N e w s f r o m H a r t f o r d S e m i n a r y • D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 1 • V o l . X I I I • N o . 3 PraxisHadsell inaugurated

“With our

academic

expertise,

our years of

experience,

and our clear

commitment

to dialogical

relations, we

have a new

public as well

as academic role

to play in

the world.”

The Shadow Cast by Sept.11B y D a v i d S . B a r r e t tDirector of Public and Institutional Affairs

ollowing the terroristattacks of September11, the faculty of

Hartford Seminary havetaken the lead nationallyto help the Americanpublic understand Islambetter and to providecontext for the role ofreligion in society.

Consider just a few of their activities:• Ibrahim Abu-Rabi’ traveled to

Pittsburgh, where he spenttwo hours on the radioanswering questions aboutIslam, and then at nightdelivered a lecture on “TheSacred and Violence” before600 people at PittsburghTheological Seminary.

• Jane I. Smith spoke on Islam

SpecialIssue

I N S I D E

The President'sPerspective

Teaching Online

Commentary by IbrahimAbu-Rabi', Stephen Fuchsand Ingrid Mattson

6

7

6

F

11

Continued on page 4

Yvonne Bowen-Mack, a 2001 graduateof Hartford Seminary’s Black MinistriesProgram, has been named ExecutiveAssistant to the Dean. Before coming toHartford Seminary, Bowen-Mack servedas Office Manager and AdministrativeAssistant at a small manufacturer’srepresentative company in Rocky Hill.She also performed administrativeassistance for Union Baptist Church,Hartford. Bowen-Mack, of Windsor, hasa background in interior design andworked in computer-aided drafting for aHartford-based architectural firm. She iscurrently enrolled at CentralConnecticut State University and is anactive volunteer on the strategic

planning committee for her church,Archer Memorial AME Zion inWindsor.

Shantee McKissick returns to HartfordSeminary after a three-year hiatus.McKissick, who previously worked forthe Seminary’s development efforts,returns to that department asAdministrative Assistant to theExecutive Director of InstitutionalAdvancement. In addition toadministrative and development skills,McKissick brings to the Seminary abackground in legal assistant work. Shelives in Newington.

Nancy Gutreich has been namedProgram Associate for this year’sWomen’s Leadership Institute (WLI)and is Coordinator of AlumnaeRelations for WLI. As such, she isresponsible for coordinating WLI eventsand the scholarship fund. Gutreich, whoworks part-time at Hartford Seminary, isalso Parish Secretary at ConcordiaLutheran Church in Manchester anddrives a school bus for that town. She iscurrently finishing her Master’s degree atHartford Seminary in Women,Spirituality and Religion with anemphasis in Biblical Studies. Gutreich, a1999 alumna of WLI, lives inGlastonbury.

P R A X I S2 P R A X I S 3

Editor: Christine Palm • Designer: James Baker

Reprint and copy information: Articles may be

reprinted if full credit is given to Hartford

Seminary and the author, if bylined in Praxis. For

our records, please inform us if you plan to

reprint or photocopy any part of Praxis. Letters to

the editor are welcomed. If you would like addi-

tional copies of this issue of Praxis or back issues,

please contact Christine Palm, c/o Hartford

Seminary, 77 Sherman Street, Hartford, CT

06105. For information about Praxis, please call

860/586-8030, or by e-mail: palm@snet.net. For

all other information concerning Hartford

Seminary, call 860/509-9519.

Welcome New Seminary Staff

Yvonne Bowen-Mack Shantee McKissick

Editor’s Note: In response to thetragic events of Sept. 11, we areissuing this special edition of Praxis.Due to the large volume ofinformation contained herein, theAnnual Report, which normallyappears in this year-end issue, willrun in the spring issue. Weappreciate the forbearance of ourgenerous donors and we hope thisdoes not inconvenience any of you.If you would like information onthe 2000-2001 Annual Fund drive,please call the InstitutionalAdvancement Department at860/509-9520.

To the Editor:

I just wish to let you know that HartfordSeminary has been very important to me.In 1991, at the age of 40, as I explored thepossibility of becoming an ordainedclergyperson, I took the advice of a friendand tried some courses at HartfordSeminary. It was a wonderful start.

After two years of study there, I becameaware that I felt called to ordainedministry so I transferred to AndoverNewton Theological School to earn my M.Div. Things did not work out for me thereand I ended up in the “wilderness” forawhile. During my wilderness journey, Ibecame aware that I was not comfortablein the denomination in which I was raisedso I changed.Thanks to Hartford Seminaryfor helping me to realize that I did nothave to remain in the same denominationin which I was raised.The ecumenicalnature of H.S. was so helpful.

Finally, I went back to seminary in full-swing in the fall of 1997. Between H.S. andA.N.T.S. I had accumulated one year’sworth of credits. So, for two more years, Iattended the Lutheran Theological Schoolat Philadelphia as a resident-commuter. Iwould leave my home here in Portland,Connecticut on Sunday afternoon and ridethe train to Philadelphia where I wouldstay until Thursday. I would then returnhome and do my field education at achurch in this area. In 1999, I was awardedmy M.Div. from L.T.S.P. then went on to doa “fourth-year internship” in Norwich,Connecticut. In the fall of 2000, I wascalled to serve as the pastor of BethlehemEvangelical Lutheran Church in EastHampton. I was ordained in October.

I just wish to say thank you to HartfordSeminary for helping me get a great start. Irecommend H.S. to many people who arelooking for more on their spiritualjourneys.

May God continue to be with you in theyears to come.

Yours in Christ,Fred William (“Bill”) Hodge, Pastor Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church East Hampton, Connecticut (via e-mail)

Cover photoinset: Speakers atthe Inaugurationceremony included,from left to right:Daniel O. Aleshire,Ali Antar, StephenFuchs, Martin L.Budd, HeidiHadsell, David D.Daniels III, IngridMattson and WalterHarrison. Seeprogram for details,page 11.

Correction:DeborahHeibler,ExecutiveAssistant tothe President,lives inFarmington,rather thanGlastonburyas previouslyreported.

