New Steps in the “Cosmic Dance of Dialogue”

Abstract

It has been our privilege to work (beginning in 2007 and 2008, respectively) with Leonard Swidler as colleagues on the staff of the Dialogue Institute (DI) at Temple University, the outreach arm, as it was envisioned in its earliest incarnation, of the Journal of Ecumenical Studies. These years have marked a crucial transitional period, when the DI was evolving from being identified largely with Swidler's individual initiatives (though always in collaboration with a cadre of partners around the globe) toward its establishment as a mission-driven organization contributing--through custom-designed training programs, networking, and resource development--to the ever-expanding twenty-first-century landscape of interreligious dialogue. Learning well from Swidler's mantras of deep and critical thinking, we, together with other DI colleagues, have continued to draw from the richness of his legacy, while examining its theoretical foundations and teasing out its applicability to new cultural and historical contexts. (1) In particular, the broadening work of the DI has afforded a kind of laboratory for designing and carrying out on-the-ground experiences of interreligious and intercultural engagement, affording a window into the interplay of theory and practice in these new contexts. I. The SUSI Program This essay explores shifts in emphasis and refinements that are called for by twenty-first-century global challenges and contexts by focusing on one of the DI's major programs. Since 2010, the DI has led eight five-week student seminars for international students on religious pluralism in the United States. These are part of a U.S. State Department initiative, the Study of the U.S. Institutes (SUSI), which teaches undergraduate students from various countries about American democracy and civil society through the lens of different topics--in this case, through the lens of religious pluralism. Each seminar group is comprised of twenty student leaders; in the summer session they come from four countries in the Middle East (Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, and Turkey); in the winter session, from Indonesia. Through a wide range of experiential activities, complemented by workshops and classroom sessions, participants are given multiple windows through which to observe and experience U.S. religious diversity. The program is built around six stated objectives: 1. Increase understanding of democratic principles and religious liberty in the United States through the study of its founding vision and the evolution of its culture and institutions, especially as revealed through the rich historical legacy of Philadelphia. 2. Deepen knowledge of the key structures and principles of the U.S. government and society that set the context for religious pluralism: the rule of law, individual rights and freedoms/responsibilities, separation of religion and state, equality, and tolerance of diversity. 3. Expand understanding of the beliefs and practices of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Baha'is, and Native Americans in the U.S. and enable students to see and experience U.S. religious diversity and neighborhood coexistence. Deepen appreciation of both the strengths and challenges inherent in the positive practice of religious pluralism and demonstrate how the U.S. government guarantees religious freedom and safety for majority and minority communities. 4. Foster in students a stance of respect for religious and other differences and an awareness of the negative outcomes of a lack of respect, especially when it results in violence. Teach students the principles and practices of interfaith dialogue and provide opportunities for them to develop skills that will enable them to initiate and engage in interreligious and intercultural dialogue in then-home contexts. 5. Provide collaborative experiences that develop students' leadership skills in the areas of clear communication (effective speaking and discerning listening), community-building, project-management, and cooperative learning. …