- April 21, 2021
“My prayer is that this will ignite a safer society where justice is equally allocated to absolutely everyone irrespective of socio-economics, race, religion or gender."
"While we are delighted by the jury’s verdict, we are mindful that there’s still a lot of work ahead of us. Our criminal justice system remains deeply flawed." - Bishop T.D. Jakes, author and Dallas megachurch pastor
article - April 19, 2021
Vineet Chander, A Hindu colleague of Imam Sultan remembers a conversation he and the Imam had about about dying
Imam Sultan was greatly revered for his compassionate outlook on life inspired by his faith. He was known for his interfaith leadership in the higher education field and as an active bridge builder.
article - April 16, 2021
The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities and Interfaith Youth Core, have launched a partnership to equip evangelicals to build bridges across religious divides by working together on social service projects.
"We know that people of all faiths and philosophical traditions hold shared values that can serve as a foundation for a common life together."
article - April 12, 2021
How is Ramadan observed in interfaith relationships? Silma Suba, IFYC Media Manager and Staff Writer, explores the stories of two couples.
"Ramadan can be an opportunity for Muslims in interfaith relationships to introduce their partners to the core beliefs and teachings of Islam, as well as to the ways different Muslim cultures share what is a deeply communal experience."
article - April 9, 2021
A Muslim Doctor feels the urgency of the moment
"In the Qur’an, God – Exalted Be He – proclaims that we should ask the people endowed with knowledge…All the experts are saying the same thing: please get vaccinated and do it now."
article - April 8, 2021
According to the American Academy of Religion (AAR) the study of religion from an academic, non-devotional perspective in primary, middle, and secondary school is critical to decreasing religious illiteracy and the bigotry and prejudice it fuels.
"Among the topics educators must address to reduce bullying and to ensure representation in the classroom are religion and religious identity."
article - April 8, 2021
They turned their chapel into a clinic.
Biden said the partnership between the seminary and a community health center is one of many that are happening between religious and medical organizations across the nation.
article - April 6, 2021
The rise of the "nones" — people who say they have no religion — is to some extent the result of a shift in how Americans understand religious identity.
- April 2, 2021
IFYC's Rev. Raushenbush writes an Easter story to pass on to the next generation.
"I started Holy Week, lamenting that I didn’t have a story of Jesus that I felt comfortable sharing with my six-year-old son and his six-year-old mind, heart and spirit. So I wrote one."
- March 31, 2021
Fred Davie and Cornel West Speak Out In Support of Equality Act
We who carry in our DNA the legacy of liberation from oppression must help advance the freedom and equality for our LGBTQ siblings.
- March 28, 2021
He's Encouraging black and mixed race Jews to embrace their heritages
Twitty's family's experience of emancipation connects him to the Jewish Passover traditio
article - March 25, 2021
Rabbi Lawson, Rabbi Brous and Rabbi Stanton preach a liberation story for today
Even as the story of liberation at the center of the seder reaches back in time, the wisdom that comes in its observance reflects the concerns of the Jewish People and society in the present.
article - March 25, 2021
Dr. Eboo Patel celebrates the women who shaped the movement
There would be no Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which enabled my parents to immigrate to the U.S., were there not first the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
article - March 24, 2021
Left, Rabbi Julie Schonfeld and Pastor Clarence C. Moore Take Their Shot
It’s well-known faith leaders can change minds about public health measures.
article - March 24, 2021
Liz Kineke explores the intersection of sound and spirituality
Sound meditation, sometimes referred to as a sound bath, attracts a cross-generational, multi-spiritual crowd at Integral.
article - March 19, 2021
Shaunesse' Jacobs, Racial Equity Media Fellow, reflects on the power of naming and language in relation to the recent tragedy in Atlanta.
Naming is also a liberative act of justice. Naming oppressive acts, conditions, and systems brings to light the existing communal suffering. This naming makes the unseen seen and demands restorative responses"
article - March 18, 2021
Rev. Raymond Chang, President of the Asian American Christian Collaborative offers a mandate.
With more than 12,000 signatures, and pastors from small congregations to nationally recognized ones preaching about the rise in violence against Asian Americans, I believed the church could potentially help prevent some of the incidents we would see
article - March 17, 2021
Dr. Melissa Rogers, Executive Director of White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships offers her insight
Many clergy are emphasizing that receiving the COVID-19 vaccination is a way of loving your neighbor, a common theological principle.
- March 15, 2021
The pandemic, Johnson said, "has called us to rethink and re-imagine what our philosophy of ministering really is in the age of COVID."
- March 9, 2021
Tuesday is what I like to call Interfaith day. It’s the day I get to log onto Zoom and meet with my online community.
- March 8, 2021
"Our role is to ensure that we provide all the necessary information so they can make an informed decision about their choice," said Rucha Kaur, Sikh Coalition Community Development Director.
In order to keep this newfound sense of faith alive and to learn from the wisdom of others, I created a spiritual exercise out of interviewing people around the world about the role of faith changing their lives.
Imam Sultan was greatly revered for his compassionate outlook on life inspired by his faith. He was known for his interfaith leadership in the higher education field and as an active bridge builder.
The site was reported as having a significant number of Sikh employees, and the massacre has left the community shaken and in grief.
This is a sampling of sacred texts and statements, listed in alphabetical order by religion, that religious communities have used to engage in the work of public health amidst this global pandemic.
Ms. Moore discusses what an Office of Equity and Racial Justice does, how she and her team adapted amid the pandemic, and how religious communities are crucial partners for social change, connection, and healing.
"We know that people of all faiths and philosophical traditions hold shared values that can serve as a foundation for a common life together."
How do we fight the evil and darkness during this time? No matter how small or how far we might be from the situation, we could use our voices to speak up, come to stand together as one human kind.
Musa writes an insightful analysis of data at the intersection of race and religion. He writes: "non-Black Americans seem to be fleeing religion because it’s become too political. Blacks seem to be leaving because it’s not political enough."
And as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins, the currently closed museum is highlighting these artifacts tied to Islam on its website's blog.
In light of the urgent need for care within our families, communities, and movements, where can and should interfaith leaders fit in?
