CoursesInterfaith Dialogue in Action (New)
EDUC 5437

Interfaith Dialogue in Action (New)

Faith, belief, spirituality and religious identity are central to the lives of so many people, and so building understanding about these aspects of life – encompassing the development of our personal convictions as well as our connections to (or challenges with) institutional religion and spiritual community – is essential to understanding our world.  But conversations on these topics can be complicated, confusing, even contentious.  The Interfaith Dialogue in Action course makes space for students of all religious and non-religious backgrounds to engage with one another, reflect together, and learn skills to build dialogue between people with different faith traditions, worldviews, practices, and beliefs.  

 

Instructor(s)
  • Steve Kocher
Semester

Spring 2025

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interfaith spring 2025 course flyerEDUC 5437: Interfaith Dialogue in Action (informally known as iBelieve) is a unique experiential learning course developed at Penn GSE (Graduate School of Education) by SPARC (the Spiritual & Religious Life Center) and the GIC (Greenfield Intercultural Center).  Together we’ll study religious pluralism in the United States considering literature from education, sociology and anthropology, alongside reflections from religious & spiritual leaders, emerging voices in the interfaith movement, and narratives from our classmates.  We’ll build a dialogue community so that we can gain experience in facilitating dialogue about difficult issues, with an emphasis on interfaith questions and concerns.  We’ll consider existing frameworks for interfaith dialogue, obstacles to healthy connection, and service projects that can help us enhance communication and collaboration across difference on campus and beyond.

This course is open to undergraduate and masters level students from all majors and backgrounds – religious, spiritual and non-religious students are all very welcome.  The course is an SNF Paideia designated course and includes an ABCS service project component.

Instructor: Steve Kocher, Sr. Associate Chaplain, Director, Spiritual & Religious Life Center (SPARC)

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