Critical Perspectives on Interreligious Education: Experiments in Empathy(63 Currents of Encounter)

The editors of Experiments in Empathy: Critical Reflections on Interreligious Education have assembled a volume that spans multiple religious traditions and offers innovative methods for teaching and designing interreligious learning. This groundbreaking text includes established interreligious educators and emerging scholars who expand the vision of this field to include critical studies, decolonial approaches and exciting pedagogical developments.

The book includes voices that are often left out of other comparative theology or interreligious education texts. Scholars from evangelical, Muslim, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, religiously hybrid and other background enrich the existing models for interreligious classrooms. The book is particularly relevant at a time when religion is so often harnessed for division and hatred. By examining the roots of racism, xenophobia, sexism and their interaction with religion that contribute to inequity the volume offers real world educational interventions. The content is in high demand as are the authors who contributed to the volume.

Contributors are: Scott Alexander, Judith A. Berling, Monica A. Coleman, Reuven Firestone, Christine Hong, Jennifer Howe Peace, Munir Jiwa, Nancy Fuchs Kreimer, Tony Ritchie, Rachel Mikva, John Thatanamil, Timur Yuskaev.

About the Author :
Najeeba Syeed, J.D. (2000), Indiana University is Associate Professor of Interreligious Education at Claremont School of Theology . She has published articles, essays, and book chapters on interreligious learning, interfaith just peacemaking and religion and politics.

Heidi Hadsell, Ph.D, University of Southern California. Heidi Hadsell is president emeritus and professor of social ethics at Hartford Seminary. She also served as dean of McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago and as Director of the Ecumenical Institute of the World Council of Churches, in Geneva, Switzerland. Hadsell is widely published on ecumenism, environmental ethics, interreligious relations, and the public role of religion in society.

Review :
An interfaith relation that is based on emphatic co-learning, drawing inspirations from various religious traditions in co-creating interfaith education in the service of shared humanity and spirituality. A remarkable collection of thoughts and experiences from academics, educators, practitioners and activists in interfaith dialog and relations. - Dr Mohammad Hannan Hassen, Vice Dean, MUIS Academy, Singapore

This new volume provides the reader with a rich and nuanced portrait of the current landscape of interreligious education In the United States. The contributors model for us the power and promise of reflective practice in a rapidly-developing field. - Rabbi Or Rose, Director, The Miller Center for Interreligious Learning & Leadership

Many experts believe that the global religious landscape will change significantly in the next forty years and in North America, demographic changes will continue to increase the religious diversity of its population, creating more religious identities and communities than ever before. The classrooms will become even more religiously diverse in the foreseeable future, and this trend will continue to pose challenges and offer opportunities for theological schools in North America. But there aren’t enough attention and resources to improve inter-religious literacy. The editors of this book did a great job assembling a diverse group of contributors reflecting on interreligious education and pedagogy in North America, and it is indeed a timely contribution that will advance the conversation, help faith leaders to become more literate on this issue, and introduce to the general public the need for interreligious learning for empathetic engagement in our world today. - Uriah Y. Kim, Dean and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley.