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INTERSECTIONS Faith, Church, and the Academy Mark E. Hanshaw and Timothy S. Moore General Editors Intersections: Faith, Church, and the Academy The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry leads and serves The United Meth- odist Church in the recruitment, preparation, nurture, education, and support of Christian leaders—lay and clergy—for the work of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transfor- mation of the world. The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of The United Methodist Church serves as an advocate for the intellectual life of the church. The Board’s mission embodies the Wesleyan tradition of commitment to the education of laypersons and ordained persons by providing access to higher education for all persons. Intersections: Faith, Church, and the Academy Copyright 2018 by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, The United Meth- odist Church. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form whatsoever, print or electronic, with- out written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information regarding rights and permissions, contact the publisher, Gen- eral Board of Higher Education and Ministry, PO Box 340007, Nashville, TN 37203-0007; phone 615-340-7393; fax 615-340-7048. Visit our website at www.gbhem.org. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from the New Revised Stan- dard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked dra are taken from the Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edi- tion (dra). All web addresses were correct and operational at the time of publication. Cover art: Based on the image “For What Binds Us” © Jan Richardson, janrichardson.com. Used by permission of Jan Richardson, The Wellspring Studio, LLC. ISBN: 978-1-945935-20-6 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27—10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Manufactured in the United States of America Contents Preface Mark E Hanshaw and Timothy S Moore                   v Historical Intersections 1 The Interfaith Movement and Methodism S Wesley Ariarajah                                        3 2 Annotations on Chapter 3: Intersection, Difference, and Deference Timothy S Moore                                        23 3 The Grand Rallying Point: Methodists, Congregationalists, Baptists, Episcopalians, and Jews Forge a Lesson and Legacy in Interfaith Cooperation Eva Semien Baham                                       39 Transformative Intersections 4 Change in Heart and Mind: Refl ections on the Intersection between a Nonbeliever and a United Methodist–Affi liated Institution Kent Andersen                                           63 5 How the Story of Job May Help Us All Get Along Chad J Pevateaux                                        79 iii Contents 6 Prioritizing Questions for Religious Literacy at United Methodist–Affiliated Colleges Nathan Eric Dickman                                     97 Campus Intersections 7 Interreligious Community Engagement and Service- Learning in Higher Education: Pedagogical Considerations Hans Gustafson                                         131 8 Common and Diverse Ground: An Interfaith Dialogue Model for College Campuses Diane R Wiener and Jikyo Bonnie Shoultz               155 9 Spiritual Diversity and Mindfulness: A Pathway to Inclusion on a University Campus Gladys Childs and Dennis Hall                           173 10 Striving for Mission Integration: Catholic Identity, Social Justice, and Interfaith Inclusivity Nicholas Rademacher                                    189 11 The Campus as a Clinical Setting: Reflections on School Chaplaincy and an Argument for Higher Standards Aaron Twitchell                                         211 P rospective Intersections 12 From Priority to Practice: Interfaith Cooperation and United Methodist Higher Education Eboo Patel and Carolyn Roncolato                       235 13 Is Religion the Sinews of War? Or Is It Just a Myth “Generally So Considered”? John A Tures                                           257 14 The Business of Interfaith: Could Interreligious Engagement Change the Workplace Environment? Mark E Hanshaw                                       281 About the Contributors                                         297 iv Preface F rom the early days of John Wesley’s work—tending the needs of the most marginal residents of eighteenth-century London— to the present day, the Methodist movement’s central concern has been the question of what it means to be in relationship with a diverse and divided world. Indeed, while his language may appear somewhat archaic, we see Wesley striving to make sense of the good works undertaken by members of other faiths. In contrast to the failings of his own Christian community, he commented on the character of other faith traditions in a sermon delivered late in his career: But with Heathens, Mahometans, and Jews we have at present nothing to do; only we may wish that their lives did not shame many of us that are called Christians. We have not much more to do with the members of the Church of Rome. But we can- not doubt, that many of them, like the excellent Archbishop of Cambray, still retain (notwithstanding many mistakes) that faith that worketh by love. And how many of the Protestants enjoy this, whether members of the Church of England, or of other congregations?1 The question of what it means for Methodists to be aware of and engaged with individuals of differing cultural