• Global Citizenship Conference: The Next Generation Living in a Pluralistic World, March 12, 2013

is a full-day conference geared toward high school students, designed to give the future leaders of our world the tools to respond to intolerance, improve religious literacy, and possess the etiquette required to work in a pluralistic world.

Participating students will:

Become more aware of the diversity of cultural and religious traditions & belief systems that exist and how they shape people's lives. Learn about a religious tradition/belief system with which they are unfamiliar, helping them to gain understanding and dispel stereotypes. Encounter a safe environment where they can become aware of, and dialogue about, issues of religious intolerance that have occurred in their schools and communities. Become more aware of healthy ways of responding to conflict in order to better promote understanding. Learn some fundamental guidelines and etiquette to help them interact respectfully in a pluralistic society.

Our next conference is on March 12, 2013 at Nazareth College, all high schools are urged to register.

• Islamophobia: The Ideological Campaign Against Muslims

A Seminar on Religion and Contemporary Issues

Speaker: Dr. Stephen Sheehi

When: Wednesday, November 28th, 2012, 7 p.m.

Where: Gerald G. Wilmot Hall, Arts Center, Nazareth College of Rochester The Arab Spring and the Foundation of Modern Arab Identity A Seminar on Religion and Contemporary Issues

When: November 29, 2012 at 12:10 noon Where: Nazareth College, Golisano Academic Center, Room 38 Speaker: Dr. Stephen Sheehi

Free and Open to the Public

About the Speaker: Stephen Sheehi is Associate Professor of Arabic and Arab Culture and the Director of the Arabic Program at the University of South Carolina. He is also core faculty in USC’s Comparative Literature Program and the Islamic World Cultures Program. In addition to Arabic, he teaches courses on the intellectual, literary, cultural, artistic and food heritage of the modern Arabo-Islamic world. His work interrogates various modalities of self, society, and political economy within Arab modernity but takes particular interest in cultural, literary and intellectual history, photography and art of the Arab Renaissance (al-nahdah al-'arabiyah).

Is Prosperity Gospel at the Center of African American Life and Religious Experience?

A Seminar on Religion and Contemporary Issues

Speaker: Marvin McMickle, Ph.D.

President of Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School

When: October 30, 2012 at 7 p.m.

Where: Nazareth College of Rochester, Otto Shults Community Center, Forum

Free and Open to the Public

About the Speaker: Born in Chicago, Dr. McMickle is a 1970 graduate of Aurora University with a B.A. in Philosophy. His alma mater also awarded him the degree of Doctor of Divinity in 1990. He earned a Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary in New York City in 1973 and did two additional years of graduate study at Columbia University in New York. He earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, New Jersey in 1983. He was awarded a Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve University in 1998.

Dr. McMickle has served as the Senior Pastor of Antioch Baptist Church in Cleveland, Ohio since 1987. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of Cleveland State University. Dr. McMickle was Professor of Homiletics at Ashland Theological Seminary in Ashland, Ohio, where he has served on the full-time faculty since 1996. He is the author of 12 books and numerous articles.

Understanding Rituals of Dying and Death in World Religions: A Seminar for Nurses

Tuesday, October 16, 2012, 5 - 8:15 p.m.
Monroe Community Hospital, Auditorium A & B
435 East Henrietta Road, Rochester, NY 14620

Speakers: Rasheeda Ahmad, PhD, Christine Bochen, PhD, Rabbi Sandra Katz, PhD, Douglas R. Brooks, PhD

At the conclusion of this presentation, the participant will be able to identify key vocabulary words of dying and death in world religions, explain how dying can be considered the final stage of growth in different world religions, identify common emotional, cognitive, physical and behavioral manifestations of grief by various religions groups, describe at least two key points of care at the time of dying that would be significant for the health professional, and learn rituals of death, burial, appropriate dress and mourning in each of the major religions.

For more information, see the following flyer.

The Next Generation

Dates: Monday, August 20 to Friday, August 24, 2012

The Next Generation Youth Interfaith Encounter invites high school students to a week-long workshop event during the summer at Nazareth College to explore world religions and interfaith dialogue. This program includes of a variety of events, such as seminars, interactive workshop sessions, group discussions, site visits to local places of worship, and a community service element.

Train the Trainers 2012

Train the Trainers: Understanding World Religions and Interfaith Relations is a week-long non-credit certificate course offered each summer, designed for professionals, business people, religious leaders, social workers, and all those who are engaged in dealing with the other.