Nancy Gutreich

Ever responsive to its students’ needs,Hartford Seminary has expanded its Masterof Arts program to include a newconcentration in Spirituality. Consisting ofsuch varied courses as Spirituality 2001, TheArt of Spiritual Direction, Spirituality andthe Worshipping Community, Spirituality ofBiblical Witnesses, Spirituality in theWorkplace, Drumming and PersonalSpirituality, Spirituality on the Web, andDiscerning Spirituality through Novels, theconcentration aims at integrating behaviorand belief.

“It’s an opportunity to focus ondiscerning the spirit of faith now and intothe future of our rapidly changing world,while honoring the traditions of the past,”says Miriam Therese Winter, Professor ofLiturgy, Worship, Spirituality and FeministStudies and Director of the Women’sLeadership Institute at Hartford Seminary.

“My definition of ‘spirituality’ does notbuild on the root word ‘spiritual,’ but rather,‘spirit.’ In this new concentration, we arelooking to evoke both the spirit of God andthe spirit of ourselves. This is not a removalfrom the world, but rather a way to seek anddiscern the spirit in the world and in therealities of daily life. This includes, forexample, the crisis of Sept. 11 – theoutpouring of caring and compassionrevealed to us the best of who we are,”Winter said.

Students who complete this degreeconcentration will have grown in anunderstanding of spirituality as a way of lifethat intentionally integrates behavior andbelief while honoring one’s personal search

for meaning. Core to the program is exposureto a rapidly changing world and itsmultifaceted implications, diversity inunderstanding and relating to the Divine, adeepening of one’s awareness of the Spirit ineveryday life, and an application oftheoretical learning to reflective prayer andpractice. Up to six credits of the Women’sLeadership Institute may be applied towardthe concentration.

In addition to the new M.A.concentration, the Seminary now offers aGraduate Certificate in Spirituality, whichcan be a steppingstone to the M.A.concentration. Six courses are required forthe Certificate and applicants must have aB.A. in order to enter the program. Onceenrolled in the Certificate program, studentsmay apply their work toward credit in theM.A. degree with a concentration inSpirituality.

“Like WLI, the Certificate program isholistic and experience-based,” says Winter.“In this respect, it’s a building block whichhelps people move into the system andfurther their education without jumpingtracks.”

Previously, the Seminary offered aMaster of Arts concentration and a GraduateCertificate in women, spirituality andreligion. With the introduction of this newspirituality emphasis, the old concentrationand Certificate now focus on women andreligion.

For further information, please call860/509-9512 or write tocourses@hartsem.edu.

New M.A.Concentrationin Spirituality

B y C h r i s t i n e P a l mPraxis Editor

“It’s an opportunityto focus ondiscerning thespirit of faith now and into the future of ourrapidly changingworld, whilehonoring thetraditions of the past.”

Miriam Therese Winter,Professor of Liturgy,Worship, Spirituality andFeminist Studies andDirector of the Women’sLeadership Institute atHartford Seminary

In Memoriam

Stanley J. Samartha, who received aPh.D. from Hartford Semianry in 1958,died in Bangalore, India, on July 24. Dr.Samartha, who attended the KennedySchool of Missions from 1950 to 1951and was a Seminary Teaching Fellowfrom 1957 to 1958, was director ofthe World Council of Churches’ sub-unit on Dialogue with People of LivingFaiths and Ideologies from 1970 to1981.

Georges Lemopoulos, acting generalsecretary of the World Council, said ofhim,“Dr. Samartha is rememberedwith great respect and appreciationfor his remarkable contribution to theecumenical movement and his pio-neering efforts in making the concernfor dialogue with neighbors of otherfaiths an enduring commitment in theWorld Council of Churches . . .Thosewho worked with him speak of hisclarity of vision, his excellent leader-ship and his meticulousness inresearch and expression. He createdspace for representatives of otherfaiths, inviting them in openness andgenerosity to the table for dialogue.His contributions have set the stagefor all subsequent work the WCC hasdone in interfaith dialogue.”

In addition to his studies at HartfordSeminary, Dr. Samartha studied atMadras University, United TheologicalCollege in Bangalore and UnionTheological Seminary in New York. Healso did postgraduate studies at theUniversity of Basel. In addition to hiswork as lecturer, professor and princi-pal, he was the author of a number ofbooks, including The Courage forDialogue (WCC, 1981) and BetweenTwo Cultures: Ecumenical Ministry in aPluralist World (WCC, 1996).

S. Read Chatterton, who earned aMaster of Divinity degree fromHartford Seminary in 1936, died onAugust 13 in Lake Charles, Louisiana.Mr. Chatterton served as pastor ofseveral churches in Connecticut andMassachusetts, including the FederatedChurch in Edgartown, on Martha’sVineyard, which he served from 1957to 1972. He retired in 1972 andmoved to California, where he servedin various capacities before his finalmove to Lake Charles.There, heserved as a pastoral care adjunct forthe First Presbyterian Church.

When he left service in Edgartown,the local newspaper honored him, say-ing:“For many people of Edgartown,whether they were members of hisflock or not, it will be difficult to envi-sion life in town without him, withoutthe complex Chattertonian personalitywhich has made its presence felt farbeyond matters of the spirit . . . It can-not be denied that this peculiar amal-gam of impregnable conscience, astrin-gent wit, enthusiastic activism, readyempathy and plain old unabashed NewEngland nosiness has added a distinc-tive zest to the day to day affairs ofthe community.”

Our prayer and thoughts also are withthe loved ones of the following mem-bers of the Hartford Seminary com-munity who died recently.

Mattie Biggs, ‘90, died on 7/31/2001.

Bobby McCrorey, ‘96, died earlierthis year.

Mary Miller, ‘82, mother of JewelMiller-Ellison, ‘90, died on April 27,2000.

Dennis L. Perkins, ‘93, died on July13, 2001.

in America at the annual meetingof the Connecticut Conference,United Church of Christ, inDanielson, CT, three days afterdelivering a general lecture to theuniversity community atWashington & Lee University inLexington, VA.

• Ingrid Mattson participated for 60minutes during the afternoondrive-time rush hour on NationalPublic Radio’s Talk of the Nation,discussing “Religion and the Waron Terrorism.” She also wasquoted in a Los Angeles Timesstory, “Muslim Chaplains Play aNew Role,” which has led toincreased interest in theSeminary’s Islamic ChaplaincyProgram.