backgrounds and v PrefaCe religious beliefs has loomed ever larger in the days since John Wesley. We now live in a global society, where people of highly varied back- grounds and life experiences work, live, and function side by side. For many of the present generation, the homogeneity of the English countryside, once known by Wesley, must seem little more than a historic relic. Expanded cultural diversity can bring many benefits to a commu- nity. At the same time, it may also serve as a source of social anxiety and, potentially, conflict. Even as diverse friendships and partnerships across the globe help break down the ethnic and religious barriers that once separated communities and peoples, we are witness to ongoing atrocities. Recent global events, ranging from the mass migrations of peoples under siege to political battles that have divided nations and regions over issues of religion and ethnicity, continually remind us that the work of bridging cultural divisions is far from over. These shifts in our global demographic landscape have given new importance to the questions that Methodists have wrestled with from the beginning. Frequently, individuals look to the church and its insti- tutions for guidance on how to understand and respond to this so- cial and cultural landscape. As renowned scholar John Hick observed more than three decades ago: Christians have always lived, consciously or unconsciously, in a religiously plural world. In some places and periods they have been acutely aware of other religious traditions living and growing alongside their own. But in Western Christianity this pluralistic consciousness has only fully emerged during the lifetimes of people now living. Prior to that, religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism, Judaism and Islam, were generally seen as strange and dark residues of paganism, utterly inferior to Christianity and proper targets of the churches’ missionary zeal. Today, however, we have all become conscious, in vary- ing degrees, that our Christian history is one of a number of variant streams of religious life, each with its own distinctive forms of experience, thought and spirituality. And accordingly vi PrefaCe we have come to accept the need to re-understand our own faith, not as the one and only, but as one of several.2 It would seem that Hick’s words are only more relevant in the complex world that has emerged in the decades since he put pen to paper. Among the groups most desirous of direction and insight regarding our place in a diverse world may be those who have just begun laying the foundations for their own futures. Our youth—from school-aged students still struggling to comprehend the size and complexity of our global community to college students weighing a daunting array of educational pathways within a rapidly changing social environment— are left asking what sort of world they will inherit. Within this global climate of uncertainty and disorientation, our United Methodist–related colleges and universities can and must play a central role in helping students better understand the parameters of the social struggles unfolding before us. At the same time, our colleges and universities have the opportunity to do more than facil- itate understanding. These vital educational institutions can provide the environment and opening necessary to turn inquisitive students into active community leaders. And indeed, many United Methodist colleges and universities have taken up this challenge. In 1988, the General Conference of The United Methodist Church adopted a widely cited resolution on interfaith relations. That resolu- tion has been reaffirmed and amended by four subsequent General Conference gatherings. Entitled “Called to Be Neighbors and Wit- nesses: Guidelines for Interreligious Relationships,” the resolution calls upon members of the church to promote “mutual understanding, co- operation and transformation” through purposeful engagement with individuals of differing faiths.3 During the period since the passage of the original version of this resolution, innovative and inspired inter- faith engagement arising from within the United Methodist commu- nity has taken place on college campuses. This volume seeks to provide a glimpse at some of that innovation and inspired engagement. While crafted to serve the needs of a diverse vii PrefaCe array of individuals from clergy to academic administrators and from lay parishioners to faculty, the most important audience for this vol- ume may be students at our United Methodist–related schools. These students will be best positioned to reshape our world in ways that respond to the increased diversity within our individual communities. Intersections: Faith, Church, and the Academy was conceived as an interfaith resource. It has been designed to provide insight into both the history of the involvement of Methodism in the interfaith movement and the issues that may shape the future of this field of en- gagement. More important, this volume seeks to underscore some of the efforts taking place on college and university campuses and chap- laincy ministries aimed at building bridges between diverse groups of advantaged and disadvantaged populations. It is meant to provide a platform from which we can learn the experiences and innovations of our peers. It is further meant to inspire future opportunities for Meth- odist institutions to play key roles in preparing individuals to be the intercultural leaders of the present and future. In this volume, readers will find an