Dr. Adrienne Ambrose selected to participate in seminar on Teaching Interfaith Understanding
San Antonio – The University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) is pleased to announce that Dr. Adrienne Ambrose, assistant professor, religious studies, has been selected from a nationwide pool of nominees to participate in a faculty seminar on the teaching of interfaith understanding. The seminar is offered by the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) and Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC), with support from the Henry Luce Foundation.
Ambrose received her Ph.D. in the History of Christianity from the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, CA, in 2005. In addition to teaching courses on Christian origins, Ambrose offers a variety of courses that encourage students to engage in interfaith dialog, including “The Religious Quest,” “Sacred Spaces,” and “Bells, Beads, and Bones: The Role of Objects in Religious Belief and Practice.” Her research focuses on popular devotion to the Virgin Mary, and she has presented on Mary’s function as a bridge between Christianity and Islam.
Twenty-five faculty members will participate in the five-day Teaching Interfaith Understanding seminar that will take place August 2 - 6, 2015, at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. The seminar will be led by two leading scholars: Eboo Patel, founder and president of IFYC, a Chicago-based organization building the interfaith movement on college campuses; and Laurie Patton, president-elect of Middlebury College and former dean of Trinity College of Arts and Sciences and the Robert F. Durden Professor of Religion at Duke University. The program aims to broaden faculty members’ knowledge and strengthen their teaching of interfaith understanding, with the development of new courses and resources.
“Strengthening the teaching of interfaith understanding at colleges and universities is a high priority at a time when college enrollment—and American society—is becoming more diverse. Strengthening participation in American life with greater understanding of the distinctive contributions of different faiths is a key to America’s future success,” said CIC President Richard Ekman. “The number of institutions that nominated faculty members to participate in the interfaith understanding seminar is most impressive.”
“The College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences is excited that Dr. Ambrose has been selected to participate in this prestigious program. We anticipate that the seminar will broaden her knowledge and perspective and assist her in strengthening the teaching of interfaith understanding on our campus. It is through our understanding of other belief systems that our own beliefs are strengthened,” said Dr. Kevin Vichcales, dean, UIW College of College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences.
For more information, visit www.cic.edu/TeachingInterfaith.
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CONTACT: Margaret Garcia, associate director communications & marketing, (210) 829-6001, mlgarci2@uiwtx.edu