Bikinis, Head Scarves and Little Black Dresses
“Daddy, can I get a bikini this summer?” my seven-year-old daughter asked toward the end of the school year. Sure, sweetheart. Could we stay indoors and watch episodes of Winnie the Pooh to recall when you were two? I remember not saying out-loud. It was a difficult image to avoid: Less clothing would be more—of my daughter uncovered.
In Oman, the Muslim-Christian Equation: Understanding is greater than Tolerance
On most days, if we’re realistic, the idea of religious tolerance serves only to usher a person just inside the other’s front door. It might, in the end, provide a sort-of, kind-of knowledge, but it still leaves something more palpable to be desired in the hungry or thirsty spirit. For this reason, in Oman, Dr. [...]
Seven Types of Scholarship
What are scholars for? I offer for your consideration seven types of religious scholarship: priest, scribe, gnostic, revolutionary, rabbi, scientist, and contemplative.
Online tools enriching the study of sacred text
This article was co-authored by Matthew L. Skinner. Picture this: an Iraqi reporter becomes interested in the work of a Jewish student in Israel after reading an article about Jewish-Muslim relations in medieval Spain that the student published online. The reporter contacts the student and interviews him about future prospects for Jewish-Muslim coexistence. As the [...]
Identity and Pluralism
This week, we are fortunate to send along the first “Topic of the Week,” culled and compiled by State of Formation’s Special Projects Committee. With a new topic each week, we hope to engage in meaningful (and challenging!) discourse online — and address themes that we too often shy away from in the context of [...]
“Coming Out Jewish”
Trembling slightly, I pulled the folded paper out of my pocket and opened it. I held it tightly; I needed that paper. On it were the printed words that would guide my dry mouth and racing thoughts through the next few minutes. As I walked to the microphone in front of the faculty, staff and [...]
Is “History Centrism” a Problem? In Dialogue with Rajiv Malhotra
Rajiv Malhotra, Founder and President of the Infinity Foundation, sat down for an extensive dialogue with the co-Editor of the Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue, Joshua Stanton. One of the differences evident in their conceptualizations of the world was what Rajiv called the “History Centrism” of the Abrahamic Faiths. That a single person at a single [...]
Early Christian/Non-Christian Encounters as Comparative Theological Resources: A Case in Sixteenth-Century Japan
Recent research on cross-cultural encounters in the early modern period has shown that the records of the first Europeans in eastern Asia provide us with excellent models to reflect on current issues in cross-cultural and inter-religious dialogues. These stories are helpful for understanding ways through which the Self perceives, understands, and interprets the Other, who [...]
Am I Anti-Semitic?
I support and believe in the Palestinians—their right to inhabit the land they live on and have lived on for many, many years, and I support their plight. Does this make me Anti-Semitic? After Israel attacked Gaza in December of 2008, I had a deep need to go over to the Middle East and learn [...]
By Faith, I Am Formed
My formation? How did I get here? Let me tell you… My formation is informed by my Catholic upbringing. Unfortunately, the church I grew up in taught one basic ideology—you sin, you go to hell. I am aware this is not Catholic doctrine overall, but nevertheless, I grew up terrified of God. I never understood [...]
Contributing Scholars
Stephanie Varnon-HughesStephanie Varnon-Hughes is a Founding Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue™ and a graduate of Union Theological Seminary, where she earned her Master's in Church History in 2008 and her STM in 2009. A schoolteacher, Stephanie received the Most Promising New Teacher of the Year Award of 2005 in St. Louis, Missouri and has taught English and Performing Arts in public schools in St. Louis and the Bronx. She is a PhD student at Claremont Lincoln University, focusing on building and piloting a multi-religious curriculum for public secondary school students. Follow her on Twitter @SVarnonHughes.
Journal of Inter-Religious DialogueThe Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue™ is a forum for academic, social, and timely issues affecting religious communities around the world. It is designed to increase the quality and frequency of interchanges between religious groups and their leaders. The Journal seeks to build an inter-religious community of scholars, in which people of different traditions learn from one another and work together for the common good.
Mary Ann KaiserMary Ann is a graduate of Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. She is currently working as the Youth Director and Justice Associate at a United Methodist Church. Her primary interests reside in the intersections of church and society, particularly in realms of sexuality, gender, race, and ecology. You can follow her on twitter at https://twitter.com/ladygadfly.