In the United States, our laws assure the separation of Church and State. So Sikh and Muslim kids growing up in public schools will never be taught that Jesus was born in a manger in Bethlehem.
Vaisakhi, which falls April 13 or 14 depending on which of two dueling calendars one follows, marks the day in 1699 when Sikhism took its current form.
The presentation focused on how chaplains and spiritual life professionals can discover and utilize meaningful data to demonstrate the value of their work in higher education.
Still, there were glimmers that Ramadan 2021 could feel less restricted than last year, when Islam’s holiest period coincided with the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Ramadan, the holiest month of the Islamic calendar commemorating Muhammad’s reception of the Qur’an, begins on Monday.
"Ramadan can be an opportunity for Muslims in interfaith relationships to introduce their partners to the core beliefs and teachings of Islam, as well as to the ways different Muslim cultures share what is a deeply communal experience."
This year, Ramadan will begin on Monday or Tuesday (April 12 or 13), depending on when Muslims around the world sight the new moon that signals the beginning of the lunar month.
"In the Qur’an, God – Exalted Be He – proclaims that we should ask the people endowed with knowledge…All the experts are saying the same thing: please get vaccinated and do it now."
"Among the topics educators must address to reduce bullying and to ensure representation in the classroom are religion and religious identity."
Whether I am based in Los Angeles, Washington DC, or Kansas City, I remain committed to building bridges of mutual respect and understanding among people of different backgrounds.
Biden said the partnership between the seminary and a community health center is one of many that are happening between religious and medical organizations across the nation.
video - April 21, 2021
Anna, Racial Equity Media Fellow and Dean's Fellow at Harvard Divinity School (HDS), interviews Charlotte Zelle, a 3rd-year M.Div candidate at HDS, about how faith leaders can both prevent and respond to issues of intimate partner violence.
- April 17, 2021
The site was reported as having a significant number of Sikh employees, and the massacre has left the community shaken and in grief.
article - April 8, 2021
Whether I am based in Los Angeles, Washington DC, or Kansas City, I remain committed to building bridges of mutual respect and understanding among people of different backgrounds.
article - April 6, 2021
"All the more so, we need more translators to help us understand what exists before our eyes, yet remains elusive to our understanding."
article - April 6, 2021
'Montero' is the anthem of a Black gay man roaring back from years of self-hate caused by anti-LGBTQ+ theologies. As a queer child of the Black church, it’s an anthem that resonates with me.
article - March 31, 2021
"In my mind, COVID represents Mitzrayim, the narrow place, our place of enslavement, the place of trauma and pain. As more of us are vaccinated and we move toward freedom, we find ourselves at the edge of the sea thinking about our past, our pain..."
- April 21, 2021
While the motive for last week’s rampage remains under investigation, leaders and members of the Sikh community say they feel a collective trauma and believe more must be done to combat the bigotry, bias and violence they have suffered for decades.
- April 21, 2021
"While we are delighted by the jury’s verdict, we are mindful that there’s still a lot of work ahead of us. Our criminal justice system remains deeply flawed." - Bishop T.D. Jakes, author and Dallas megachurch pastor
article - April 20, 2021
In order to keep this newfound sense of faith alive and to learn from the wisdom of others, I created a spiritual exercise out of interviewing people around the world about the role of faith changing their lives.
article - April 19, 2021
Imam Sultan was greatly revered for his compassionate outlook on life inspired by his faith. He was known for his interfaith leadership in the higher education field and as an active bridge builder.
- April 17, 2021
The site was reported as having a significant number of Sikh employees, and the massacre has left the community shaken and in grief.
article - April 16, 2021
This is a sampling of sacred texts and statements, listed in alphabetical order by religion, that religious communities have used to engage in the work of public health amidst this global pandemic.
article - April 16, 2021
Ms. Moore discusses what an Office of Equity and Racial Justice does, how she and her team adapted amid the pandemic, and how religious communities are crucial partners for social change, connection, and healing.
article - April 16, 2021
"We know that people of all faiths and philosophical traditions hold shared values that can serve as a foundation for a common life together."
article - April 16, 2021
How do we fight the evil and darkness during this time? No matter how small or how far we might be from the situation, we could use our voices to speak up, come to stand together as one human kind.
article - April 15, 2021
And as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins, the currently closed museum is highlighting these artifacts tied to Islam on its website's blog.
article - April 15, 2021
In light of the urgent need for care within our families, communities, and movements, where can and should interfaith leaders fit in?
article - April 14, 2021
Vaisakhi, which falls April 13 or 14 depending on which of two dueling calendars one follows, marks the day in 1699 when Sikhism took its current form.
article - April 13, 2021
Still, there were glimmers that Ramadan 2021 could feel less restricted than last year, when Islam’s holiest period coincided with the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
article - April 12, 2021
Ramadan, the holiest month of the Islamic calendar commemorating Muhammad’s reception of the Qur’an, begins on Monday.
article - April 12, 2021
"Ramadan can be an opportunity for Muslims in interfaith relationships to introduce their partners to the core beliefs and teachings of Islam, as well as to the ways different Muslim cultures share what is a deeply communal experience."
article - April 9, 2021
This year, Ramadan will begin on Monday or Tuesday (April 12 or 13), depending on when Muslims around the world sight the new moon that signals the beginning of the lunar month.
article - April 8, 2021
Whether I am based in Los Angeles, Washington DC, or Kansas City, I remain committed to building bridges of mutual respect and understanding among people of different backgrounds.
article - April 6, 2021
"All the more so, we need more translators to help us understand what exists before our eyes, yet remains elusive to our understanding."
article - April 6, 2021
'Montero' is the anthem of a Black gay man roaring back from years of self-hate caused by anti-LGBTQ+ theologies. As a queer child of the Black church, it’s an anthem that resonates with me.
article - April 6, 2021
The rise of the "nones" — people who say they have no religion — is to some extent the result of a shift in how Americans understand religious identity.
article - April 5, 2021
Faith-based agencies like LIRS, which often contract with the federal government to settle migrants, were decimated by the Trump administration's border policies and then by COVID-19 restrictions.
article - April 15, 2021
In the United States, our laws assure the separation of Church and State. So Sikh and Muslim kids growing up in public schools will never be taught that Jesus was born in a manger in Bethlehem.
article - April 14, 2021
The presentation focused on how chaplains and spiritual life professionals can discover and utilize meaningful data to demonstrate the value of their work in higher education.
article - April 8, 2021
"Among the topics educators must address to reduce bullying and to ensure representation in the classroom are religion and religious identity."
article - April 1, 2021
Yet while Gen-Y and Gen-Z evangelicals are exhibiting greater concern for various pressing issues, there are threads within our social fabric that require more of their attention: and religious diversity is among them.