All three faculty members of theMacdonald Center for the Study of Islamand Christian-Muslim Relations,together with Seminary Dean IanMarkham and Adjunct Professor ofArabic Steven Blackburn, led a courseon understanding Islam on theBeliefnet.com website. This three-weekcourse reached thousands of people,beyond the 500 who actuallyparticipated in the dialogue. Anyonewho logged onto the Beliefnet.com sitecould read the information being postedon the five Seminary dialogue boards.

The Beliefnet course illustrates thequest for knowledge that peoplenaturally turned to the MacdonaldCenter to respond to.

Steven Waldman, editor-in-chiefand co-founder of Beliefnet, said,“Beliefnet decided that given thetremendous thirst for information aboutIslam, we had an obligation to providehelp quickly and responsibly, and theMacdonald Center at Hartford Seminarywas the perfect partner.’’

Hartford Seminary also is working

to publish a book on September 11, witha preliminary title of “September 112001: A historical, theological, andsocial critique.” Ian Markham, who iscoordinating the project, wrote in hisbook proposal, “It is clear that thetragedy of September 11 2001 is apivotal event in relations between thewestern and Islamic worlds. Given thatreligious misunderstanding is at the heartof it, a critique by historically sensitivespecialists in the field is urgently needed.The book aims to provide that critique.”

Some of the book’s chapters woulddiscuss the event itself, the UnitedStates context, the Islamic context,Islamic attitudes toward the UnitedStates, Islamic theologicalinterpretations of the event, theappropriate United States response,dialogue between different worldviews,interfaith prayer, returning to churchafter September 11, violence and faith,and civil rights and terrorist situations.Publication would occur in early 2002.

Jane Smith also is working withHeidi Hadsell, Worth Loomis and theNational Council of Churches on aseries of projects that will foster anongoing relationship between theMacdonald Center and the NCC.Among the activities underway arerepublishing with a new introductionMarston Speight’s book “God is One,”which is designed to help churchesunderstand Islam, and preparation of asummer course that Smith will offer forChristian leaders on Islam andChristian-Muslim relations. TheMacdonald Center and the NCC alsoare working on an African AmericanChristian-Muslim dialogue. The MuslimWorld will have a special issue on “Islamand the West” edited by Yvonne Haddadof Georgetown University and Smiththis year and a special issue on“Christian-Muslim Relations” in 2002.

Since September 11, telephone callsand email messages have continuedunabated to the faculty at theMacdonald Center and also at theHartford Institute for Religion Research,seeking speakers, comment or advice.Invitations have come from the wholespectra: faith communities to retirementcommunities, traditional media to onlinechat rooms, graduate and undergraduatecolleges to high schools and teacher andprincipal associations, civic membershiporganizations to public communitygroups.

Sometimes we reach thousands ofunseen readers or listeners, throughcomments in newspaper articles, radioappearances, authorship of articles orparticipation on website discussionboards. Sometimes we talk face-to-facewith large or small groups, allowing fordialogue and discussion.

As Muslims, Ibrahim Abu-Rabi’ andIngrid Mattson in particular are soughtas interpreters of Islam from a Muslimperspective. Each has offered greatinsight.

Abu-Rabi’, in an essay titled “Atthe Heart of Religion” (HartfordCourant, September 23, 2001), wrote,“Undoubtedly, sacrifice is at the heart ofmany Western and Eastern religions. Ithink that we as theologians must dwellat length on the notion of sacrifice. Isn’teducation a form of sacrifice? Or doingrighteous deeds? Sacrifice in thismeaning, as positive action to safeguardthe welfare of people, has a tremendouspotential to engage all the good forces insociety to uplift the status of everyindividual man and woman. This is theconstant duty of all of us in this shortlife of ours.”

Mattson, in an essay titled“American Muslims Have a SpecialObligation” (Beliefnet.com, October 11,2001), wrote, “American Muslims havegenerally been more critical of injusticescommitted by the American governmentthan of injustices committed byMuslims. This has to change.

“For the last few years, I have beenspeaking publicly in Muslim forumsagainst the injustice of the Taliban. Thiscriticism of a self-styled Muslim regimehas not always been well received. SomeMuslims have felt that public criticism ofthe Taliban harms Muslim solidarity.Others have questioned my motives,suggesting that I am more interested inserving a feminist agenda than anIslamic one. My answer to the apologistshas always been — who has the greatestduty to stop the oppression of Muslimscommitted by other Muslims in thename of Islam? The answer, obviously, isMuslims.”

Faculty member Kelton Cobb wrotea companion article to Abu-Rabi’’scommentary, in which he offered atheological perspective that confrontedthe issue of violence straight on: “WhenI suggest that it is a distortion todistance Islam from violence, evenviolence of the worst sort, I am not

P R A X I S 5P R A X I S4

Sept. 11 Continued from page onesingling Islam out. All major worldreligions preach non-violence, while inthe back room, some religious peoplesanction violence. And they’d better. Anhonest look at history can’t escape thefact that the best, most extensivelyhumane periods of social order andcivilization that have been achievedhave required some passage eitherthrough war, or the threat of war.”

To reach a local audience, Abu-Rabi’ offered a special course onUnderstanding Islam over two Sundaysat the end of October and beginning ofNovember. The ten-hour course wasdesigned to enhance mutualunderstanding betweenMuslims and non-Muslims.Both the public and themedia attended. Earlier inOctober, Abu-Rabi’ andMattson spent two hourswith the staff at HartfordSeminary, in an educationalforum on Islam.

To reach a national –and possibly international –audience, Mattson spoke ata conference on “Faith inthe Face of Terror” onOctober 22, in Washington,D.C., that was sponsored byFaithandValues.com andstreamed live over theInternet.

The Hartford Institutefor Religion Research alsohas helped the public, boththrough the media andthrough lectures, understandthe role of faith in society today,especially in the aftermath of September11.

“The notion that people of faithmight unite around praying for peaceand justice is certainly a powerfulnotion,” Nancy Ammerman of theHartford Institute said in a column inThe Hartford Courant (Amy Pagnozzi,October 5, 2001). “Judging from my e-mails, many communities are alreadymaking attempts to envisage what justicewould be like – if justice were notrevenge, but real justice: the world putback the way it ought to be,” she said.

