Abstract
Religious ideas have inspired people to live virtuous lives and foster healthy relationships within and among diverse communities. But religious ideas — and not only those generally described as extremist — have also been employed in dangerous and even devastating ways. Inspired by Rabbi Rachel Mikva’s book Dangerous Religious Ideas: The Deep Roots of Self-Critical Faith in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, this program’s panelists will focus on what they regard as dangerous religious ideas and how to counter them and thereby help to heal our fractious country.
- Mary Boys, Ph.D., is the Skinner and McAlpin Professor of Practical Theology at Union Theological Seminary in New York City and the author and editor of ten books, including six having to do with Christian-Jewish relations.
- Barry Cytron, Ph.D., is senior scholar at Adath Jeshurun Congregation where he served as senior rabbi before becoming director of the Jay Phillips Center and later visiting professor and Jewish chaplain at Macalester College.
- John Merkle, Ph.D., is professor of theology at CSB/SJU, director of the Jay Phillips Center for Interfaith Learning, and the author and editor of four books having to do with Jewish theology and Christian-Jewish relations.
Sponsored by Adath Jeshurun Congregation in collaboration the Jay Phillips Center for Interfaith Learning at Saint John’s University and the Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies at the University of St. Thomas.