- March 9, 2021
Tuesday is what I like to call Interfaith day. It’s the day I get to log onto Zoom and meet with my online community.
- March 9, 2021
Our faith was tested during these long cold days and nights, but we never strayed from knowing that God was in control.
article - March 3, 2021
“The work of college and university chaplaincy today is a very hybrid kind of work,” said the Rev. Greg McGonigle, dean of religious life and university chaplain at Emory University.
article - March 1, 2021
Speakers JT Snipes and Zandra Wagoner use turns of phrase that likewise capture the very notion of an interfaith praxis that broadens perspectives in higher education.
article - February 25, 2021
Raja writes about the usefulness or appropriateness of the term "BIPOC" - Black, Indigenous, People of Color- in discourse about race and justice, and how it relates to and reflects the politics of race and racism in the United States.
article - February 23, 2021
Higher education remains highly unequal and racial divides persist. How can these realities be explained in a context defined by wokeness?
article - February 10, 2021
Being a teacher gives me a space to constantly reimagine, even while I wait for the rest of the world to catch up. Children have a way of thinking beyond the parameters and limitations set forth by society. When I think of destroying systems of...
article - January 27, 2021
"My students pivoted from engaging lived religious diversity in our local metro area to virtual opportunities for interreligious encounter in the United States and around the globe."
article - January 25, 2021
It just so happens that no other institution in American society is better prepared to meet every aspect of this momentous challenge, from educating various segments of the public to actually getting shots in arms, than college campuses.
article - January 22, 2021
Dolores Huerta’s work resonates strongly with some of higher education’s most aspirational goals. She draws upon the transformative power of learning and personal development as a way to instill agency and voice.
article - January 21, 2021
Large majorities of today’s young adults understandably lack confidence in institutions and are inclined toward distrust of others. Yet they exhibit a knack for recasting challenges as adventures and they set out to conquer them.
article - January 14, 2021
Having recently completed a monograph on the rhetoric of divine wrath, a year ago I led an honors seminar on the way in which an angry deity is presented in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It was the most successful course I’ve ever taught.
- January 9, 2021
If higher education is going to help at all in the present moment, it won't be by reinforcing student and faculty tendencies to smugly disparage 'those people' as stupid, ignorant, racist, sexist, whatever.
article - January 7, 2021
To collaborate and problem solve with colleagues who think differently than you do, it’s important to possess a foundation of knowledge that will help you understand where they’re coming from.
article - January 6, 2021
IDEALS underscores why it is critical that we prioritize interfaith engagement now despite—and in some cases because of—our challenging circumstances.
article - January 4, 2021
Infrastructures must be created to support the increased diversity in your organization. Mission statements and action statements must be amended and created so that organizations can be held accountable for meaningful change.
article - December 22, 2020
Faculty members Dr. Michael Burns, Dr. Barbara McGraw, and Joset Brown joined us for a conversation about the importance of interfaith excellence in business, STEM, and the health professions.
article - December 11, 2020
What if wearing a mask was a matter of ritual–a blessed commandment that reminds us of our service to one another? How is the collective consciousness of Islam shaped among Black Americans?
article - December 7, 2020
A young woman used to the constriction of religious culture, begins a journey to answer a deep cry from within her soul. At once shedding past expectations and entering a world full of cathartic promise.
article - November 23, 2020
This sentiment of pausing to take a breath and offering support, space, and resources for people to process and heal post-election is echoed across campuses around the nation.
article - November 19, 2020
The original proponents of the curriculum worry that including additional faith and ethnic groups will “water down” a program intended to highlight the effects of systemic oppression of the four major ethnicities.
article - November 16, 2020
After months of protests against systemic racism, bitter partisan battles, and social distancing amidst an ongoing global pandemic, how can we heal?
article - November 12, 2020
At a time when higher education is facing unprecedented challenges, some might wonder whether and how to make interfaith engagement a priority.
article - November 10, 2020
Through IDEALS we also saw students widely embracing interfaith friendships and sustaining those relationships over time—even, in some cases, despite deep disagreements.
article - October 30, 2020
The “HBCUs, Homecoming, & the Spirit of the Moment” webinar examined the role of Homecoming at HBCUs and what insights it has to offer colleges and universities across the sector.
article - October 22, 2020
Below are some of IFYC’s favorite resources from our partner organizations supporting precisely this work. These tools can be useful in a variety of contexts – individually, in a religious community, in a classroom, or in a workplace.
article - October 22, 2020
On the edge of a particularly contentious election and with a new surge of COVID-19 cases, campuses across the nation are feeling the heat as they prepare to support their community before and after the elections.
article - October 19, 2020
How can faith communities combat religious based bias and bullying? At the Sikh Coalition, we have been encouraging parents to take a proactive approach by introducing resources and opportunities to their young children’s teachers.
article - October 12, 2020
While it appears that conservatives are suffering most in terms of losing young voters in this moment, findings from the Knight Foundation report remind us that college-goers’ “enthusiasm is low for both major candidates and their parties.”
video - October 12, 2020
What do we do the day after the election? What is the America we are building together? Listen in to this rich conversation as these civic leaders engage in a rich discussion on preparing to live and lead in 2021 America.
article - October 8, 2020
Some are pieces of what they inherited, and others are bits and pieces of what they're experiencing.
article - October 5, 2020
While some campuses have begun implementing innovative virtual programs to see how they perform, others are navigating technological and financial challenges brought around by the pandemic.
