and first vice president of Temple Emanuel in Worcester;
- Mohamed Lazzouni, chair of the Board of Trustees of Al-Hamra Academy in Shrewsbury and chief technology officer of Visage Technology, Billerica, MA; and
- Thomas R. McKibbens, senior pastor of the First Baptist Church in Worcester.
After their comments, the panel will invite questions and comments from the audience.
The panel is part of the Religion and Tolerance Symposium of Clark's Difficult Dialogues Initiative, which is funded through a grant from the Ford Foundation. The initiative's focus on dialogue is aimed at addressing a climate of separation and silence around difference that is too often seen, not only on campuses but in our society as a whole.
"For many in U.S. society, the most convenient way to deal with difference is silence; it's 'don't ask, don't tell' on those issues where we might disagree, usually religion and politics," says Ropp. "The biggest blind spot in our culture is our understanding of Islamic traditions. This panel will help address that blind spot and provide a unique opportunity to hear leaders of different faith traditions speak to each other. It's not often we hear Muslim speakers in this society, much less in dialogue with Christians, Jews and Buddhists."
Clark is one of 27 institutions of higher education selected out of 675 nationwide for a $100,000 Ford Foundation grant to facilitate a two-year program of trainings and events to encourage discourse across differences. The Worcester and Clark community through the Difficult Dialogues symposia have the opportunity to appreciate and learn the skills of dialogue–the practice of conscious exchange in which different views and beliefs can be shared toward the goal of greater mutual understanding.
All of the events are co-sponsored by the Higgins School of Humanities and the International Development, Community and Environment (IDCE) Department at Clark.
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