Bridging Divides through Interfaith Initiatives – A Conversation with Rabbi Gutow and Rev. Dr. Kinnamon

In a nation divided both politically and religiously, can local interfaith initiatives teach us anything about navigating polarizing, national trends?

The John C. Danforth Center on Religion & Politics and the Michael and Barbara Newmark Institute for Human Relations of the Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis, will co-host a discussion on the future of interfaith cooperation featuring Rabbi Steve Gutow and Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 6, 2011, in the Bryan Cave Moot Courtroom (Rm. 310) of Anheuser-Busch Hall on Washington University in St. Louis’ Danforth Campus.

Rabbi Steve Gutow is the President and CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the consensus voice of the organized American Jewish community and is a board member of the Washington D.C. based Faith in Public Life, an organization for advancing faith in the public square as a positive and unifying force for justice, compassion, and the common good.

The Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, a Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) clergyman and a long-time educator and ecumenical leader, is the ninth General Secretary of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA.  He is the former Allen and Dottie Miller Professor of Mission, Peace and Ecumenical Studies at Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis, MO.

The speakers met during their time in St. Louis.  They have a distinguished history of working for common understanding between ecumenical and interfaith communities and have modeled – through their own relationship – ways in which interfaith cooperation can be a uniting force for social good.  Together, they have spoken publicly and co-published several articles on issues ranging from torture and hate crimes to the defense of civil liberties of Muslim-Americans.

Our panelists will discuss lessons learned from their experience leading interfaith initiatives and will engage the audience in a discussion about where interfaith partnerships might go from here.

The event is being supported by Washington University’s Interfaith Campus Ministries Association along with the following off campus groups: Aquinas Institute of Theology, Eden Theological Seminary, Interfaith Partnership/ Faith Beyond Walls, and the St. Louis Rabbinical Association.