Interreligious Dialogue

Interreligious dialogue has been one of the cornerstones of the Religious Studies Department from the time of its founding, and it continues to be an important dimension of faculty life, of training for our graduate students, and of the mission of the university as a whole.

This means that we encourage students to develop their own individual religious identities in an atmosphere of respect for and communication with students, faculty, and staff of diverse spiritual and religious practices and beliefs. This commitment is based on the discovery that this kind of communication broadens our minds, deepens our hearts and engages our activity in our shared human community.

While many of our courses are based on Indo-Tibetan Buddhism and the majority of our full-time faculty members are Buddhist, the department is committed to academic growth in course offerings in the world’s great religious traditions.

We have successfully recruited scholar-practitioners to teach courses in Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and African religions. Graduate students in Religious Studies and the Master of Divinity train in interreligious dialogue practica and organize university-wide dialogues within and outside of our community.

It is one of the priorities of our department to widen this dimension of our community life both within our department and throughout the university.