video - October 2, 2020
And if you believe in justice, how can you have a system that perpetuates so much injustice. If you believe in redemption, our system is just punitive it's not redemptive.
article - October 1, 2020
"No, the Internet is not bad. But, very bad things can happen there, and the way it is being shaped by capitalistic interests on the one hand, and controlled by authoritarian interests on the other, pose grave threats to a democratic and pluralistic
article - September 30, 2020
This moment offers a chance to go beyond bromides; the young leaders in my training space wanted to fundamentally create a new culture on campus and their community. They were looking towards interfaith skills to do just that.
article - September 28, 2020
You're more likely to change an opponent’s mind when you ask questions, listen sincerely, and tell stories.
article - September 25, 2020
"We will not lose, because we are not alone. Psalm 22 remind us, over and over, of our intimacy with God, even while calling us to intimacy with one another. We hear our neighbor’s voice in all who cry out with us, with whom we are called to join..."
article - September 24, 2020
At IFYC’s first virtual Interfaith Leadership Institute 650+ students, administrators, staff and faculty gathered to connect, learn, and be inspired - but what were the topics on their minds?
article - September 21, 2020
Campus leaders have to balance tightening budgets, faculty are navigating rapid shifts in teaching, & staff are busy communicating & enforcing social distancing guidelines but prioritizing interfaith engagement on campus is also critical.
article - September 14, 2020
We reached out to religious life coordinators and interfaith chaplains across the U.S. to share prayers, reflections, meditations, that offer courage and wisdom from diverse faiths to help us navigate this time of uncertainty.
article - August 23, 2020
What can higher education leaders do to promote religious diversity on campus this fall? Our new IDEALS research findings offer concrete steps.
article - August 17, 2020
Dr. J.T. Snipes, who will be speaking at the upcoming ILI, tells us about his work around Black secular college students and his new book on remixing and re-imagining spirituality, religion, and higher education.
article - August 14, 2020
"More than ever, we believe that coalition-building and effective training for a new generation of leaders are the imperatives of the moment."
video - August 13, 2020
"This webinar is the second in a series of webinars that engage the realities of higher education in the time of COVID-19, and a growing movement for racial equity."
article - August 13, 2020
"This essay highlights some of the most important results of the survey, suggests ways in which university and college faculty and administration may be able to accommodate the needs of Muslim students, and spotlights best practices."
article - July 31, 2020
Access the recorded webinar with student leaders from diverse worldviews and across America sharing how their leadership has shifted and their hopes and anxieties about the upcoming semester.
article - July 29, 2020
Both students and campus administrators believe there is a higher need to recognize the value international students bring to campuses and the recent ICE regulations have propelled them to revisit and think about their approach towards them.
article - July 21, 2020
"Instead, the psalm evokes the reality that the conversation between hope and despair is never fully and finally resolved. If you’ve ever had the experience of bucking yourself up, lifting your sagging spirit one moment, and then sinking back into.."
video - July 16, 2020
If you’re a staff person wondering how interfaith work can look on your campus, look no further than our friend, Zandra Wagoner, who has a keen ability to both serve students on the ground and create institutional change.
article - July 9, 2020
"It is our job to educate ourselves, because anti-racist work, and interfaith work, must be intersectional. One dimension of that means understanding how religion fits into these systemic processes that perpetuate injustice. "
article - July 8, 2020
50 years ago, members of the Black Student Union (BSU) marched on stage at the Memorial Auditorium at Stanford during a campuswide convention on White Racism in America and read aloud a list of demands for racial justice on campus.
article - July 2, 2020
"As leaders and communities navigate the challenges of COVID-19, I hope we will all consider taking the time to foster inclusion and hope for a better tomorrow through intentionally designed virtual spaces"
article - June 29, 2020
Public higher education has an important role in this national moment. This report shares promising practices for colleges and universities nurturing a culture of civic religious pluralism and strengthening our diverse democracy.
video - June 29, 2020
Laurie Patton and Eboo are hosting a series of webinars on Interfaith Studies as a way to support faculty as they negotiate rapid changes in higher education and shifting campus environments. The first focusing on racial equity and interfaith work.
article - June 12, 2020
As campuses consider orientation models for the summer and fall, Janett I. Cordovés shares a few ways to embed and create opportunities to increase campus’s interfaith literacy, and engage across lines of religious difference.
video - June 9, 2020
How do you host a successful, meaningful Virtual Interfaith Get Together? Read our guide on how to make connections and build understanding across diverse values and beliefs.
article - June 4, 2020
Four faculty members discuss the challenges, opportunities, and best practices for teaching interfaith topics virtually.
article - May 29, 2020
College campuses across the U.S. are witnessing a rise in the need and desire for meditation and mindfulness activities. “More people are accessing these services as they now have the time, and more need”
article - May 28, 2020
Whether it’s an interfaith dialogue among students, a planning brainstorm led by staff, or critical analysis of an interfaith case study used in the classroom—it’s always better to “warm-up” rather than dive in headfirst.
article - May 26, 2020
Eboo speaks with Bob Boisture, the President of the Fetzer Institute, to learn what he means by the 'enlightenment cultural operating system' and how the current pandemic will alter the future of higher education.
video - May 22, 2020
Leadership has many expressions – and we need every contribution in this moment. Get to know Damairis Lao – a highly experienced student leaders, bringing people together across worldview difference for the common good.
article - May 22, 2020
Gail Stearns offers us 10 reasons a Chaplain might be the best person when you ask: Who you gonna call?
video - May 18, 2020
This Commencement Address was delivered on May 17, 2020 by Eboo Patel, in an online ceremony celebrating the 2020 graduating class of Berea College.
article - May 15, 2020
"Interfaith leadership formation is a safety issue." David Keck explains that a pilot and a co-pilot being able to communicate clearly from a place of mutual respect and understanding can be the difference between life and death at 35,000 ft.
video - May 14, 2020
Leadership has many expressions – and we need every contribution in this moment. Get to know student Steph Holland – starting out on his journey of bringing people together across worldview difference for the common good.
article - May 13, 2020
The University of Kansas held a Multi-Faith Dialogue fully online, gathering faculty, students, community members, and governmental officials to discuss publicly the importance of faith, spirituality, and worldviews. Read what they learned.
article - May 11, 2020
At Howard University's virtual graduation, students insisted their name be called to celebrate an achievement that was impossible for African-Americans just a few generations ago.
article - May 7, 2020
"Many colleges are going to change radically in the next couple of years. I’m hoping this is a moment in which interfaith and diversity work can elevate in significance and spread in reach."
article - May 6, 2020
“Models of Religious Diversity” provides a framework for viewers to understand how people respond to diversity, especially religious diversity.
article - May 4, 2020
“This is not the academic grand finale that any of us, especially not the Class of 2020, had expected or desired.”
article - May 4, 2020
"In these times of physical distancing, we are faced with the question of how we cultivate relationships through technology...The means of communication may change, but the stories remain.”
article - May 1, 2020
Eboo spoke with Craig T. Kocher, Chaplain at the University of Richmond - “We are all ordinary people, bound together by extraordinary relationships."
article - April 30, 2020
Three leaders in the Chaplaincy Office at Tufts University share their conversation on the current pandemic and how Interfaith Leadership helped them prepare.
article - April 29, 2020
Three deans of spiritual and religious life at Howard, USC and Stanford discuss how rituals of graduation will be offered in this time of physical distance, and what role ritual plays on college campuses. Access the webinar and share its clarion call
article - April 24, 2020
"You can’t replicate the dining hall to humanities class to religious student group to interfaith panel experience...but you can have students from all over the world in your class."
video - April 24, 2020
IFYC’s Janett I. Cordovés walks through her process for adapting an in person interfaith training curriculum to a digital platform. Read her insights and watch her online facilitation to help inform your transition online.
article - April 23, 2020
HBCU’s present work can serve as models for how higher education can reshape itself for a post-Covid world. We share some examples of what campuses are doing.
article - April 17, 2020
Helpful considerations and small (but significant) steps you can take to create productive and successful online learning environments.
article - April 17, 2020
Can online spaces ever be places for civil discourse and bridging deep divides, rather than just slinging polarizing viewpoints around? We think so - and offer some tips on how to engage.
article - April 17, 2020
We continue to hear of the inspiring ways educators are supporting students, fostering community and nurturing learning. Read the ways 15 campuses have moved their programming online, in some cases with more participation than before.
article - April 15, 2020
Religious, spiritual, and secular organizations are offering resources and connection for students to stay in touch with their faith communities online.
article - April 9, 2020
We've compiled some of the best examples we've seen of student affairs professionals offering ongoing support to their student bodies through new resources, video messages, and virtual events.
article - April 8, 2020
Elon University's President, Leo Lambert, underlines the need for nourishing human connection in the virtual world and believes, like the university's phoenix mascot, 'our time for rising from this crisis will soon be here.'
article - April 7, 2020
Dr. Hinton faces the same challenges and tough decisions as many higher education leaders as President of the College of Saint Benedict right now. But she is using hope as a 'mobilizing force' with her colleagues, students, and neighbors.
video - April 6, 2020
Hillel International's Vice President for Jewish Education, Rabbi Benjamin Berger shares how Passover itself reminds the Jewish community of how resilient they are, and how the traditions can still be upheld in creative, virtual ways.
article - April 3, 2020
.Our Teaching Interfaith Understanding syllabi library is full of ready to use course materials, activities, and assignments. We've picked out some of our favorites for online adaptation.
article - March 30, 2020
Southern New Hampshire University's President, Paul LeBlanc spoke with other leaders in online education about how the skills to navigate a diverse society are not only possible to teach online, but are essential skills for future leaders.
article - March 27, 2020
How do we support each other in this “new normal?” This was one of many questions that IFYC’s founder and president, Eboo Patel, discussed in our March 26 webinar about interfaith work during the Covid-19 pandemic.
article - March 27, 2020
Being off campus doesn't mean interfaith education must grind to a halt. As educators imagine a completely online educational landscape for the duration of the academic year, including interfaith courses and programs, these resources can help.
article - March 27, 2020
Moving your lessons online at short notice is a big task and we want to help. We've collated our top 5 online pedagogy resources to help you elevate your online instruction.
- April 21, 2021
While the motive for last week’s rampage remains under investigation, leaders and members of the Sikh community say they feel a collective trauma and believe more must be done to combat the bigotry, bias and violence they have suffered for decades.
- April 21, 2021
"While we are delighted by the jury’s verdict, we are mindful that there’s still a lot of work ahead of us. Our criminal justice system remains deeply flawed." - Bishop T.D. Jakes, author and Dallas megachurch pastor
video - April 21, 2021
Anna, Racial Equity Media Fellow and Dean's Fellow at Harvard Divinity School (HDS), interviews Charlotte Zelle, a 3rd-year M.Div candidate at HDS, about how faith leaders can both prevent and respond to issues of intimate partner violence.
article - April 16, 2021
Musa writes an insightful analysis of data at the intersection of race and religion. He writes: "non-Black Americans seem to be fleeing religion because it’s become too political. Blacks seem to be leaving because it’s not political enough."
article - April 6, 2021
'Montero' is the anthem of a Black gay man roaring back from years of self-hate caused by anti-LGBTQ+ theologies. As a queer child of the Black church, it’s an anthem that resonates with me.
article - April 1, 2021
Higher Ed Leader Raja G. Bhattar writes and performs a beautiful poem that was inspired recently, after attending my first all Desi/South Asian meditation retreat.
article - March 31, 2021
"In my mind, COVID represents Mitzrayim, the narrow place, our place of enslavement, the place of trauma and pain. As more of us are vaccinated and we move toward freedom, we find ourselves at the edge of the sea thinking about our past, our pain..."
- March 31, 2021
We who carry in our DNA the legacy of liberation from oppression must help advance the freedom and equality for our LGBTQ siblings.
