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pra xis News from Hartford Seminary • April 2008 • Vol. XX • No. 1 Macdonald Center Faculty NEWAyoub Appointed as MIchot Named Faculty Associate Senior Professor Mahmoud Ayoub, a pre-eminent The Board of Trustees of Hartford scholar in Islam and interfaith Seminary and President Heidi Hadsell dialogue in the United States and have named Yahya M. Michot, an around the world, has been named internationally known scholar in Faculty Associate in Shi‘ite Islam Islamic theological and philosophical and Christian-Muslim Relations at Hartford Seminary, starting July 1. thought, to the faculty at Hartford Seminary. Dr. Ayoub comes to Hartford Seminary from Temple University Michot will be Professor of Islamic in Philadelphia where he was a Studies and Christian-Muslim professor and Director of Islamic Relations, effective September 1. He Studies in the Department of will join the Seminary’s Macdonald Religion. Heidi Hadsell, President Center for the Study of Islam and of Hartford Seminary, announced Christian-Muslim Relations and co- the appointment. edit the Muslim World journal. “It will be a pleasure and a privilege “I am delighted that Yahya Michot to welcome Mahmoud Ayoub, Continued on page 9 Continued on page 15 Agosto Named Academic Dean of Hartford Seminary Heidi Hadsell, President of Hartford Seminary, has named Efrain Agosto, Professor of New Testament and noted Pauline scholar, as Academic Dean of the Seminary. The appointment was ratified by the Board of Trustees at a meeting in March. “We are very pleased that Efrain has assumed this new position at Hartford Seminary,” Hadsell said. “Efrain is creative, he loves Hartford Seminary, he understands the issues of theological education, and he enjoys the collaborative atmosphere at the Seminary.” Continued on page 5 Efrain Agosto Abu-Rabi’ Leaving Seminary Faculty: Page 7 Hartford Seminary • Pr a x i s 1 The World and Change: News&Notes Through the Window of Christian- Muslim Dialogue in Southeast Asia A Request – Please Send Us Your Email Address A TRAVELING EDUCatIONAL SEMINAR Stay informed on a timely basis by Including Singapore and Ache, Bali, sharing your email address with us. and Yogyakarta, Indonesia Here at Hartford Seminary, we want to communicate better with January 5-17, 2009 you. Approximate cost: $3,500 We would like to send out updates on what is happening at Hartford Please contact Karen Miller Seminary as well as information (860-509-9521 or on our events and courses by email [email protected]) to those people for whom we have to express your interest. email addresses. Presented by Hartford Seminary in partnership Right now we do not have any Space is limited to 20 with Plowshares Institute email address for many of you, our participants, so interested alumni/ae and friends. parties are encouraged to Please send your email address to contact the Seminary early. us to help in this effort. We do not intend to discontinue publishing Praxis by the way; it will continue to arrive in your mail in spring, fall and winter. Understanding Christian/Muslim Dialogue Please send your email to me at for Congregations and Communities [email protected] or call me at (860) 509-9519. August 4-10, 2008 By the way, Hartford Seminary has This course – at Ghost Ranch in New Mexico - will equip pastors and a strict privacy policy. We do not lay leaders from congregations, presbyteries and other faith groups to share or sell e-mail addresses to a be resources to their communities in generating new understanding third party. and to celebrate the diversity in faith present in our world and nation. Thank you. In an interactive course of case studies, role plays and interfaith exercises, the instructors will draw on their extensive national and David S. Barrett international experience in inter-faith and multi-cultural settings and Director of Public and Institutional Affairs conflict transformation training to provide an exciting class encounter. Editor, Praxis Participants will receive workshop designs to take home to equip their own congregations and presbyteries. Plan now to nominate a team from your church or community to Corrections be a part of this course. The way the Church responds to this crisis Our apologies for two errors of understanding will shape the future of our nation and mission that were made in the 2007 philosophy as we seek to build a more peaceful and sustainable world. Annual Report, which appeared in the December 2007 issue of InStructoRS Praxis. Margaret Patricelli was Robert and Alice Evans, Simsbury, CT, are Directors of the erroneously omitted from the list Plowshares Institute; former Senior Fellows of the Center for Conflict of President’s Council members. Resolution at the University of Cape Town, South Africa; and adjunct A gift received from Ms. Lois faculty at Hartford Seminary. Ann Pike, which was listed under Heidi Hadsell, Hartford, CT, is President of Hartford Seminary, the “Partner” level of giving, also Professor