Dates: Monday, June 18 to Friday, June 22, 2012

Book Discussion: Muslims and Jews in America: Commonalities, Contentions, and Complexities

Co-edited by Reza Aslan and Aaron J. Hahn Tapper

Discussion date and time: Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Place: Nazareth College, Golisano Academic Center, Room 38

Facilitators: Rabbi Larry Kotok and Dr. Muhammad Shafiq

Global Citizenship Conference: The Next Generation Living in a Pluralistic World

March 13, 2012, 8 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Global Citizenship: The Next Generation Living in a Pluralistic World is a full-day conference geared toward high school students, designed to give the future leaders of our world the tools to respond to intolerance, improve religious literacy, and possess the etiquette required to work in a pluralistic world.

For more information on this event, please visit the conference's website.

Deities and Saints in Dialogue: Hindu-Christian Exchange in South Indian Practice

Date: Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Time: 7 - 8:30 p.m.

Location: Nazareth College, Otto A. Shults Center, Forum

For more information, please see the following flyer. Walking on the Footsteps of the Prophets: Discovering your Spiritual Roots An Interfaith Journey to the Holy Land and Turkey May/June 2013

Walking in the Footsteps of the Prophets: An Interfaith Journey in the Holy Land and Turkey invites professionals, historians, religious leaders, members of the community, and students on a trip to lands held sacred by the three Abrahamic faiths. This groundbreaking joint project of Nazareth College's Brian and Jean Hickey Center for Interfaith Studies and Dialogue, the Center for International Education (CIE), and the Department of Religious Studies began as an opportunity for members from the local community, which has since expanded to also include an invitation to students and paired undergraduate and graduate course offerings to allow students to fully capitalize on this powerfully moving learning experience.

On this extraordinary journey, participants visit many of the most sacred sites to Judaism, Christianity and Islam: wander the storied streets of Jerusalem, visit Bethlehem, gaze across the Sea of Galilee, behold the majestic beauty of Hagia Sophia, wonder at the grace of Sufi practices, and delight in the architectural grandeur along the shore of the Bosphorus Strait. In the Holy Land and Turkey, participants benefit from the wisdom of trip leaders from Nazareth College who are experts in Judaism, Islam, and Christianity as well as the experience and insights of scholars from educational institutions in both regions.

At each stop, lectures by tour leaders and guest speakers enhance participants' knowledge of the history and contemporary significance of the region. From exploring the literature of the Bible and Qur'an to a review of the current political climate in the Middle East, participants leave with a profound and nuanced understanding of the cultural, geographic, and spiritual legacy of these fascinating lands.

To learn more about this once in a lifetime experience, contact us at interfaith@naz.edu

Islam and the Challenge of Modernity: Understanding the Qur'an in a Contemporary Context

Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011 Nazareth College, Otto A. Shults Community Center, Forum

Speakers:

1. 2:00 PM: Qur'anic Ethics and the Challenge of Contemporary Radicalism

M. Ashraf Adeel, PhD, Professor of Philosophy and Qur'anic study at Kutztown University, Former Vice-Chancellor of Hazara University, Pakistan.

2. 3:30 PM: Qur'an, Women, and Modernity: from the Women Perspectives

Vivienne SM Angeles, PhD, Professor of Religious Studies at La Salle University, past president of the Study of Islamic Societies.

3. 4:30 PM: Qur'anic Concept of Interfaith Dialogue and Peaceful Coexistence in our Pluralistic World

Scott Alexander, PhD, Professor and Director of the Catholic-Muslim Studies Program, Catholic Theological Union, Chicago.

4. Dinner with Speakers: 5:30PM, By reservation

5. Panel Discussion and Q & A with Speakers: 7:00PM

For more information, see the following flyer.

Perception of the Holocaust in Modern Hungarian Political Discourse

Speaker: Dr. Tamas Stark, Hungarian Academy of Sciences

Date and Time: October 20, 2011, 7:00 PM Location: Nazareth College, Otto A. Shults Center Forum

For more information, open the flyer

Walking on the Footsteps of the Prophets: Discovering your Spiritual Roots
An Interfaith journey to the Holy Land and Turkey

May 25 - June 9, 2012

First Information Session Held: Wednesday, October 19, at 12noon, Nazareth College, Golisano Academic Center, Room 38

Finding G-d - Locating Ourselves and the "Other" in a Post-Holocaust World
A Seminar on Religion and Contemporary Issues

Keynote Speaker: Prof. Dr. Michael Dobkowski

Date: Tuesday, September 13, 2011, Time: 7:00 - 8:30pm

Place: Nazareth College Shults Community Center, Forum

Brief Introduction: Dr. Michael Dobkowski is a Professor of Religious Studies with specialties in Judaism and Holocaust Studies at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and is a visiting Professor for the Fall Semester 2011 at Nazareth College of Rochester. He holds an MA and PhD from New York University. He is an author of many articles and books. Some related to the topic are: The Politics of Indifference: A Documentary History of Holocaust Victims in America, University Press of America, 1982, The Tarnished Dream: The Basis of American Anti-Semitism, Greenwood Publishing Group, 1979 and Co-author of: Nuclear Weapons, Nuclear States and Terrorism, Sloane Publishing, 2006.

