2013 Spring Call for Contributing Scholars is Open!
Over the past two and a half years, emerging religious and ethical leaders from around the country and the world have engaged each other and readers by sharing their stories and views on State of Formation. Conversations once dominated by established leaders are now readily embraced by the up-and-comers, and accessible to contributors from many different moral, faith, political, economic, and social backgrounds. Currently, the site garners over 150,000 views per year.
Opportunity: An Interfaith Theological Reflection Consultation Request
Definitions: For the past 3 or 4 decades, many Christian educators have emphasized theological reflection as an essential part of training people for ministry. While there are multiple definitions of theological reflection, one common definition by James and Evelyn Whitehead [1980] is that theological reflection is “the process of bringing to bear in the practical decisions of ministry the resources of the Christian Faith.” Other definitions are less focused on pastoral decision making, such as that of Killen and de Beer [1992] who speak of theological reflection as “The discipline of exploring our individual and corporate experience in conversation with the wisdom of a religious heritage.”
The World to Come
Shabbat is not only the way we as Jews sustain ourselves, it is how anyone dissatisfied with the world as it is visions and creates the world as they imagine it should be. In the fallout from the tragic Sikh Temple shooting, our attention has been drawn to the culture and practices of the neo-Nazi skinhead groups that the shooter belonged to.I may not be able to change the orientation of these hate groups or affect their vision of paradise. But I can use their vision and mission as a means to examine my own idea of the world to come.
Call for Regional Recruiting Directors
In order to increase the religious, cultural, and overall diversity of Contributing Scholars, State of Formation is introducing Regional Recruiting Directors (RRD’s). RRD’s will work closely with the Associate Director, and occasionally with the Managing Director, to identify and recruit scholars to the SoF forum. RRD’s will have the ability to pre-approve scholars from within [...]
Fall 2012 Call for Contributing Scholars!
Greetings, State of Formation is pleased to announce it is accepting applications for Contributing Scholars! State of Formation is a community conversation between young leaders in formation. Together, a cohort of seminarians, rabbinical students, graduate students and the like – the future religious and moral leaders of tomorrow – will work to redefine the ethical [...]
“Epistemic Justification and Religious Truth Claims: Heim’s More Pluralistic Hypothesis” by Wm. Andrew Schwartz
In his book, Salvations: Truth and Difference in Religion,1 S. Mark Heim presents what he calls a “more pluralistic hypothesis.”2 Heim’s position, as its name alludes, is in many ways a response to John Hick’s infamous “pluralistic hypothesis” presented in An Interpretation of Religion.3 According to Heim, Hick’s pluralism is less pluralistic in that Hick [...]
Submit Your Work! Call for Submissions for Issue 10
The Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue is now accepting submissions for our tenth issue, due to be released August 15th 2012. We welcome rigorous, analytical submissions from emerging and established scholars alike. Rather than shying away from discourse on problematic exchanges that take place between religious groups, the Journal seeks articles that approach these “trouble spots” [...]
Call for Graduate Students to Assist with Community Mosaic Video Project (CMVP) Resource Compilation
Project Interfaith, a non-profit organization dedicated to growing understanding, respect and relationships among people of all faiths, beliefs and cultures, is seeking graduate students of religion, sociology and related fields to assist with the compilation of educational information and resources on religious and cultural diversity for its upcoming Community Mosaic Video Project (see below for [...]
State of Formation 2012 Call for Contributors
Greetings, We are excited to announce that we will be officially accepting nominations on a bi-annual basis and therefore are calling for nominations and self- nominations for Contributing Scholars for our online forum, State of Formation. State of Formation is a community conversation between young leaders in formation. Together, a cohort of seminarians, rabbinical students, [...]
Occupy Wall Street: Abundance v Scarcity
While preparing for class recently, I read an article by Walter Brueggemann “The Liturgy of Abundance, the Myth of Scarcity” which takes a Christian theological analysis to the notions of abundance and scarcity. This article roots the historical biblical concept of scarcity in pharaoh’s desperate need to maintain power over resources. This becomes important to consider [...]
Contributing Scholars
Adina AllenAdina Allen is a fourth year rabbinical student in Hebrew College's transdenominational program in Boston, MA. She is interested in the intersection of religion, ecology, embodiment and creativity.
Nicole EdineNicole Edine is a recent graduate from New York University with a Masters in Religious Studies. Her academic interests include South Asian religions in diaspora, American religion and identity, and sacred spaces and objects.
Kit EvansArgrow "Kit" Evans is a Master of Divinity graduate from the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, CA. She is a woman who is passionate about God, serving others, and nonviolence. Born in the small town of Mebane, North Carolina, education and working for peace became a positive outlet for her at an extremely young age.
Ms. Evans passion for nonviolence and peace stems from her serving with the National Association of Students Against Violence Everywhere and Pace e Bene Nonviolence Service. She now uses her education, teachings on nonviolence, travels, personal experiences, dance, and spirituality as a trainer, advocate, and speaker. Kit currently resides in Orlando, Florida.