Scott Thumma, faculty associate atthe Hartford Institute, updated theMacdonald Center website to includeboth the faculty’s work since September11 and resources for those seekinginformation on Islam and Christian-

Muslim Relations. Visitors to the sitecan read the articles faculty have writtenin response to the terrorist attacks. Theyalso can read their online articles (suchas the first chapter in Jane Smith’s bookIslam in America), lectures and reviewsas well as learn more about theMacdonald Center.

The outreach efforts divide intoseveral categories. What follows is asummary of these activities. This is notan all-inclusive list, but should give asense of how intense a period this hasbeen for Hartford Seminary.

Academic speeches were delivered

at Brown University, Depauw University,Capitol Community College, GeorgeWashington University, Manchester andTunxis Community Colleges, PittsburghTheological Seminary, PurdueUniversity, University of ConnecticutLaw School, Washington & LeeUniversity, Wesleyan University andLitchfield Academy. Mattson spoke to 50school principals at the New BritainBoard of Education. Hadsell spoke to thecollege and New Britain community atCentral Connecticut State University.

Topics included: Gender andAuthority in Islam, Islamic Law andTerrorism, The Sacred and Violence,The United States and the MuslimWorld since 1945, and Taliban: Do TheySpeak for Islam?

The faculty also made presentationsto churches and church groups and

spoke or are scheduled to speak to allmanner of local audiences, from the staffat the Connecticut Department ofRevenue Services to the MasonicGeriatric Center to a town meeting inWallingford to the staff at the PhoenixCompanies Inc.

Media interviews occurred with theWall Street Journal, New York Times,Los Angeles Times, Time, Newsweek,U.S. News and World Report, ChicagoTribune, Christian Science Monitor,Baltimore Sun Lehrer News Hour onPBS, MSNBC, and the NBC and CBStelevision stations in Hartford. The

Hartford Couranthas publishednumerous storiesquoting HartfordSeminary faculty.Many of thesearticles have led toadditional stories byreporters in a sort-ofchain reaction.

Two facultymembers spoke atthe annualconference of theReligionNewswriters’Association.Mattson appeared ona syndicated talkshow hosted by PeterWeissbach out ofSeattle and on Talkof the Town onNational PublicRadio, as well as

CNN.com’s Community chat room. Abu-Rabi’, in one of his posts to his

students in the Understanding Islam on-line mini-course, wrote, “The Muslimreligious phenomenon is a complex onethat traverses over 14 centuries ofhuman history, and the Muslim worlditself is a multi-ethnic, multi-glot andmulti-cultural world which has beenformed against a number of social,historical, and religious backgrounds.The Muslim world is far frommonolithic. It is very diverse; it is verycomplex.”

Our aim has been, and continues tobe, to interpret the complexity of theMuslim world for our manyconstituencies.

11“An honest look at history can’t escape

the fact that the best, most extensively humane periods of social order

and civilization that have been achieved have required some passage

either through war, or the threat of war.”

K e l t o n C o b b

“Who has the greatest duty to stop theoppression of Muslims committed

by other Muslims in the name of Islam? The answer, obviously, is Muslims.”

I n g r i d M a t t s o n

Continued from previous page

Continued on next page

P R A X I S 7P R A X I S6

Hartford SeminaryTeaches “UnderstandingIslam” on Beliefnet.com

B y D a v i d S . B a r r e t tDirector of Public and Institutional Affairs

This fall, Hartford Seminary entered intoa partnership with the Beliefnet.comwebsite to help the public understandIslam better.

Since September 11, it has beenincreasingly important to understand thenature of Islam. Yet those who are notMuslim or an Islamic scholar may havebecome utterly confused about thisreligion.

Does it really condone violence, asOsama bin Laden says? Or is it apeaceful religion that has been hijackedby terrorists? How is it similar to ordifferent from other faiths?

For three weeks, Hartford Seminaryfaculty helped the public explore boththe basics of Islam and the issues in thenews today. The Seminary was uniquelypositioned to provide this on-lineeducation through its Macdonald Centerfor the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations. The center is theUnited States’ oldest center for suchstudy.

Seminary faculty moderated fivedialogue groups on Beliefnet.com.Serving as moderators were: IbrahimAbu-Rabi, Ingrid Mattson and Jane I.Smith, who are professors of IslamicStudies and Christian-Muslim Relationsat the Seminary; Ian Markham, who isdean of the Seminary, and StevenBlackburn, adjunct professor of Arabicand reference and learning resourceslibrarian at the Seminary.

The groups drew outstandingresponse from the participants. Eachgroup’s participants posted hundreds ofcomments and questions,

Underscoring the importance ofunderstanding Islam is a recent reportfrom David A. Roozen, professor ofreligion and society at HartfordSeminary, in which he said thatincreasing diversity across religiousgroups is one of four religious mega-trends that are changing the foundationsof faith communities in America today

Roozen characterized the trend as

“ecumenical to interfaith,” reflecting aconsciousness about America’s religiousdiversity. The tragic events of September11 have showcased this development, hesaid.

“Nearly every major worshipservice, most notably those including thePresident of the United States, were notonly ecumenical in nature, but wereproactively interfaith. And beyond ourtraditionally understood melting pot ofProtestant, Catholic and Jew, theservices intentionally included Islam,”Roozen said.

“The Democratic presidency ofJimmy Carter will long be associatedwith our country’s rediscovery ofevangelical Protestantism. With equalirony, it will likely be that theRepublican presidency of George W.Bush is long remembered as marking theofficial acknowledgement andaffirmation of Islam’s addition toAmerica’s interfaith reality,” he said.

The Belieftnet.com dialogue groupsserved as mini-courses for thoseparticipating in them and also were opento all those who simply wanted to learnmore through readings. The Seminaryfaculty provided papers on the basicbeliefs and practices of Islam (written byIan Markham), Islam and the modernworld (written by Ibrahim Abu-Rabi’)and Islam and the role of women(written by Jane I. Smith).