For further information, please see the event's flyer.

Remembering 9/11 and Moving Forward Together
The Joining of Many Faiths, Many Perspectives

Date and Time: Sunday, September 11, 2011, 4:00 PM

Location: George Eastman House, 900 East Avenue, East Vista Side Lawn Rain Location: Dryden Theater, George Eastman House

Music - Poetry - Readings - Prayers

Sponsored by the Faith Communities of Rochester, NY

The Next Generation: Living Together in a Multi-Religious Society
Interfaith Encounter

Date: July 18 - 22, 2011 Location: Nazareth College, Golisano Room 131

This week-long immersion program is designed for students in grades 9 through 12 from school districts within Monroe County and the surrounding area, as well as from local places of worship. Youth will take part in this experience and will engage in learning world religions and interfaith dialogue as they go through the program together.

For more information, please read the following document.

Train the Trainers in Understanding World Religions and Interfaith Relations

Date and Time: July 11 - 15, 2011, 2:30PM - 8:00PM

Location: Nazareth College, Golisano Room 122

This week long non-credit certificate course is planned to Train the Trainers, professionals, business people, religious leaders, social workers and all those who are engaged in dealing with the other. Living in this global world, it is essential for a successful career to know the faith and practices of the people you are dealing with.

For more information on the course and registration, please read the following document.

Walking in the Footsteps of the Prophets
An Interfaith Journey in the Holy Land and Turkey

May 25 - June 9, 2011

An extraordinary journey to some of the most sacred sites of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

View 2011's itinerary here.

Book Discussion:
Title: Reclaiming Beauty for the Good of the World: Muslim & Christian Creativity as Moral Power

Author: Dr. George Dardess and Dr. Peggy Rosenthal

Date and time: May 18, 2011, 7:00-8:30PM

Place: Nazareth College, Golisano Building Room 38

Co-Sponsored by: Center for Spirituality

For further information, please see the event's flyer.

World Religions: Beliefs and Practices
A Seminar for School Teachers in Northern Virginia

When: May 4, 2011, 4:00-6:30PM Where: At the Fairfax Institute of the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT), 500 Grove Street, Suite 200, Herndon, VA 20170

Speakers: Smt. Bhavna Shindo Hurley (Durga Temple of VA), Father Don Rooney (Catholic Diocese of Arlington), Donny Kirsch, PhD (JCRC of Greater Washington), Muhammad Shafiq, PhD (Professor and Dir. of the Hickey Center), and Rev. Kaz Nakata (Ekoji Buddhist temple, Fairfax Station, VA)

Certificate of participation will be awarded. Registration is $13.00 includes light supper and free 2011 interfaith calendar. The Program is sponsored by Nazareth College of Rochester, the Hickey Center, and the Fairfax Institute of Herndon, VA. For further information, see the following flyer.

Understanding Rituals of Dying and Death in World Religions: A Seminar for Nurses

When: March 23, 2011 from 5:00-8:15

Where: Monroe Community Hospital , Auditorium A & B, 435 East Henrietta Road, Rochester, NY 14620, please register by 3/16 and open the file for more information.

At the conclusion of the seminar, you will identify key vocabulary words of dying and death in world religions, learn about rituals of dying and death in each of the major world religions and identify common emotional, cognitive, physical and behavioral manifestations of grief by various religious groups.

Presenters: Rasheeda Ahmad (Islam), Christine Bochen (Christianity), Rabbi Sandra Katz (Judaism), Anthony Cerulli (Hinduism and Buddhism).

Global Citizenship
The Next Generation Living in a Pluralistic World

Date: March 15th, 2011

Hosted by the Hickey Center for Interfaith Studies and Dialogue at Nazareth College.

A daylong conference geared toward high school students, designed to give the future leaders of our world the tools to respond to intolerance, improve religious literacy, and possess the etiquette required to work in a pluralistic world. For more information open the brochure

The conference was great success. 17 schools with 300 high school students and 109 teachers,volunteers and speakers participated. The schools are very interested to have this type of conference a yearly event of the Hickey Center.

For more information, please see the event's brochure or email globalcitizenship@naz.edu

Book discussion:
Title: Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes

Author: Tamim Ansary

Discussion Date: January 19, 2011 at 7:00-8:30PM

Where: Nazareth College, Golisano Building Room 38

Facilitator: The Rev. Gordon V. Webster, Hickey Center Member of the Advisory Board and Interim Senior Pastor at Lake Avenue Baptist Church

The Hickey Center is gaining national attention.

