Building Bridges through Interfaith Dialogue and Cooperation
In an age of globalization where everything we do is connected and dependent on others, it is crucial that we are working to build bridges across nations, cultures, and religions. Religion or spirituality is one of the core aspects of cultures and nations, and an influential presence in all areas of society. Throughout history, religion has often been used as a divisive force for conflict and war; however, the growing interfaith movement around the world provides an alternative of empathy and understanding, which our world so desperately needs today. Recognizing the great importance of developing interfaith relations, the Euphrates Institute has become a member organization of the United Religions Initiative and is engaging with interfaith communities to build bridges across religious divides.
This fall, Euphrates Intern Sarah Oakes, will be heading up the Interfaith Committee, with Fellows, Jewelle Matheny, Ifi Xifre, and Kimberly Sheasley. Over the course of the fall semester, the fellows will be researching the three monotheistic faiths and blogging regularly about their insights and discoveries. With a deep interest in promoting religious diversity and acceptance, the team will be engaging in the following activities to promote interfaith work: researching and blogging weekly about interfaith and religious issues, participating in interfaith dialogue groups throughout the community, organizing an interfaith event, and engaging with the Principia College community to promote a message of religious compassion and acceptance across the campus.
Keep tuned each week to hear updates and inspiring stories of what the Interfaith Committee at Euphrates is doing!
Sarah Oakes
Introducing the Fellows:
My name is Ifigenia Xifré and I am a Junior at Principia College. As a fellow of the Euphrates Institute, I am part of a group that will be learning about different faiths and religions. My focus this semester will be Judaism. I am not an expert on the subject, but I am very excited to be conducting my own research about a religion that is very different from my own. As I learn, I will try to tackle some of the “myths” or misconceptions about the religion. Because our goal is to build bridges to the Middle East, it is important to have real knowledge about the kind of thinking that influence people’s actions, and root out misconceptions that might just get in the way of interfaith understanding. This is all I have to say for now… but stay tuned; I will be blogging!
Ifigenia Xifré
Hey all! My name is Jewelle and I am a fellow for Euphrates Institute working on the Interfaith Committee. I am a junior majoring in Environmental Studies and minoring in Sociology/Anthropology. I am really excited to be working on the Interfaith Committee, because I am currently taking a Living Religions of the East. I have been learning about the differences between religions, but was has amazed me most is discovering the many similarities that these religions all hold. Every religion is really just trying to do the right thing in this life, learn, grow and love more. I feel this is why Interfaith work and awareness is so important. I will be researching Islam and debunking some myths behind this popular religion that is misunderstood today. I will be exploring many topics including: sects of Islam, Mohammad, religious rules or Hadith, God and gender issues. More to come on October 9th!
Jewelle Matheny
Hi! My name is Kimberly and I am a freshman at Principia College. I am a new Euphrates Fellow participating in the Interfaith Committee. For the next few months, I am going to explore Christianity, and dive into the different sects of the Christian faith. I plan on exploring several myths and concerns that people have about Christianity. I want to answer questions like: Do they worship Jesus? Are Christians the only ones who are saved and go to heaven? What value does the Bible have for Christians? How are women and homosexuals treated in the church? Do Christians have two conflicting natures? What is the difference between the Protestant and Catholic churches? Do the different Christian faiths get along with each other? These are just a few ideas that I will study and examine to get a better understanding of different Christian beliefs and ideals. I am very excited to be onboard with the Interfaith Committee, and I look forward to watching false perceptions fade away as bridges are built to close the religious gap among faiths.
Kimberly Sheasley