The faculty of the Seminary alsotaught daily lessons on the followingtopics:

• Basic Beliefs and History• Jihad and Martyrdom • Geography and demographics • Muslims in America• American Foreign Policy in the

Muslim World• Osama Bin Laden • Pakistan and Afghanistan • The significance of the Qur’an

and Hadith• The role of the prophet

Muhammad in Islam• The Crusades and Christian-

Muslim Relations• Islamic dress• Islamic law • Islamic economics• Mysticism• Sunni and Shi’ite traditionsMarkham, the Dean of the

Seminary, said that the Seminary hopes

the mini-courses provided the opportunity tounderstand the diversity within theIslamic world. “We want to explore therole of Islam within in the modern worldand help the audience understand someof the complexities within the Islamicworld,” Markham said.

Beliefnet is the leading multifaithmedia company and website on religion,spirituality and inspiration.

The Beliefnet discussions areavailable to anyone interested in readingmore about Islam. To access thediscussions, visit www.Beliefnet.com andregister yourself. On the home page,locate the “Dialogue Groups” link andclick on it. This will lead you to theArchives and then to the Islam file. TheSeminary’s discussions are labeled“Understanding Islam 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.”

American Muslims Have A ‘Special Obligation’

B y I n g r i d M a t t s o nProfessor of Islamic Studies and Christian-MuslimRelations, Hartford Seminary

The terrorist attackon Sept. 11thexacerbated a double-bind AmericanMuslims have beenfeeling for some time.So often, it seems, we

have to apologize for reprehensibleactions committed by Muslims in thename of Islam. We tell other Americans,“People who do these things (oppressionof women, persecution of religiousminorities, terrorism) have distorted the‘true’ Islam.”

And so often we have to tell otherMuslims throughout the world thatAmerica is not as bad as it appears. Wesay, “These policies (support foroppressive governments, enforcement ofsanctions responsible for the deaths ofalmost 1 million Iraqi children, vetoingany criticism of Israel at the UnitedNations) contradict the ‘true’ values ofAmerica.”

But frankly, American Muslimshave generally been more critical ofinjustices committed by the Americangovernment than of injusticescommitted by Muslims. This has tochange.

For the last few years, I have beenspeaking publicly in Muslim forums

against the injustice of the Taliban. Thiscriticism of a self-styled Muslim regimehas not always been well received. SomeMuslims have felt that public criticism ofthe Taliban harms Muslim solidarity.Others have questioned my motives,suggesting that I am more interested inserving a feminist agenda than anIslamic one. My answer to the apologistshas always been—who has the greatestduty to stop the oppression of Muslimscommitted by other Muslims in thename of Islam? The answer, obviously, isMuslims.

I have not previously spoken aboutsuicide attacks committed by Muslims inthe name of Islam. I did not avoid thesubject—it simply did not cross my mindas a priority among the many issues I feltneeded to be addressed. This was a grossoversight. I should have asked myself,Who has the greatest duty to stopviolence committed by Muslims againstinnocent non-Muslims in the name ofIslam? The answer, obviously, is Muslims.

American Muslims, in particular,have a great responsibility to speak out.The freedom, stability, and strong moralfoundation of the United States are greatblessings for all Americans, particularlyfor Muslims.

Moreover, we do not have culturalrestrictions that Muslims in some othercountries have. In America, Muslimwomen have found the support andfreedom to reclaim their proper place inthe life of their religious community.And Muslims have pushed and beenallowed to democratize their governingbodies. Important decisions, evenrelating to theological and legal matters,are increasingly made in mosques andIslamic organizations by elected boardsor the collective membership.

But God has not blessed us withthese things because we are better thanthe billions of humans who do not livein America. We do not deserve goodhealth, stable families, safety andfreedom more than the millions ofMuslims and non-Muslims throughoutthe world who are suffering from disease,poverty, and oppression.

Muslims who live in America arebeing tested by God to see if we will besatisfied with a self-contained, self-serving Muslim community thatresembles an Islamic town in the Epcotglobal village, or if we will use the manyopportunities available to us to changethe world for the better—beginning withan honest critical evaluation of our own

flaws. Because we have freedom and

wealth, we have a special obligation tohelp those Muslims who do not—byspeaking out against the abuses ofMuslim “leaders” in other countries.

In his speech to the nation,President Bush argued that AmericanMuslim leaders and other moderatesrepresent the true voice of Islam. This istrue, and we therefore need to raise ourvoices louder.

So let me state it clearly: I, as anAmerican Muslim leader, denounce notonly suicide bombers and the Taliban,but those leaders of other Muslim stateswho thwart democracy, repress women,use the Qur’an to justify un-Islamicbehavior and encourage violence. Alas,these views are not only the province ofa small group of terrorists or dictators.Too many rank-and-file Muslims, intheir isolation and pessimism, have cometo hold these self-destructive views aswell.

The problem is that other Muslimsmay not listen to us, no matter how loudour voices. Surely President Bush wantsthe moderate voices not only to beraised, but also to be heard. AmericanMuslim leaders will be heard only if theyare recognized as authentic interpretersof Islam among the global community.This will be very difficult to achieve,because our legitimacy in the Muslimworld is intimately linked withAmerican foreign policy. Anunderstanding of some importantdevelopments in Islamic history andtheology will clarify this apparently odddependence.

According to Islamic doctrine, afterthe death of the Prophet Muhammad,no Muslim has the right to claiminfallibility in interpreting the faith.There is no ordination, no clergy, nounquestioned authority. This does notmean that all opinions are equal, northat everyone has the ability to interpretreligious and legal doctrine. Solidscholarship and a deep understanding ofthe tradition are essential. But not allscholars are considered authoritative.Most Muslims will accept the opinionsonly of scholars who demonstrate thatthey are truly concerned about thewelfare of ordinary people. People simplywill not listen to scholars who seem tobe mostly interested in serving theinterests of the government.

Throughout Muslim history,religious leaders who advocated

Respect forthe Other isEssentialB y H e i d i H a d s e l lPresident, Hartford Seminary

The shared values of Hartford

Seminary faculty and the

wider Hartford Seminary

community include respect for

the other, interest in the

beliefs and world view of the

other, and openness to the

possibility that encounter and

relationship with the other

may in surprising ways change

the self. We do not expect or

even seek to always agree with

the other; our purpose is,

rather, academic inquiry and

dialogue.Because of these shared

values and because of our

expertise both in the social

scientific study of religion and in

Islam and Muslim-Christian

dialogue we have in the last

several months found ourselves

very much in demand as sources

of information and interpretation.

It is a part of our mission as a

Seminary as well as a great

privilege for Hartford Seminary to

be able to play this important

public role.

In the near future these

shared values and the ways we

witness to them as individuals

and as an educational institution

may become all the more critical,

especially if there is a time in

which the existent open spaces

between our religions and

communities narrow and become

even more contested. Thus it is

with a renewed sense of purpose

and commitment to our shared

values that we have undertaken

the activities presented in this

special report.

S P E C I A L R E P O R T Continued from previous page

Continued on next page Continued on next page

P R A X I S8 P R A X I S 9

aggression against the state were usuallymarginalized. After all, most Muslims didnot want to be led into revolution—theysimply wanted their lives to be better.The most successful religious leaderswere those who, in addition to servingthe spiritual needs of the community,acted as intermediaries between thepeople and state. There have been times,however, when hostile forces attacked oroccupied Muslim lands—for example,the Mongol invasions, (Christian)Crusades, European colonialism, and theSoviet invasion of Afghanistan. At thosetimes, people needed revolutionaryleaders; those who were unable to unite

the people against aggression wereirrelevant.

The question we need to ask is, atthis point in history, what do Muslimsneed to hear from their leaders? Whatvoices will they listen to?

In the midst of a global crisis, itseems that American Muslims are beingasked to choose between uncriticalsupport for rebels acting in the name ofIslam and uncritical support for anyactions taken by the Americangovernment. Osama bin Laden hasdivided the world into two camps: thosewho oppose the oppression of theMuslim people, and those who aid inthat oppression. President Bush hasdivided the world into two camps: thosewho support terrorism, and those whofight terrorism.

Where does this leave AmericanMuslim leaders who oppose theoppression of the Muslim people andwho want to fight terrorism? In theincreasingly strident rhetoric of this war,we may be considered traitors by bothsides.

Nevertheless, we must continue tospeak. We have to speak againstoppressive interpretations of Islam andagainst emotional, superficial, andviolent apocalyptic depictions of a worlddivided. And in our desire to showourselves to be patriotic Americans, wecannot suppress our criticisms of theUnited States when we have them.

We have to do this, not onlybecause it is the right thing to do, butalso because if we do not, the Muslimworld will remain deaf to our argumentsthat peaceful change is possible, and thatrevolt and ensuing lawlessness almostalways cause the greatest harm to thepeople.

It is in the best interest of theUnited States that we be permitted tocontinue to speak. In many parts of theworld, those who speak out againstcorruption and unfair governmentpolicies are jailed, tortured, and killed.In such circumstances, very fewpeople—only those who are willing torisk losing their property, their families,their security, and their lives—willcontinue to speak out. Only the radicalswill remain.This article first appeared on Belieftnet.comon October 11, 2001.

Only Through Your LoveWe Can Survive!A poem to the children of the deceasedin the attacks on New York City andWashington, D.C.

B y I b r a h i m M . A b u - R a b i ’Professor of Islamic Studies and Christian-MuslimRelations; Co-Director, Duncan Black MacdonaldCenter for the Study of Islam and Christian-MuslimRelations, Hartford Seminary

I fix my gaze on youreyes,/ Trying to fathomthe depth of youranguish/ And theextent of your pain.

When yourparents kissed you

goodbye that morning/ It never crossedyour minds that you would never meetagain;/ Buried under the rubble, thebodies of your loved ones/ Have dottedour imagination and our conscience,

And have made you dearer to usthan before./ Your pain has thrown meinto the unspoken pain of the millions

Of suffering children around theworld, JUST like you/ I feel as though myraison d’etre, my foundation, my identity/Has been shattered beyond belief./However, your beautiful and sad eyes giveme/ A glimmer of light, hope, andanchor;/ I tread the path of agony, thistime, not alone,/ But in unison with you;/I surrender myself completely to you,

You have become my guide, just likethe SAGE in Dante’s Divine Comedy;

You have become my teacher, givingme lessons in love,/ Humility, andcompassion;/ I see on the horizons thebeginnings of a new dawn;/ I see yourcompassionate smile/ Taking me by thehand in the new darkness/ Surroundingthe world./ Your proximity to me hasmade life meaningful again./ Yes, we willovercome this tragedy together;

Yes, we will overcome it togetherwith the suffering children of the world.

When? I do not know!/ The worldseems to be poised on creating/ Moresuffering for children like you./ But I amsure that one day we will overcome;

I am sure that one day your smilewill melt down all the anger/ And hatredof this world./ I am sure one day you willhelp us to reconnect to theCompassionate God of the wholeuniverse.

Torah In the Face of Disaster(Editor’s Note: Rabbi Stephen Fuchs, seniorrabbi of Congregation Beth Israel, WestHartford, CT, delivered this address to hiscongregation in September. Rabbi Fuchs is amember of the Board of Trustees andAdjunct Faculty at Hartford Seminary. Hetaught a course on “How Jews ReadScripture” for the Seminary’s Fall 2001semester.)

B y R a b b i S t e p h e n F u c h s

Rosh Hashanah 5762—This is the day theworld was created. Wecelebrate on RoshHashanah thepartnership of Godand humanity to bring

order out of primordial chaos. This yearwe do more than celebrate, this year westrive to undo the horrible work of thosewho have brought chaos out of order.

As I stand before you on this RoshHashanah, I wonder what it is I can addto the volumes that each of you hasread, to the bounty of material that eachof you has heard about this horriblecrisis. I know that my only possible wayto be helpful is not as a politicalcommentator which I am not, not as apsychiatrist which I am not, not as apolitician which I am not, and certainlynot as a military expert which I am not— but as a Rabbi and a teacher ofTorah.

For us Jews, Torah is the lens whichallows us to see life more clearly, and itis, I believe, Torah to which we can turnto find comfort, to find guidance, to findsolace in this hour. When we turn toTorah, though, we must find the greatmiddle ground. We must find the greatmiddle ground between fanaticism andfundamentalism on the one hand, and those who would dismiss Torah as fairytales and foolishness on the other.

