“Multifaith Leadership and Engagement in a Fractured World” Workshop a Remarkable Success

By Hans Gustafson, Ph.D.

Director | Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies

March 6, 2024

The “Multifaith Leadership and Engagement in a Fractured World” workshop on March 3 celebrated a remarkable turnout with 200 registrants, half of whom were college students. This diverse group of participants showcased the workshop's commitment to fostering dialogue across different generations and among people who orient around religion differently. The enthusiasm and active participation were highlighted by Dr. Hans Gustafson, Executive Director of the Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies and professor at St. Thomas, who remarked, “it’s lifegiving to see so many students, with over 60 Tommies, travel to Northfield, join their fellow college students from other institutions, engage the wisdom of older generations, and gain tools for engaging with the emerging religious diversity of our state, and for their futures.” Diana Tewelde, first year St. Thomas student Interfaith Fellow, remarked, “I felt so inspired to be in the same space as all those religious scholars of different traditions and hear them talking about building a better world together.” The event featured and insightful keynote conversation facilitated by the Lutheran Center's director Dr. Deanna Thompson with Rabbi Dr. Rachel S. Mikva and Professor Najeeba Syeed, whose expertise and perspectives were central to exploring the workshop's themes of religious diversity and interfaith leadership.

The workshop originated from a grant-funded initiative by the Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies at the University of St. Thomas, aimed at cultivating religious literacy and interfaith leadership among its student Interfaith Fellows program. The program's mission is to "educate and prepare   (inter)religiously literate and responsible scholar-practitioner leaders, critically informed by how lived religious practices and beliefs shape America, who act wisely, work skillfully, and engage religious diversity to advance the common good in civic, academic, professional, nonprofit, public, and community sectors." The March 3 workshop's spirit and design were envisioned by the student Interfaith Fellows from St. Thomas and St. Olaf and the young Multifaith Fellows of the Minnesota Multifaith Network, in a multi-part dialogue seminar facilitated by Ali Chamseddine, Staff Chaplain at Allina Health.

Through a keynote dialogue, breakout sessions, and spiritual practices led by nationally recognized speakers, the workshop explored peacebuilding, dialogue, leadership, trauma-informed interfaith work, engaging young people, and storytelling, creating a rich environment for learning and engagement across a broad spectrum of religious and spiritual perspectives. The workshop also featured a rich array of speakers contributing to various sessions, including Dr. Danielle Clausnitzer and Ryan Avenido, who led a discussion on engaging young people in the Internet Age. Rev. David Hottinger facilitated a session on Trauma-Informed Interfaith Work with Rev. Paul Galchutt, Rev. Dr. Jessica Chapman Lape and Imam Sharif A. Mohamed; and Dr. Martha “Marty” Stortz and Dr. Matt Maruggi offered their expertise in a session focused on Storytelling and Story-Listening as a Multireligious Practice. The session led by student Interfaith Fellows offered a unique platform for college attendees to connect, share experiences, and discuss strategies for fostering multifaith engagement and leadership on their campuses. The final plenary session featured performances by the St. Olaf Taiko Drummers and student Interfaith Fellows St. Thomas, Laila Franklin and Antoine Chehade, who shared their 2-year experience in the Interfaith Fellows program and what they hope to carry forward in their post-college years.

In collaboration with the Minnesota Multifaith Network, the main organizers and sponsors of the series include the Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies at the University of St. Thomas, the Lutheran Center for Faith, Values, and Community at St. Olaf College, and the Interfaith Institute at Augsburg University. Gustafson added, “Originally, the plan for this workshop series was to host all three annual events at St. Thomas. However, recognizing the collaborative spirit of our colleges here in Minnesota and the many great leaders and students we have, I suggested to our funder that to better build a state-wide culture of energetic engagement with religious diversity in sustainable ways with long-term impact, it is worth considering moving this workshop around to our various institutions. They enthusiastically approved the request.” This year, significant support was also provided by Luther Seminary and Hamline University, and the workshop, hosted this year by St. Olaf College and last year by the University of St. Thomas, looks forward to furthering its reach across Minnesota colleges and universities in future years.

Special thanks are due to the dedicated efforts of Director Dr. Deanna Thompson, Rev. Peter Carlson Schattauer and Dr. Pippa Younger from the Lutheran Center for Faith, Values, and Community at St. Olaf College, as well as Michon True Smith, Managing Director of the Interfaith Institute at Augsburg University, whose contributions and coordination were instrumental in the seamless execution and enrichment of the workshop. A big heartfelt thank you and sincere gratitude is also extended to Dr. Jen Kilps, Network Executive of the Minnesota Multifaith Network (MnMN), for her invaluable support and commitment to fostering a culture of interfaith understanding and cooperation through the state of Minnesota between and among various generations.