Similar to Hickey Center seminars for teachers at Rochester, NY area, a seminar for social and global studies teachers of Northern Virginia will also be held at Fairfax Institute, Herndon, VA. This is the Hickey Center's first ever teachers seminar in Northern Virginia!

Date: Dec. 1, 2010

Seminar on Teaching and Understanding World Religions (panel discussion)

This was a half-day workshop intended to inform teachers from both private and public schools (all grade levels) in the rituals and holidays of world religions. The needs and viewpoints of teachers involved with teaching world religions was tracked, as well as their expectations for their students. The program is vital for teachers in understanding the beliefs of a religiously diverse classroom and global community. Open for public as well, open the flyer for more information: holidays

Date: Nov.22, 2010

Forgiveness, Reconciliation and Peace making in the Abrahamic Religions

Given the world's current divisions and conflicts that are based on political, religious, or cultural beliefs and affiliations, it is becoming increasingly urgent for scholars, faith leaders and the lay and secular communities to think restorative justice and possible action plans whose goal is to mediate and minimize the effects of these misunderstandings. A valuable tool in this effort is interfaith dialogue in the context of academic conferences that focus on themes central to the issues of global injustice, religious conflicts and cultural clashes. This seminar will focus on the theory and application of forgiveness, reconciliation and peace making in Christianity, Judaism and Islam with a special emphasis on the holy scriptures of each faith. The seminar will be examining the past, analyzing the present and looking towards the future with hope. Please participate and open the flyer for more information, please open: forgiveness Date: November 8 2010

Training of the Trainers: A Certificate Program on World Religions

A week-long annual summer workshop planned to introduce the participant to the practices and faiths of the religious traditions of the world. The program will feature activities created to introduce knowledge of beliefs, topical discussions focused on moral imperatives and communal organization, and visits to religious centers of faith to better understand worship. For more information, please open the linked program here.

Date: July 12- 16, 2010

The Next Generation: Living Together in a Religiously Pluralistic Society

Students from diverse religious backgrounds will come together for this annual week long conference. Workshops and seminars will educate and inform participants about religious traditions from around the world, focusing on the importance of interfaith knowledge in a religiously pluralistic society. The students will visit religious places of worship and participate in social and cultural sharing.

For more information please open the attachment: Next Generation 2010 Flier and Registration

Date: July 19- 23, 2010

Co-Sponsored by: Rochester Community Foundation: Civic Engagement Program and IIIT at Herdon, VA

Walking in the Footprints of the Prophets: An Interfaith Journey to Discover Our Spiritual Roots in the Holy Land

A select group of professionals, historians, and religious leaders journeyed to lands held sacred by the three Abrahamic faiths. On this extraordinary journey, we traveled to many of the region's most sacred sites: wandered the storied streets of Jerusalem, Nazareth, and Bethlehem; sailed on the waters of the Sea of Galilee; and gazed upon the breathtaking beauty of Jerusalem's Old City from the Mt. of Olives. While in the Holy Land, we benefited from the wisdom of scholars who are experts in Judaism, Islam, and Christianity from Nazareth College as well as Israeli and Palestinian educational institutions. Together with these scholars, we engaged in rich discussions with Jews, Muslims, Christians, Druze, and Bedouins of the region. Each day we participated in the most profound of human activities: seeking meaning for today and tomorrow through the spiritual legacy and ongoing presence of the Abrahamic traditions in religious, social, and historical contexts. From Israel, we flew to majestic Istanbul on the Bosporus Strait to visit the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia, and Topol Palace. Our exploration continued as we dialogue with scholars and local residents on topics ranging from pluralism within contemporary Islam to the relationship of secularity and religious identity in modern Turkey. The trip drew to a close with an exploration of the mystical within the Abrahamic faiths and an enchanting evening of Darveesh music and dance.

Dates: May 20 - 30, 2010 Israel and May 30-June 2, Istanbul Turkey * VIEW PARTICIPANT'S BLOG

Hickey Center Interfaith Understanding Conference

April 11-13, 2010. The innovative concept of IUC 2010 will allow to customize your conference experience. Participate in interactive workshops and roundtable discussions, visit film series and discover how others experience and live their faith through diverse practices. Explore spirituality through music, art, comedy, dance, and meditation. Connect with other advocates; join a discussion group, create an impromptu session, or network at mealtime. Together we will create a roadmap for peaceful coexistence.

Learn More:

• View conference pictures
• Interfaith Understanding Conference 2010
• Hickey Center for Interfaith Studies and Dialogue

For less recent events, view our Hickey Center Event Archive