Program
For the first time, you can join us at the Elijah Interfaith Summer School and Interreligious Leadership Seminar without leaving your home. All sessions will be live-streamed on Zoom.Interreligious Perspectives on Global Solidarity and Caring for the Other
Live from Jerusalem
What are religions supposed to do: on what domains of life do they impact and what do they achieve?
What happens in times of crisis? Do crises enhance the functioning of religion, undermine it or both?
The recent COVID-19 pandemic allowed us to study the function of religion at a moment of global crisis.
We will hear from scholars of religion what they understand about the way that religions operate and we will hear from some of the world’s most prominent religious leaders about how they dealt with challenges during COVID-19, through a unique series of interviews carried out by the Elijah Interfaith Institute, titled “Coronaspection”.
What happens in times of crisis? Do crises enhance the functioning of religion, undermine it or both?
The recent COVID-19 pandemic allowed us to study the function of religion at a moment of global crisis.
We will hear from scholars of religion what they understand about the way that religions operate and we will hear from some of the world’s most prominent religious leaders about how they dealt with challenges during COVID-19, through a unique series of interviews carried out by the Elijah Interfaith Institute, titled “Coronaspection”.
Topics include:
- the spiritual basis of human and global interconnectivity and the moral and theological foundations for social responsibility
- the religious mandate to do good and values of charity, justice, responsibility;
- rethinking charity in a global age, in light of the UN’s Millennium Development Goals;
- Pope Francis as social theorist: study and responses to his epistles
- care for society and care for creation
- global solidarity – the post-national and transnational world and the implications for religions; challenges of migration
- promise and limitations of a theory of global ethics
Summer school activities include
- Academic lectures
- Panels of scholars and religious leaders from 6 different faiths
- Analysis of Encyclicals of Pope Francis
- Small group textual study
- Prayer and meditation
- Bibliodrama workshop
- Guided group discussion
Day 1
01 Aug 2021
Welcome and introductions
(including introduction to the topic)
Rabbi Alon Goshen-Gottstein
Peta Jones Pellach
The Spiritual basis of our interconnectivity
(pt 1: Judaism and Sikhism)
Professor Pal Ahluwalia
Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg
11:30 EDT
The Spiritual basis of our interconnectivity
(pt 2 Christianity and Hinduism)
Professor Neelima Shukla-Bhatt
Prof David Ford
12:45 EDT
The Spiritual basis of our interconnectivity
(pt 3 Buddhism and Islam)
Prof Karma Lekshe Tsomo
Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf
14:00 - 14:30 EDT
Reflections on the day
Rabbi Alon Goshen-Gottstein
Day 2
02 Aug 2021
The Religious Mandate to do Good
(pt 1: Jewish and Sikh case-studies)
Bhai Sahib Bhai Mohinder Singh
Micha Odenheimer
10:00 EDT
The Religious Mandate to do Good
(pt 2: Muslim and Hindu case-studies)
Swamini Adityananda Saraswati
Imam Plemon al-Amin
The Religious Mandate to do Good
(pt 3 A Christian case-study)
12:15 EDT
12:30 EDT
Day 3
03 Aug 2021
9:00 EDT
9:15 EDT
Introduction to the Encyclicals
Fr. Prof. James Puglisi
9:25 EDT
Text study “chavruta”
excerpts from encyclicals
10:10 EDT
The Teachings of Pope Francis – Fratelli Tutti
Fr. Prof. James Puglisi
10:55 EDT
Responses and reflections
from religious leaders and scholars
Imam Yahya Pallavicini
Dr Anantanand Rambachan
12:30 EDT
Lecture: Professor Katherine Marshall
Professor Katherine Marshall
14:00 - 14:30 EDT
Reflections on the day
Rabbi Alon Goshen-Gottstein
Day 4
04 Aug 2021
9:00 EDT
9:15 EDT
Text study “chavruta”
excerpts from encyclicals
10:00 EDT
10:45 EDT
Responses and reflections from religious leaders and scholars
Swamini Adityananda Saraswati
Rabbi Art Green
Imam Yahya Pallavicini
12:30 EDT
Lecture: Professor Jose Casanova
Professor Jose Casanova
14:00 - 14:30 EDT
Reflections on the day
Rabbi Alon Goshen-Gottstein
Day 5
05 Aug 2021
9:00 EDT
9:15 EDT
Guest teacher: Professor Myriam Renaud
Professor Myriam Renaud
10:45 EDT
Praying Together in Jerusalem
Professor Myriam Renaud
Rabbi Alon Goshen-Gottstein
Peta Jones Pellach
Review of the week
summary of key lessons and evaluation
Rabbi Alon Goshen-Gottstein
Peta Jones Pellach