Center for Faith and Culture UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS

MISSION STATEMENT The Center for the Study of Faith and Culture seeks to understand and affect the relationship between the worldview of Catholic faith and culture. It specifically desires to study the vision and values, symbols and codes of the Gospel embodied in Catholic teaching and relate these to the dominant American way of life. In this way it will develop an appreciation of the dominant American culture both in its strengths and weaknesses in the light of the Gospel. It will also study the encounter of the dominant American culture with three of its major sub cultural groupings: African-American, Asian and Hispanic. In its programmatic offerings it will incorporate both theory and practice, giving special emphasis to the formation of community leadership that will be capable of integrating faith and culture through ongoing The Roots of Dialogue and Peacemaking in reflection and action. Since we believe that holistic spiritual development is at the very core of all cultural development, this too will constitute an essential dimension of the Center's work. Sacred Texts and Traditions: In its outreach, the Center will be at the service of the University of St. Thomas community, the faculty of the Graduate School of Theology, the local and regional Catholic and ecumenical communities, as well as national clientele. Contemporary Implications for Judaism, Christianity and Islam Center for Faith and Culture, University of St. Thomas, 9845 Memorial Drive, Houston, Texas 77024-3498, 713-686-6844, ext. 229, [email protected], www.stthom.edu/cfc. 4200 4200 4200 4200 4100 4100 4100 4100 4100 1300 1200 1100WEST ALABAMA STREET 1000 University of St. Thomas Inaugural Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenza CHAPEL46 OF ST. BASIL 26 46 3800 Montrose Blvd. MORAN 3800 400 CENTER26

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The University of St. Thomas is a private institution committed to the liberal arts and to the religious, ethical and intellectual traditions of Catholic higher education. Educating Leaders of Faith and Character

Inaugural Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenza The Roots of Dialogue and Peacemaking in Inter-religious Dialogue Symposium Sacred Texts and Traditions: Contemporary Implications for Judaism, Christianity and Islam Presenters: OBJECTIVES: • To provide a forum for dialogue among the three Abrahamic religions. • To increase understanding between and among neighbors who practice different faiths. Rabbi Samuel Rev. Thomas Dr. Akbar • To allow time for each of the speakers to develop substantive presentations. Karff Michel, SJ Ahmed • To provide an opportunity for interaction between attendees and speakers.

