The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) and Interfaith America (IA) are pleased to announce a multidisciplinary seminar on Teaching Interfaith Understanding for full-time faculty members at CIC member colleges and universities. The seminar will broaden faculty members’ knowledge and perspective to help them strengthen the teaching of interfaith understanding, develop new courses and other resources, and expand the network of faculty members who are committed to teaching this subject. The seminar, offered by CIC and IA and generously supported by a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., will cover most costs of participation for those faculty members who are selected.

Religious diversity, along with contestations of religious belonging, pluralism, and inclusion, has become an increasingly fraught topic in American public discourse and public life, even as American campuses have become more religiously diverse. Undergraduate students—regardless of their academic field, religious background, or demographic identity—need to make space for reflection on questions of meaning, purpose, and values, and to consider the significance of their own narratives, beliefs, and practices. On many campuses, interfaith activities are expanding, drawing increased attention from students, campus staff and administrators, and faculty members. The 2025 seminar will examine how interfaith understanding can be taught effectively in the college classroom so that students are equipped for interfaith engagement and leadership both in the classroom and beyond.

This seminar, led by Laurie Patton, president of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and Eboo Patel, founder and president of Interfaith America, will examine the substantial theoretical questions inherent in teaching interfaith understanding and explore the practical work of translating these ideas into courses. Participating faculty members will have opportunities to develop teaching resources such as syllabi and course modules that may be shared online with colleagues at many other institutions. Each day, the seminar will focus on a particular dimension of interfaith understanding—such as models of interfaith collaboration and pedagogies for teaching interfaith cooperation—and will include both theoretical and applied work. The seminar will blend discussions of case studies, course syllabi, and experiential activities such as site visits.

Online Resource Library

Interfaith America maintains a curated library of interfaith-focused syllabi, course activities, teaching tactics, and other resources including examples created by participants of previous Teaching Interfaith Understanding seminars. Many of these resources were created by faculty members as direct results of their participation in the seminars; others are resources these scholars have used for years in their teaching. All resources are shared with permission from the authors.

Application Process

Faculty members from all disciplines at CIC member colleges and universities are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be nominated by their chief academic officer. Participants are selected by competitive nomination. Lodging, most meals, and reading materials are typically provided, thanks to generous support from Lilly Endowment Inc. Participants or their institutions are expected to cover transportation to and from the seminar location.

Letter of support that endorses the nominee and explains the current state of interfaith initiatives on campus as well the opportunities the nominee will be given upon returning to campus to use what has been learned;
Completed nomination form;
Statement of interest and expected outcomes from the faculty member; and
Faculty member’s CV.

Please submit the completed nomination online by Friday, February 14, 2025.

Current Status

The seminar will be held June 15–18, 2025, in Chicago, IL. Up to 25 participants will be selected by competitive nomination. Lodging, most meals, and reading materials will be provided, thanks to generous support from Lilly Endowment Inc. The only cost to participants or their institutions is transportation to and from the seminar location.

Contact Information

If you have any questions or comments please contact Stephen Gibson, CIC’s director of programs, at sgibson@cic.edu or (202) 466-7230.

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Teaching Interfaith Understanding