Religious Pluralism & Ministry: A Practical Model for Theological Education

Students in theological education prepare for ministry in contexts of increasing religious diversity. How can educators from different traditions explore pluralism with students in ways that model recognition, respect, learning from practitioners, and understanding? This session proposes a practical model for interreligious encounters, learning, and research. It is based on a course taught by a Muslim attorney and a Christian theologian with students from a variety of Christian traditions at McCormick Theological Seminary (Chicago) on nine occasions. The class followed a three-week cycle of learning from practitioners, field trips to sacred gatherings, research on topics selected by students, constructive criticism of research by classmates and instructors. This cycle was repeated five times as we explored Judaism, Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Hinduism. Students learned first-hand how “communication leads to understanding, understanding leads to respect, and respect leads to peace.”