- March 28, 2021
Twitty's family's experience of emancipation connects him to the Jewish Passover traditio
article - March 25, 2021
There would be no Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which enabled my parents to immigrate to the U.S., were there not first the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
article - March 24, 2021
In his third installment of "Master Peace," Nathan tells the story of Benjamin- a character who is treated like "an Urban Mistake" but became "an Urban Mystic."
article - March 23, 2021
But alongside the ever-present reality of anti-Black racism, another sickness that stalks this republic returned. Due in part to the racist rhetoric surrounding the COVID-19 virus, anti-Asian racism surged during the pandemic.
article - March 19, 2021
According to The Wall Street Journal, he targeted these businesses “in retaliation” for feeding what he called his sex addiction.
article - March 19, 2021
Naming is also a liberative act of justice. Naming oppressive acts, conditions, and systems brings to light the existing communal suffering. This naming makes the unseen seen and demands restorative responses"
article - March 19, 2021
While the motive behind Tuesday's rampage remains under investigation, some see it as a wake-up call to stand up against a rise in violence against the community.
article - March 19, 2021
With Kamala Harris’s candidacy, many started opening up public conversations about racism, and specifically anti-Black racism, within immigrant religious communities.
article - March 18, 2021
Robert Aaron Long, 21, has been arrested in connection with the killings of four women at a spa in Cherokee County, Georgia, and four additional women in two other spas in northeast Atlanta, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
article - March 18, 2021
With more than 12,000 signatures, and pastors from small congregations to nationally recognized ones preaching about the rise in violence against Asian Americans, I believed the church could potentially help prevent some of the incidents we would see
article - March 17, 2021
In addition to raising $100 million for descendants and racial reconciliation efforts, the initiative maintains a longer-term goal of raising $1 billion, according to America Magazine.
article - March 16, 2021
The program contained voices of wisdom and history emerged alongside the words of motivation and comfort for the here and now.
- March 8, 2021
Without the fervent belief that things could be different, there would be no reason to embody rage. Without a clear vision of a more just world, rage would be futile.
video - March 2, 2021
Anna sits with Antonio De Loera-Brust, Mexican-American farmworker advocate, to talk about the impact of COVID-19 on the farmworker community, the failure of the U.S. government to protect them, and his vision for the future of farmworker rights.
video - March 1, 2021
Modah Ani is said immediately upon rising essentially before we get out of bed and should be the first words we utter every morning. When we recite Modah Ani we are essentially thanking God for giving us another day. We wake up grateful instead of...
article - March 1, 2021
"The incident comes amid a rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans."
article - February 25, 2021
Raja writes about the usefulness or appropriateness of the term "BIPOC" - Black, Indigenous, People of Color- in discourse about race and justice, and how it relates to and reflects the politics of race and racism in the United States.
article - February 25, 2021
The river has been important since the dawn of civilization and has served as a commercial hub and lifeline for countless peoples over many millennia. Yet there has always seemed to be a justice that was out of reach for some.
article - February 23, 2021
Higher education remains highly unequal and racial divides persist. How can these realities be explained in a context defined by wokeness?
article - February 23, 2021
There are so many forces that pull people apart from one another. Institutions and systems and ways of thinking that want us to feel separated, broken, helpless, and quick to capitalize on moments of weakness. The very thing that brings out...
- February 22, 2021
Do a quick Google or YouTube search for tarot, and you’ll find the two main things people tend to inquire about are love and money. Underlying these inquiries is a belief that a tarot reading can tell the future, which begs the question of whether...
article - February 22, 2021
Asian Americans are suffering under the weight of these mounting incidents. Many, including those in our own circles, have expressed concern about leaving their homes to perform everyday tasks.
article - February 22, 2021
"Black residents make up a little under half of Washington’s population, but constitute nearly three-fourths of the city's COVID-19 deaths."
article - February 10, 2021
Being a teacher gives me a space to constantly reimagine, even while I wait for the rest of the world to catch up. Children have a way of thinking beyond the parameters and limitations set forth by society. When I think of destroying systems of...
article - February 9, 2021
In the last few weeks, I’ve seen too many social media posts claiming outright disbelief at the attack on the U.S. capitol and the democratic process of counting electors. Why is this surprising to us? Is this not what James Baldwin was talking about
article - February 9, 2021
…Cone’s prescience is powerful – though the Trump Presidency was still nearly a year from its inauguration, Cone brought pastoral and prophetic sensitivity to his concern for the accelerating acts of white racial violence that have long...
video - February 2, 2021
Kaddish is the Jewish prayer we say when we are in mourning. I wrote my version of this Kaddish during the summer of 2015. When it seemed to me that day after day, unarmed black people were killed. Many of them were killed by police...
video - February 1, 2021
Anna interviews Lesedi, a Black woman storyteller, scholar and practitioner. Lesedi discusses her experience launching her own podcast and highlights the urgency of sharing and listening to Black women’s voices.
article - February 1, 2021
"The empire crucified Jesus and holds its actions as righteous and necessary. Instead of witnessing the crucifixion, we are organizing instruments of torture, deepening ghettos and excusing racism. Whiteness in its superiority cannot straddle both.."
article - January 29, 2021
All Audra knew was there wasn’t much she could do to end the weight she’d carried since her mother had orchestrated a similar tumble from a similar apex only months ago. Yet we all know anyone who has lost someone has to wade for miles and miles...
article - January 28, 2021
What does it look like to stare down a monster and take back the power you once gave it? I believe many communities across the country are asking some form of this question these days. Please bear with me as I attempt a creative analysis tying...
article - January 14, 2021
...But if you follow the evidence from the very start and all throughout, President Trump has thrived in generating chaos and stirring up doubt. Was this a premeditated effort that was designed to create some larger future momentum?
article - January 13, 2021
I’ve been thinking about my death more than ever lately. Not suicidally, but quite frankly, it’s eventuality. I wish the world could understand what it means to be Black during the middle of a pandemic. Like pulling petals off a flower...
article - January 13, 2021
On a predominately White campus that didn’t have its first Black student (Robert Gilbert) or Black faculty member (Vivienne Malone-Mayes) until the 1960s, Black bodies have always be situated as out of place
article - January 12, 2021
While the spirit of the Capitol was very confrontational the spirit of the Lincoln Memorial was conciliatory. While the atmosphere of the Capitol felt hazardous the other was healing. I guess those “better angels of our nature” reside there with...
article - January 11, 2021
But by the end of the 19th century, Atlanta's white Christian elite became intent on disenfranchising its Black residents and pushing the Jews out of its social clubs and corridors of power.