The stories of Torah are more thanfairy tales. They have much to teach usabout life. And so, look at them withme, as we examine the present situationwe are in. The story of creation, whichRosh Hashanah celebrates, teaches usthe important truth that we human

beings —created in God’s image— are incharge of and are responsible for thisworld. It is an awesome responsibilityand a tremendous amount of power.

Created in God’s image does notmean that we look like God. Created inGod’s image means that we have thepower that is most like God. We humanbeings are the only creatures who walkthis earth that can go to the side of amountain and mine ore and turn thatore into steel to make bombs and gunswhose only purpose is to kill and tomaim. But thankfully, we human beingsare the only creatures on this earth whocan go to the same mountain and minethe same ore to make the steel to forgethe most delicate surgical instruments, tooperate on an open heart or a humanbrain. The power is ours and the freewill is ours to choose in which directionwe shall incline.

People ask me so frequently:“Where was God? Why didn’t God stopthis horror?” For me, the answer to thatvery important question is found at thevery beginning of the Torah — in thethird story in Genesis, in the story ofCain and Abel. It is the story of twobrothers who make offerings to the Lord.One of the offerings finds acceptance;the other does not. Each of us knowshow we feel when others reject ourofferings. Each of us knows the angerand jealously that he or she felt. It is atthe moment when his anger andjealously were most acute, that Godaddresses Cain and says: “I know howyou feel. I know what you are thinking.Don’t do it! If you do your best, there isuplift—if not, sin waits for you at thedoor. Its urge is toward you, but you canrule over it.”

But even after a one on one visitfrom God, Cain still killed his brother.The story teaches us so beautifully whatGod is and what God is not. God is thevoice within us if we seek to hear it, thatcan guide us in the path of righteousnessand justice but God does not thwart freewill.

And so, when Cain decided to killhis brother, God, of course, did not stophim. It is the same principle thatallowed Hitler to run rampant and todestroy two thirds of Europe’s Jews. It isthe same principle that allows these

terrorists to harness the technology withso much potential for good and use it forsuch unspeakable evil. It is a humanproblem and God is not to blame.

Very early in the Torah, we learn weshould not expect God to stop suchthings—that is our job! And how should

we do that job? How should we dealwith those who threaten the freedom ofour citizens to move about the land andthe air of this country?

The answer comes from anotherstory in Genesis —the story of Noah.You remember that God was disgustedwith the world and decided to destroy it,but Noah was a righteous man, so Godcommands Noah to build an Ark. Andwhen the people, according to theMidrash, saw Noah building this ark,they laughed at him: “What are youdoing building this huge boat? We’re not

We have to speak against

oppressive interpretations of

Islam and against emotional,

superficial, and violent

apocalyptic depictions

of a world divided.

And in our desire to show

ourselves to be patriotic

Americans, we cannot

suppress our criticisms

of the United States

when we have them.

I n g r i d M a t t s o n

S P E C I A L R E P O R T S P E C I A L R E P O R T

Continued on next page

“Where was God? Why didn’t God stop this

horror?” For me, the answer to that very

important question is found at the very

beginning of the Torah — in the third story in

Genesis, in the story of Cain and Abel. It is the

story of two brothers who make offerings to

the Lord. One of the offerings finds

acceptance; the other does not. Each of us

knows how we feel when others reject our

offerings. Each of us knows the anger and

jealously that he or she felt. It is at the

moment when his anger and jealously were

most acute, that God addresses Cain and

says: “I know how you feel. I know what you

are thinking. Don’t do it! If you do your best,

there is uplift—if not, sin waits for you at

the door. Its urge is toward you, but you can

rule over it.”

R a b b i S t e p h e n F u c h s

Continued from previous page

P R A X I S10 11

in the middle of an ocean. We are in adesert.”

Then the rain started to fall, andthen it fell harder and harder. All of asudden, the people who laughed wantedto get into the ark, and when theycouldn’t, they wanted to topple the arkand destroy it.

What was the response? Godarranged for the ark to be surrounded byferocious lions—lions around the ark toguard it from those who would threatenthe free movement of travelers.

The lesson for our time is so clear.Airport security is not and should not bethe job of six-dollar-an-hour employeeswhose only training for their task is thatthey watch a twenty-minute video!Airport security should be the domain ofserious, well-trained professionals —lionsaround the ark— who know how toprotect and defend those who wish totravel.

“What does God want from us?”The answer emerges from the story ofthe Binding of Isaac. God, Abraham,and Isaac, in a religious test to be sure,put on a religious demonstration. TheBinding of Isaac was not just a test offaith but a declaration of the limits offaith—a proclamation for all time—thatno true religion ever requires theshedding of innocent blood in its name.

That is the lesson that the fanaticsof all religious stripes must learn. And ifthey are not able to learn, we must teachit to them emphatically. We can notallow their philosophy to conquer ours.

Still we ask: Why must innocentpeople die? There are mysteries in theworld that we shall never understand,and that is another vital lesson for us tolearn on this Rosh Hashanah.

Jacob, Abraham’s grandson, aftercheating his brother twice, spent twentyyears with his uncle Laban, a sentenceperhaps, like a sentence in a prison or areform school. On the way back home,he comes to grips with everything he hasbeen and everything he has done. Anangel wrestles with Jacob until the breakof day. Jacob says, “I will not let you gounless you bless me,” and the angelblesses him. No longer is his name Jacobbut Israel, meaning “one who struggleswith God.”

Then, at the crucial moment, Jacobsays to this agent of God: “Tell me your

name. Let me know you.” But theresponse is abrupt and categorical: “Youmust not ask my name, you can notknow my name,” meaning there is muchabout God that none of us will everknow.

Even Moses who demanded of God:“Show me your glory,” even Moses couldnot know God completely. God said

okay: “Stand in the cleft of the rock. Iwill pass by. You will see some of it butnot all of it,” because ultimately, God isa mystery, and ultimately, that is why weworship God instead of expecting Godto worship us.

