Muslim and Christian Leaders Meet at Yale for Historic Interfaith Conference

New Haven, Conn. - More than 100 religious leaders, including some of the world's most eminent Muslim and Christian scholars and clerics, will gather at Yale University July 28 -31 to promote understanding between the two faiths, whose members comprise more than half the world's population.

            Prominent U.S. and international political figures and representatives of the Jewish community will also participate in the conference, which will be the launch of a series of pioneering interfaith events planned for the next two years around the world as the follow-through of the "Common Word" initiative.  The historic open letter, A Common Word Between Us and You, was signed last fall by an unprecedentedly broad coalition of top-tier Muslim leaders from every major branch of Islam, seeking transformation of Muslim-Christian relations. One of the most prominent Christian responses was an open letter drafted at Yale Divinity School and signed by a similarly broad coalition of 300 prominent Christian leaders from around the world. Many of these Muslim and Christian leaders will be participating in the July conference.

           Potentially a watershed in Muslim-Christian relations, the four-day interfaith meeting was organized by Yale Divinity School's Center for Faith & Culture under the leadership of its founder and director, Miroslav Volf. A distinguished author and theologian, Volf will co-teach a course on faith and globalization at Yale this fall with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

"In our increasingly interdependent world, religion remains a powerful force with the potential to either foster peace or create division," said XXXXX.  "Faith leaders must be at the forefront of the dialogue to seek ways to rectify distorted views of different religions and underscore the mutual commitments that our faiths share."

Yale Divinity School Dean Harold Attridge said, "I am extremely pleased that Yale Divinity School is hosting this important conference. The Divinity School is committed to bringing the best insights of faith and intellect to bear on contemporary life, and the relationship between Christians and Muslims is one of the most pressing issues of our time."

            Notable leaders at the conference will include Prince Ghazi bin Mohammad of Jordan, who will co-host the event and is a principal author of the Common Word letter. Other key leaders attending are Sadiq Al-Mahdi (former prime minister of Sudan); two prominent Ayatollahs from Iran; Sheikh Tayseer Tamimi of Palestine; government Ministers and the chief Muslim clerics (Grand Muftis) of several Middle Eastern countries; Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals; Geoff Tunnicliffe, president of the World Evangelical Alliance; David Burrell of the  Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at Notre Dame; John Esposito of Georgetown University; Antonios Kireopoulos of the National Council of Churches; and Emanuel Clapsis of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. In addition, Senator John Kerry, Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff, and Council on Foreign Relations President Richard Haass are expected to attend. [need to confirm Chertoff and Haass] 

http://www.yale.edu/divinity/commonword

http://www.yale.edu/divinity/commonword