- January 9, 2021
If higher education is going to help at all in the present moment, it won't be by reinforcing student and faculty tendencies to smugly disparage 'those people' as stupid, ignorant, racist, sexist, whatever.
article - January 7, 2021
"This underpinning of bigotry, rooted in hate and fear, fueled by the remarks of a racist and sexist President, fanned by the orchestrated support and glaring silence of those who should know better, led us slowly and calculatedly to January 6, 2021"
video - January 5, 2021
"In the prayer we have the words ‘Ufros Aleinu Sukkat Shlomecha’ it’s a plea asking God to provide protection over us, to provide a shelter of peace. And with everything that has transpired in this last year, we could use some shelter."
article - January 5, 2021
"In my solitude, I reflect on what has been one of the most sorrowful, destructive, and isolating years in human history. On this last day of the year 2020, I think of the 1.8 million lives lost to COVID-19. Our planet lost 1.8 million vibrant..."
article - December 11, 2020
What if wearing a mask was a matter of ritual–a blessed commandment that reminds us of our service to one another? How is the collective consciousness of Islam shaped among Black Americans?
article - December 7, 2020
When it is your time it is your time. There is no power that you can muster that will prevent death from calling on any of our souls. This has been a year of death. For me it was ushered in before the pandemic when my “Irish twin” sister Jehan passed
article - December 7, 2020
A young woman used to the constriction of religious culture, begins a journey to answer a deep cry from within her soul. At once shedding past expectations and entering a world full of cathartic promise.
video - December 7, 2020
In a Zoom interview, Anna sat down with Walae Hayek to discuss how she turned her passion into action, the inspiration behind Arabs Against Oppression, and the vision she has for the future of her advocacy work.
video - December 2, 2020
In Judaism, we offer a Mi Sheberach prayer for those who are ill or recovering from a sickness. I offer this song as a prayer for healing for all of us. Our country is sick. We are sick from an actual pandemic, and we are sick from a society that...
article - December 1, 2020
I have been deeply touched and inspired by what has resulted. Yet, I have been struck by the fact that what happened to George Floyd was actually stunning to people. For as long as I have been alive my community has lifted its chorus to condemn...
article - November 30, 2020
"Is it a surprise, then, that the democracy we live into is so fragile? Maybe not. Is it so surprising that so many oath takers, with big pockets, big power to lose, would violate the ritual of oath giving for personal prosperity? Probably not."
article - November 30, 2020
"...dictatorial rulers, corruption, voter suppression, police brutality, and innumerable unwarranted deaths. These are but a few descriptors that comprise “everyday” in 2020. What does an everyday God look like in a stretch of time that defies..."
article - November 23, 2020
"Undertaking this trip in the Trump era challenged me to think about our own narratives in a way that resisted the easy, decorative multiculturalism so ascendant during the Obama years..."
article - November 23, 2020
As a queer and gender-fluid kid, I never felt comfortable being myself with family and found any excuse possible to avoid the performance required for me to look happy and “normal” as my mother used to say.
article - November 16, 2020
"Religious people seem to lack faith in the Democratic Party. Critically, this is not just a weakness among Christians, but among believers of all stripes. These dynamics have persisted for more than a decade now, across multiple administrations..."
article - November 12, 2020
“You can’t just jump to hope,” the presiding bishop said afterward. “There’s a process you have to go through. There are no shortcuts to it.”
article - November 10, 2020
"Red. Blue. White. Democrat. Republican. Independent. Socialist. South. North. West. East. Protester. Rioter. Freedom Fighter. American. Voter. What are we really trying to say?"
article - November 10, 2020
"...In retrospect, that switch to the New Testament forecasted the role tarot plays in my life now. Though a bleak beginning, I was discovering that spirituality was something I would have to co-create with God for myself."
article - November 9, 2020
"...In this journey, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on the state of education, what it means to be a classroom teacher, and more importantly: what radicalized me as a teacher?..."
article - November 9, 2020
"The inner lives of young people today abound in apparent paradox. The most wired generation on record is also the loneliest; desire for non-partisan political exchange is soaring even as opportunities to engage in it are shrinking..."
article - November 5, 2020
How can we heal as a nation when we can’t listen to each other? How can we build communities when we can’t even exchange hugs or break bread together?
- November 3, 2020
Addressing violence requires the voices of all who are affected by it. No group has the cultural expertise to do it alone.
article - November 2, 2020
"So now we stand in the wake of and on the precipice of disease and disaster as a nation. No matter the choice for leader of the free world that is finalized, we’ll find our real comfort has officially deserted us."
article - October 30, 2020
In addition to their generally positive evaluation of Black Lives Matter, secular people agree with one of the root causes for the movement’s existence.
article - October 29, 2020
This song is our rallying cry, to never give up, remember the struggle, and always strive to see each other as created in the image of God because when we do, we treat each other with love, dignity, and respect.
article - October 28, 2020
Leaders of the three coalitions held a Zoom call to highlight the statement and the work they are doing to acknowledge racial history and tensions in their cities and elsewhere in the country.
article - October 28, 2020
Have you ever known you were indubitably correct on an important topic that people have debated for years? In the confidence of your accuracy, has someone ever presented a counterargument that made you complicit in wrongness?
article - October 28, 2020
The following short story and poem are a part of a series of vignettes from Stanton that we will be publishing each month and are connected to a larger narrative called Master Peace.
article - October 27, 2020
Jackson’s work as an inside voting organizer was funded by Pillars of the Community, a faith-based criminal justice advocacy group led by Black Muslims in southeast San Diego. Leaders of the group say they want to see an America without prisons.
article - October 22, 2020
May the Creator of the Universe unite our souls and helps us all to be more consistent – and able to be able to sit and consider each other’s perspectives as part of the journey that makes us whole.
