Interfaith at Claremont School of Theology

There’s a very interesting article today about the Claremont school of theology. They are creating an interfaith training program to teach future rabbis, imams, and pastors together.

Conceived in 2006, the University Project will allow seminary students at Claremont to cross-enroll in programs that train future Muslim and Jewish religious leaders while working toward their own degrees in Christian theology. Claremont already has chaplaincy programs for Muslims and Jews who ultimately work as counselors in institutional settings, but they don't have rabbinical and imam certification programs. Course topics will include inter-religious conflict resolution, scripture and ethics.

I think that it is a very helpful step in the right direction. I can only hope that they open their minds a hearts a little wider still and bring in guest speakers for the other major faiths. Even if they don’t, I know from my own experience in an interfaith seminary how helpful it can be to learn about other religious perspectives. It wasn’t a theological stretch of my worldview to learn about Islam, Hinduism, and the various other faiths as they were like windows to look in up my own Buddhist faith and my Christian upbringing. All those windows help give a better view from looking both inward and outward.

I’ll write more about my own beliefs at some later time.