By Michele Coffill
The role of religious communities to both cause and rectify social division and tribalism will be discussed during the Jewish/Christian/Muslim Triennial Interfaith Dialogue Conference. The event will be hosted by Grand Valley State University’s Kaufman Interfaith Institute on November 14-15.
Presenters are Jennifer Howe Peace, professor of interfaith studies at Andover Newton Theological School; Elliot J. Cosgrove, senior rabbi at Park Avenue Synagogue, the largest conservative synagogue in New York City; and Eboo Patel, founder and president of Interfaith Youth Core.
Each speaker will give brief presentations on November 14 beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the Kirkhof Center, Grand River Room, on the Allendale Campus and students are encouraged to attend. The day-long conference on November 15 will take place in the Eberhard Center from 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. The conference is free and open to the public; RSVP online at gvsu.edu/interfaith.
With the theme “Religious Identity: Dividing or Uniting?,” speakers will discuss how or if religion contributes to increased polarization or increased understanding. Douglas Kindschi, director of the Kaufman Interfaith Institute, said the topic is particularly relevant given the current social and political climates.
“What’s happening politically is that we’re becoming more and more polarized, we’re becoming divided, and part of the division has a religious base,” Kindschi said. “Politically, religions are being singled out as being evil or bad. On the other hand, there are other people who are saying no, religion is a search for God, and while we don’t say that all religions are the same, we can still respect people.”
The conference takes place every three years, bringing together representatives from Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths to engage in dialogue. This fits into the greater mission of the Kaufman Interfaith Institute, which Kindschi said is “understanding and acceptance.”
“Not only should we know about others, but we should actually respect and accept them for who they are,” Kindschi said. “That’s part of being a respectful, educated human being, not only to know but to accept and understand.”
