NOTABLE MULTIFAITH PROGRAMS OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM IN AMERICAN SEMINARIES, 2009

High-impact multifaith education includes both classroom-based learning and experiential learning outside the classroom. Because the Center for Multifaith Education at Auburn Seminary is a strong advocate for multifaith educational experiences outside the classroom environment, the study’s authors have highlighted a number of initiatives that came to light as part of this study (and are eager to hear about other such programs).

Travel Study Programs

Of the 1,210 Academic Courses found in this study, 56 of them (5%) included an aspect of travel study. By far, the most common travel study offering focused on exploring the Jewish roots of Christianity through travel and study in the Middle East. However, many other travel study experiences were offered, including:

• ► Africa: the African religious experience and African-Christian relations in Ghana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia
• ► Middle East: Egypt (Coptic Christianity and Islam), Turkey (Rumi immersion), Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Israel (biblical and/or contemporary religious studies)
• ► India: Hindu-Christian studies; service trips; religious diversity.
• ► U.S.: Lakota-Christian dialogue on a Native American reservations in North Dakota; investigate monastic life at a Kentucky monastery; study the history of American Christianity and religious pluralism in the U.S.; practicum in Islamic ministry.
• ► Asia: contemporary religious life in China or Thailand; ministry in urban Asian contexts; religious context of Indonesia or Myanmar.
• ► South America: religious diversity in Trinidad and Tobago

Field Education

Many theological schools offer, or require, Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE). CPE training often features a significant dimension of multifaith education, since the cohort group may include students of diverse faith backgrounds, and/or the patients that the students visit may come from various faith backgrounds. The impact of CPE should in no way be overlooked as a critical component of multifaith education in American theological schools.

In addition, a handful of institutions are offering additional unique field education offerings:

• ► field education opportunities outside of the seminary's faith tradition;
• ► field placements to serve in interfaith nonprofits and centers (Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and Princeton Theological Seminary have such offerings).

Cross-Seminary Gatherings of Seminarians

A handful of non-classroom, cross-seminary interfaith programs exist for seminary students:

• ► InterSem, founded in 1971 by NCCJ to engage Jewish and Christian students has brought together over 3,000 seminarians in retreat programs in various regions. A 2010 InterSem program in Southern California was organized by the American Jewish Committee - Los Angeles chapter.
• ► The Center for Christian-Jewish Understanding at Sacred Heart University hosted an annual multi-day program for rabbinical students and Catholic and Protestant seminarians from 2000 to 2008.
• ► For 10 years, a major Mormon-Evangelical dialogue for seminary students and others has taken place in Salt Lake City between Fuller Theological Seminary and Brigham Young University.
• ► Auburn Theological Seminary [organizer of this study] and the NY Chapter of the American Jewish Committee offered a Protestant-Jewish Seminarian Program on Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict in 2009 and will offer the program again in 2010.

In addition, cross-registration opportunities between schools and institutional partnerships also bring together seminarians from different faith traditions.

Student-Driven Programs

This study found few student-driven programs in multifaith education, either because such initiatives are rare or because the methodology used did not bring them to light. One such program is an ongoing inter-seminary dialogue in New York City, organized and led by volunteer seminary students. Participants from General Theological Seminary, Union Theological Seminary, Hebrew Union College-JIR (NY), and Jewish Theological Seminary meet throughout the year to dialogue. Student-driven dialogues have also been launched by students at Fuller Seminary.

Experiential Learning

Experiential learning is a pedagogical method or tool used in some classrooms, rather than a program itself. However, in this section of the report that features learning programs outside of a classroom, it is worth noting that 110 (9%) of the courses investigated - not including travel study courses - involved an aspect of experiential learning, such as visits to religious or community sites or frequent use of guest speakers. One-third (32%) of schools used this approach in one or more courses.