of Social Ethics, an expert in interfaith dialogue, and should have been listed under former Director of the Ecumenical Institute of the World Council of Memorial Gifts. Her gift was Churches in Bossey, Switzerland. given in memory of the Rev. Sarah “Sally” A. Edwards. Alwi Shihab, Jakarta, Indonesia, is Indonesia’s Presidential Envoy to the Middle East, former Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Republic of Indonesia, and a professor and Islamic scholar. For an application or more information about the facilities, please look at the Ghost Ranch website: http://www.ghostranch.org/ . For more information on Plowshares Institute and its work world-wide, please look at the Plowshares website: www.plowsharesinstitute.org. Information on Hartford Seminary is available at www.hartsem.edu. Editor: David Barrett Reprint and copy information: you plan to reprint or photocopy like more information about Praxis Phone: 860/509-9519 Articles may be reprinted if full any part of Praxis. Letters to the or about Hartford Seminary, please Fax: 860/509-9509 credit is given to Hartford Seminary editor are welcomed. If you would contact David Barrett at Hartford E-mail Address: [email protected] and the author, if bylined in Praxis. like additional copies of this issue of Seminary, 77 Sherman Street, Designer: James Baker For our records, please inform us if Praxis or back issues or if you would Hartford, CT 06105. 2 Hartford Seminary • Pr a x i s Grant Received to Expand week. It was devoted to of God’s Oneness. A people’s experiences in discussion about the Building Abrahamic interfaith worship. Since by dangers of “spiritual Partnerships Program then the participants had plagiarism” ensued. At been together intensively another point, Jews 11, 2001, amazes me. If you had spent one for a whole week, they had honestly shared their fears By now it should be Friday last July in developed sufficient rapport and negative reactions abundantly clear that all Hartford Seminary’s and trust to share honest when encountering a our faith communities Chapel, you could have feelings and questions. cross or other symbols in a need help to overcome shared in Christian, church. We also addressed mutual ignorance and Prayer is a very personal Muslim, and Jewish the sense of self-negation estrangement.” act of faith, even when prayers. This special or inauthenticity that done in a communal experience was part of a Christians can feel when The BAP II course, setting; so talking about it new advanced Building giving up Christological taught by Landau, The can easily raise sensitive Abrahamic Partnerships language in order to Rev. Karen Nell Smith issues that are often not course. accommodate Jews and and Imam Abdullah addressed in interfaith Muslims in common Now Hartford Seminary Antepli, was offered encounters can expand the Building for the first time in July worship. Participants later Abrahamic Partnerships 2007. The opening One Christian, for said (and I agree) that this (BAP) program, through dinner featured an example, asked the Jews was the most forthcoming a $53,700 grant from exercise in which how they feel when some and fruitful conversation on the Alan B. Slifka everyone shared an Christians adopt Jewish these issues that any of us Foundation. object that had some prayers like the “Sh’ma had ever experienced. personal symbolic Yisrael” affirmation Continued on page 11 The grant is for two meaning, as a means years. It will support of self-introduction. the BAP II course, These objects were then development of BAP placed on a table in the communications center of the room used Wabash Grant: Latinos in Hartford technology, and outreach throughout the week, to other seminaries as a kind of altar. A Efrain Agosto, Academic Dean and Professor of New for BAP replication or candle in the middle Testament, has received a grant of $5,000 from the adaptation. Also planned of this table was lit at Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology is an evaluation of BAP. the beginning of every and Religion to explore Latino/a theology and religion in the greater Hartford area. The Building Abrahamic morning and afternoon Partnerships program is session. The grant, entitled “Latinos in Hartford: A Seminar for Hartford Seminary Faculty,” will engage several faculty an innovative program These and other ritual designed as a resource members of the Seminary’s Center for Faith in Practice elements lent the course in lectures, conversations and an immersion experience for Jews, Christians, and a sacramental dimension Muslims who seek a solid around issues in Latino theology, community and faith that helped make it during the spring of 2008. foundation in interfaith more than a strictly ministry. The basic academic program. They The goal is to incorporate Latino/a faith and theology course is an eight-day also provided some in future course development of the Center and the intensive immersion in spiritual coherence to theological curriculum of Hartford Seminary.