array of chapters written by scholars, chaplains, university administrators, and clergy. The chapters seek to shed light on projects, programs, research, and experiences that are shaping lives and perspectives. The opening chapter includes the voice of one who has greatly influenced interfaith efforts around the globe. S. Wesley Ariarajah, the former deputy general secretary of the World Council of Churches and broadly published scholar, opens this volume with a rich reflection on Methodists’ efforts to contribute to the global interfaith movement. His chapter reaches back to the origins of the interfaith movement and traces the history forward into the modern era. He lays a useful and intriguing foundation for understanding other contributions to this volume. In the second chapter, Timothy S. Moore, director of donor de- velopment at Union Presbyterian Seminary and coeditor of this vol- ume, wrestles with a patient and persistent commitment embedded in the foundations of United Methodist–related higher education. That viii PrefaCe commitment is to hold in positive tension both learning and piety. The joint presence of learning and faith in these academic institutions gen- erates the possibility that this tension will impact the culture, climate, and curricula at these schools, making distinct the kind of education received at church-related institutions. Less theoretical than practical, Moore’s essay examines a constructive benefit that such a tension may offer when taken seriously by outlining an education program implemented at one United Methodist–related school. In chapter 3, Eva Semien Baham, assistant professor of history at Dillard University, addresses a core question. She seeks to consider how faith may become active without being dominated by religious particularism. Baham answers this question by outlining the histori- cal and cultural backgrounds of New Orleans. From this context, she traces the blurring of religious boundaries by religious groups to work together on behalf of African Americans. New Orleans’s religious and social diversity illustrates an intricately delicate dance of good inten- tions in a highly charged environment. In her chapter, Baham asserts that effective aid necessitated interfaith cooperation to benefit the city’s African American population. Concentrating on her own insti- tution’s founding, Baham examines that institution’s establishment as a collective advantage emergent from both interracial and interfaith cooperation. In chapter 4, Kent Andersen, director of the Hess Center for Lead- ership and Service at Birmingham-Southern College, offers a personal reflection on the perspective-changing impact of his own participa- tion in service-learning projects initiated through the chaplain’s office in the college he serves. As an individual embracing no defined faith perspective, Andersen reflects on the impact of service-learning ex- periences organized in connection with San Francisco’s Glide Memo- rial United Methodist Church, a “radically inclusive” community. As he observes, the experiences proved powerfully thought-provoking, prompting him to rethink his own faith perspective. Further, the chap- ter focuses attention on the important place of service-learning on the college campus. ix PrefaCe In chapter 5, Chad Pevateaux, assistant professor at Texas Wes- leyan University, draws upon the biblical story of Job as a metaphor to discuss methods that he employs in specific courses to encourage students to objectively consider the relationships that bind varying religious systems. Pevateaux draws parallels between the suffering of Job and the many tragedies that have become the backdrop of life for modern students. Further, he reminds us of the fact that so many of these tragedies have some religious dimension. In light of these tragedies, he argues that helping students to develop an interfaith perspective can be critical to providing the resources necessary to overcome the uncertainty and fear that naturally arise when one con- fronts such tragedy. Further, he argues that students can find security in understanding. In chapter 6, Nathan Eric Dickman, associate professor at Young Harris College, offers a call, rooted in his own teaching experience, for the employment of a methodology of teaching courses in religion that is rooted in radically open inquiry and the cultivation of interre- ligious literacy. Dickman observes that religious affiliation in modern America has come to be approached frequently through the lens of a consumerist perspective, even though religious literacy appears to be in decline. He makes the persuasive argument that United Meth- odist colleges and universities should broadly embrace the strategy of encouraging open questioning in religious studies courses. Such open questioning, while sometimes uncomfortable, is a central ingre- dient in promoting expanded religious and interreligious literacy, he concludes. In chapter 7, Hans Gustafson, associate director of the Jay Phillips Center for Interfaith Learning at University of St. Thomas, explores an intentional effort by his university to encourage faculty to add interre- ligious community engagement (i.e., service-learning) to their course pedagogy. In his chapter, he describes the essentials for course design and implementation; shares key readings, student learning outcomes, and types of community partners; and offers strategies for student assessment. Vitally, Gustafson provides the background context to x

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