Conference: Building the Beloved Community

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Building the Beloved CommunityBuilding the Beloved Community can take on many forms and shapes as faith communities seek to work together for the common good. This conference looks at selected themes of community building from multifaith perspectives.

Building the Beloved Community: An Interfaith Dialogue

The “Beloved Community” is a term that resonates with a number of faith communities. For some, it is the celebration of faith linked to working on earth to nurture family and friends, performing good works and cultivating relationships with fellow congregants and other faiths.
Building the Beloved Community can take on many forms and shapes as faith communities seek to work together for the common good. This conference looks at selected themes of community building from multifaith perspectives, including:

• Building the social and economic community strength so that all benefit and feel included;
• Building open and affirming traditions where people of all religious beliefs feel safe in discussing their faith, hopes and differences in interpretation;
• Building actual and symbolic spaces where cross-religious dialogue can occur on a variety of topics in order to find common ground on the meaning of justice in today's world and the role of tradition in a globalizing society.

The goal of the conference is to encourage a cross-faith dialogue that provides attendees an opportunity to share their vision of the Beloved Community, while participating with others in creating opportunities for the exchange of ideas and understandings. Ultimately, the organizers hope that this gathering will spark other cross-faith meetings to address other important issues of cross-faith dialogue about social justice, community development, education and faith.

Conference is open to public, free lunch will be served but RSVP is required.
Send us email (infoidc[at]idcnj.org) or call us (973-353-9333) to RSVP.

Date:
Friday May 6, 2011

Venue:
New Brunswick Theological Seminary

Sponsored by
The Interfaith Dialog Center
The New Brunswick Theological Seminary
The Initiative for Regional and Community Transformation, Rutgers University
Communities of Shalom International, Drew University

Program

Welcome 9.00 am
Panel 1 (9:30-10:45) Reflections on the Role of Faith in Building the Beloved Community (representatives from various faith communities).

Panel 2 (11:00- 12:15)  Examples of Building the Beloved Community in international contexts. (Representatives from various faith communities).

Panel 3 (1:30-2:45) Working Together: Increasing Cooperation Among Faiths in Building the Beloved Community.

Closing (2:45-3:00pm)


Welcome Speech
Dr. Greg Mast, President, NBTS

Presenters
1- Dr. Joseph Stoutzenberger, Holy Family University
2- Dr. Antoinette Ellis- Williams New Jersey City University
3- Rabbi Steven Sirbu, Temple Emeth, Teaneck NJ
4- Mehmet Kalyoncu, MA. Independent Political Analyst, NJ
5- Dr. Michael J. Christensen, Drew University
6- Dr. Jon Pahl, The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia
7- Dr. Willard Ashley, New Brunswick Theological Seminary
8- Gabriel Salguero, Director, Hispanic Leadership Program (???)
9- Pat Brannigan, Executive Director of the Catholic Conference of New Jersey

Independent Political Analyst