DATE: Wednesday, March 5, 2008

TIME: 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Rabbi Samuel Egal Karff, known as one of the Fr. Michel serves as Secretary of the Jesuit Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, Ibn Khaldun Chair great rabbis of his generation, is Rabbi Emeritus Secretariat for Interreligious Dialogue. He acts of Islamic Studies, in of Congregation Beth Israel in Houston. He has as Federation of Asian Bishop’s Conference Washington, D. C. is “the worlds leading PLACE: University of St. Thomas, Jones Auditorium (UST Academic Mall), been a counselor to many within his congrega- (FABC) Ecumenical Secretary and teaches authority on contemporary Islam” according to tion and beyond during his years as Senior Islamics at Wedabhakti Faculty of Theology in the BBC. Former High Commissioner of 3910 Yoakum Blvd., Houston, Texas 77006 Rabbi at Beth Israel. He spent several years as Yogyakarta, Indonesia, and at Euntes Asian to Great Britain, he has advised an Air Force chaplain and has also served Center in Zamboanga, . Prince Charles and met with President George PARKING: Moran Center Parking Garage, 3800 Graustark, Houston, Tcxas 77006 congregations in Hartford, Connecticut, Flint, W. Bush on Islam. Dr. Ahmed is regularly Michigan and Chicago, Illinois. He was born in 1941 in St. Louis, Missouri, interviewed on CNN, CVC, the BBC, and U.S.A., and ordained a priest of the ARY TV and has appeared several times on REGISTRATION: RSVP to the Center for Faith and Culture by registering online at An honor graduate of , he Archdiocese of St. Louis in 1967. He took the Oprah Winfrey Show and Nightline. In was ordained at the Hebrew Union College- vows in the Society of Jesus in 1971 in February 2005 the National Cathedral held a www.stthom.edu/cfc/upcoming.html. Space is limited, please register Jewish Institute of Religion, where he earned a Yogyakarta, Indonesia. After Arabic studies in special Evensong Service to honor Dr. Ahmed. Doctor of Hebrew Letters degree in Rabbinic Lebanon and Egypt, received a Ph.D. in Arabic He is also a Senior Fellow at the Case by January 1, 2008. Once registration is received a recommended reading Theology. and Islamic studies in 1977 from the University Foundation in Washington, D. C. He spoke at list will be provided. of Chicago. His doctoral thesis treated the theo- the Chairman's Distinguished Speakers Lecture Rabbi Karff is the author of his latest writing logical writings of the 8/14th century Muslim Series at the Pentagon and will give the Permission to Believe: SCHEDULE: Findingon faith andFaith healing, in Troubled Times revivalist scholar, Ibn Taymiyya. inaugural lectures for the first Chair in Jewish- The, released Soul of bythe Muslim Studies at the University of Illinois- 8:30 a.m. Continental Breakfast AbingdonRav Press in April 2005; Fr. Michel taught Islamics at the Theology Chicago. Ahmed has been appointed Non- , a compilation of lectures, addressesAgada: and The Faculty in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, between Resident Senior Fellow at The Brookings 9:00 a.m. Opening Prayer/Introductory Remarks Languagesermons prepared of Jewish at Faithhis retirement; 1978-1981 and 1994-1998, and, between 1981- Institution in addition to his appointment at Religions; and wrote of the the World 1994, he served as Head of the Office for Islam American. Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, Archdiocese of Galveston–Houston chapters on Judaism for , in the Pontifical Council for Interreligious a text that went through three editions and was Dialogue in the Vatican. Between 1986-1989, In 1966, Ahmed joined the Civil Service of Dr. Robert Ivany, President, University of St. Thomas used until recently in two hundred colleges he taught Christian theology in the Islamic Pakistan, the elite cadre of the Central Superior around the country. Theology Faculties of Ankara University, Services, and he has held important posts in Rabbi Samuel Karff – Presentation Dokuz Eylül University in Izmir, and Selcuk Pakistan and Bangladesh. He resigned from the He has taught at Notre Dame, University of University in Konya. Service in the summer of 2000. Parallel to his Rev. Thomas Michel, SJ – Presentation Chicago Divinity School, Rice University, and civil service career, Dr. Ahmed was visiting 12:00 p.m. Lunch (Dietary laws will be observed) as a Visiting Professor in Society and Health He has taught courses in Islamic studies at: professor of Harvard University, Cambridge at the University of Texas Health Science Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois; University, and the Institute for Advanced 1:00 p.m. Dr. Akbar Ahmed – Presentation Center in Houston. He is the founder of the Columbia University, New York, U.S.A.; Study at Princeton. Health and Human Spirit Program at the Texas Sanata Dharma University in Yogyakarta, Question & Answer Session Health Science Center, which has become the Indonesia; St. Paul's Seminary in Davao, Among the severalIslam books are Journey he has intopublished Islam: on Rev. Donald S. Nesti, CSSp – Summary John P. McGovern Center for Health, Philippines; Dansalan College in Marawi City, contemporaryCrisis of Globalization Discovering Islam: Humanities and the Human Spirit at the Philippines; Selly Oak Colleges in Making Sense of Muslim; History and Society 4:00 p.m. Closing Prayer/Book Signing University of Texas Medical School in Birmingham, England; St. Peter's Seminary, Postmodernism and Islam: Predicament and ; Houston, where he currently teaches. For over Kuching, Malaysia; Pontifical Institute for Promise Jinnah Quartet 20 years his weekly radio program on KODA Arabic and Islamic Studies in Rome; Regina ; –four parts on SPONSOR radio was popular with listeners of all faiths. Mundi in Yangon, Myanmar. MohammedResistance and Ali Control Jinnah–founder in Pakistan of Pakistan;A UST Center for Faith and Culture Short Introduction to the Muslim Worldand Nationally known as a lecturer and teacher, he Between 1983-1994, he was Counselor for . is a former president of the Central Conference Islamic Affairs of the Society of Jesus, and, CO-SPONSORS of American Rabbis, National Association of between 1994-1996, he acted as Interreligious Ambassador Ahmed has lectured at bi-partisan UST Center for International Studies • UST Center for Thomistic Studies Reform Rabbis. and Ecumenical Secretary of the FABC. Congressional retreats, National Defense University, U.S. Foreign Service Institute, Anti-Defamation League, Southwest Region • The Institute of Interfaith Dialog USAID, The Aspen Institute, Young Presidents Organization, World Bank, Leaders of Faith and Development Conference (Dublin, Ireland), was keynote speaker at the First Abrahamic International Conference (Palm Beach), St. Vincent College, University of Kansas and the Pentagon.