- October 9, 2020
Unfortunately, underlying this partisan consensus lies a stark reality: Muslims do face significant discrimination within the United States.
article - August 17, 2020
We speak to Dr. Robert Jones about his new book “White Too Long” including his own experiences as a Southern white man raised in a Southern Baptist Church,
article - August 17, 2020
"Honest, uncomfortable conversations can be the catalyst that leads educators to commit to concrete actions to create anti-racist schools."
article - August 17, 2020
Dr. J.T. Snipes, who will be speaking at the upcoming ILI, tells us about his work around Black secular college students and his new book on remixing and re-imagining spirituality, religion, and higher education.
article - August 14, 2020
"More than ever, we believe that coalition-building and effective training for a new generation of leaders are the imperatives of the moment."
article - July 24, 2020
"Black people are only brought in when it's time to talk about racial justice and even then, they are spoken over or receive pushback, and that's been difficult to experience and witness."
article - July 23, 2020
The work of Gwendolyn Brooks – the commitment to citizenship, the commitment to equity, the commitment to artistry, and the commitment to education – is ongoing. It is just as essential today as ever before in these disruptive times.
article - July 9, 2020
"It is our job to educate ourselves, because anti-racist work, and interfaith work, must be intersectional. One dimension of that means understanding how religion fits into these systemic processes that perpetuate injustice. "
article - July 8, 2020
50 years ago, members of the Black Student Union (BSU) marched on stage at the Memorial Auditorium at Stanford during a campuswide convention on White Racism in America and read aloud a list of demands for racial justice on campus.
article - July 6, 2020
"King took Gandhi’s lens into his own reading of the Bible and applied it the first chance he got, as leader of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. These were only the first few steps on King’s road as an interfaith leader."
video - June 29, 2020
Laurie Patton and Eboo are hosting a series of webinars on Interfaith Studies as a way to support faculty as they negotiate rapid changes in higher education and shifting campus environments. The first focusing on racial equity and interfaith work.
article - June 23, 2020
Micheal Brown wants to create impactful change around racial justice at Stanford through advocacy and activism -- but for him, the fight to improve Black lives in America is not just limited within his campus walls, it is a lifetime commitment.
article - June 19, 2020
The IFYC team & network share how they will honor Juneteenth. We hope that however you observe this day - whether in celebration, protest, artistic creation or rest - that it will be in honor of the ongoing liberation of Black lives and, in James Bal
article - June 1, 2020
I got a call from my Dad this weekend and his voice was tight as he said "The knee was on his neck for nine minutes." I didn't know if it was overwhelming sadness or controlled rage.
article - March 25, 2021
There would be no Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which enabled my parents to immigrate to the U.S., were there not first the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
- March 18, 2021
The office would “work with leaders of different faiths and background who are on the frontlines of their communities in crisis and who can help us heal, unite, and rebuild.”
article - January 25, 2021
It just so happens that no other institution in American society is better prepared to meet every aspect of this momentous challenge, from educating various segments of the public to actually getting shots in arms, than college campuses.
article - January 22, 2021
His message was clear: For the future to have a chance at all, parts of the past had to be left behind, and all of us have to convene around common symbols.
- January 15, 2021
It is reasonable to believe that King would support holding people accountable for crimes committed, but King also held a higher hope for at least some of those who were part of the mob.
article - January 8, 2021
At the U.S. Capitol this week, a cathedral of the song of pluralism, the blood-curdling screams of a mob did their best to drown out that American song.
article - January 6, 2021
When there is no obvious or conclusive response, a range of diverse viewpoints – from different racial, ideological, religious, and class backgrounds – can shed light on new insights and collectively shape a path forward into a new era.
article - December 23, 2020
In this terrible moment, the vaccines that have been developed are nothing less than a modern miracle. America's diverse faith communities can play a central role.
article - December 9, 2020
Eric is especially concerned that the muscle of citizenship is getting weaker at the same time as white nationalism, authoritarianism, wealth concentration and polarization are growing.
article - November 24, 2020
If you listen closely, you can hear echoes of Springsteen in the victory speeches of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris last Saturday night. There is the realization that life is hard and still full of wonder.
- November 11, 2020
There is no ‘Us vs Them’ in their language, there is only ‘Us’. There is no talk of revenge, only talk of unifying. They have a bone-deep sense of the most important work ahead: to lift up marginalized voices, and bridge widening divides.
article - November 3, 2020
This election may take time and patience as we wait for every vote to be counted. The strength of our democracy is worth the wait.
article - October 19, 2020
IFYC stands in partnership with other civic organizations across the country who are committed to ensuring a free and fair election. We are also thinking about how we come together in the days and weeks that follow November 3.
article - October 15, 2020
And for Josh, the only way for America to achieve its higher purpose is if all Americans have a chance to achieve their higher purpose. And that has everything to do with the words ‘listening’ and ‘relationships’.
article - September 29, 2020
America did not always live up to the ideals of our European Founders when it came to welcoming religious diversity.
article - September 24, 2020
"We should launch a movement to train tens of thousands of democratic conversation curators over the next several years - people skilled in bridging the divide across various people and between spirituality and civic engagement within people."
article - September 20, 2020
If there is anyone who doubts that revolutionary change is possible within America’s democratic processes, Ruth Bader Ginsburg
article - September 10, 2020
"Mohammad Salman Hamdani has been denied some of the recognition that many think should be his due, given the combination of heroic sacrifice and prejudice-driven suspicion."
article - July 27, 2020
Eboo Patel reflects on the life & work of late U.S Representative John Lewis: "John Lewis was one of the heroes of the Civil Rights movement who knew when and how to protest, and when and how to build. It is an example worth studying and following."
article - July 6, 2020
"King took Gandhi’s lens into his own reading of the Bible and applied it the first chance he got, as leader of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. These were only the first few steps on King’s road as an interfaith leader."
article - June 26, 2020
Eboo speaks with famous businessman Steve Sarowitz to understand how he is inspired by his faith to fight against racism: "If the system is broken, you can’t keep the system, even if it’s messy to get rid of it."