And what can we take from thistragedy? Where do we go from here? Wehave to look for and celebrate thoseglimmers of light, those silver linings,which do appear in the dark cloud.

For this, we look to Joseph, Jacob’sson, as an example. Joseph’s brothershated him; they threw him in a pit withsnakes and scorpions, according to ourtradition. They sold him away as a slave,his master’s wife wanted to seduce him,and he ended up in prison and there helanguished until he finally arose out ofhis abyss to become second in commandof all of Egypt. When his brothersappeared before him, he did notcomplain about what they did to him inthe past; and he didn’t look with angerat the negative. He said to them,“Although you thought to do me evil,

the Lord has turned it to good,” givingme opportunity to save many lives as thechief advisor to Pharaoh who saw thatcountry through a terrible famine.

I am not one of those who believesthat the good outweighs the bad, but Iam one of those who believes we mustlook to the good that comes out of thebad. People often say, “Well, theHolocaust was terrible, but we now havethe state of Israel.” If I had the choice, Iwould give back the state of Israel andeverything it has accomplished in orderto restore those million-and-one-halfJewish children to life, to bring back thesix million, to bring back the glory thatwas European Jewry, but life does notgive us that choice. And so, we mustplay the hand we are dealt.

Similarly, we can look at thistragedy and thank God for the examplesof the firefighters, the policemen, and allof those who did so much to save somany. Out of this worst of all tragedies,we have seen the best of human nature.There is a bright side in almosteverything if we look for it, and it is inthe nature of our tradition and ourpeople to find it.

So we look upon this tragedy, andour Torah guides us. We learn that lifehas purpose and that we have the powerto shape this world for good or for evil.We learn that it is not God who is toblame for the horror we are livingthrough. It is the responsibility of wickedpeople who have exercised their powerof free will.

We learn we must protect ourtravelers with “lions around the ark” orthe modern equivalent thereof. We learnthat the God that we worship, in noshape, size or form, requires the sheddingof blood in the name of religion. Welearn that God is a mystery, and we learnto find the bright side in even a horribletragedy such as this.

So we come to this Rosh Hashanahwith these lessons, and we know whatwe shall do. We shall continue to prayfor comfort and strength, and we shallcontinue to do good deeds of feeding thehungry and clothing the naked, andusing our power to make a better world.In the end, that is the most we can do,but with God as our witness, let us notdo any less.

Amen

At Hartford Seminary’s

Convocation and

Graduation on October 5,

Worth Loomis, a well-

respected businessman

and scholar, received a

Doctor of Divinity degree,

which is an honorary

degree awarded for

distinguished service to

religious communities. In

top photo, Martin L. Budd,

chair of the Seminary

Board of Trustees,

“hoods” Worth, in the

traditional ceremony that

occurs when someone

receives a doctorate.

Loomis recently stepped

down as dean of the

Seminary and now serves

as development director

for the Macdonald Center

for the Study of Islam and

Christian-Muslim Relations

and as Professor of Faith

and Public Life.The main

address at the

convocation, which serves

as the graduation

ceremony for the

Seminary’s degree and

urban ministries programs,

was delivered by Alvan N.

Johnson, pastor of Bethel

AME Church. In bottom

photo, Johnson addresses

the audience.

Loomis ReceivesHonorary Degree at Convocation

We learn that the God

that we worship, in no shape,

size or form, requires the shedding

of blood in the name of religion.

We learn that God is a mystery,

and we learn to find

the bright side in even

a horrible tragedy such as this.

R a b b i S t e p h e n F u c h s

S P E C I A L R E P O R T

Continued from previous page

PreludeKeyboard Improvisations Don McKeeverHartford Seminary Drum Choir Jan Gregory, DirectorTrumpet Fanfare Ross Tucker

The Processional

InvocationEfrain AgostoProfessor of New Testamentand Director, El Programa deMinisterios Hispanos, HartfordSeminary

Celebration HymnBlessed Be God

WelcomeMartin L. BuddChair, Board of Trustees,Hartford Seminary

Charges to the PresidentFrom the ReligiousCommunityStephen FuchsSenior Rabbi, CongregationBeth Israel, and Member, Boardof Trustees, Hartford Seminary

Edith A. GuffeyAssociate General Minister,United Church of Christ,Office of General Ministries

Ali A. AntarImam, Islamic Association ofGreater Hartford, Berlin;Chair, Department of Physicsand Earth Sciences, CentralConnecticut State University;and Member, Board of Trustees,Hartford Seminary

Barbara G. WheelerRepresentative of the StatedClerk of the General Assembly,Presbyterian Church (USA),and President, AuburnTheological Seminary

From the AcademicCommunityWalter HarrisonPresident, University ofHartford

Daniel O. AleshireExecutive Director, Associationof Theological Schools in theUnited States and Canada

A Musical TributeThe Alfred E. White ChoraleDirector, Ingrid B. Faniel

A ReflectionDavid D. Daniels IIIAssociate Professor of ChurchHistory, McCormickTheological Seminary

A Sung PrayerSpirit of the Living God

Charges to the PresidentFrom the Board of TrusteesMartin L. BuddChair; Partner, Day, Berry &Howard LLP

From the Faculty of Hartford SeminaryDavid A. RoozenProfessor of Religion andSociety and Director, HartfordInstitute for Religion Research

From the Students andGraduates of HartfordSeminaryWalter MayorgaGraduate, Programa deMinisterios Hispanos, andScience Teacher, MulticulturalMagnet School, Bridgeport

An Inaugural PrayerCarl S. DudleyProfessor of Church andCommunity, Hartford Seminary

The Investiture Martin L. BuddHeidi Hadsell

Address Heidi Hadsell

Hymn of PraiseSing a Song of Jubilation

A BlessingIngrid MattsonProfessor of Islamic Studies andChristian-Muslim Relations,Hartford Seminary

RecessionalYou Shall Go Out With JoyWe Are Marching In TheLight Of God

PostludeKeyboard ImprovisationsDon McKeever

P R A X I S

The InaugurationO F H E I D I H A D S E L L A S 1 0 T H P R E S I D E N TOF HARTFORD SEMINARY • SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2001

P R O G R A M

P R A X I S12 P R A X I S 13

F r o m S t e p h e n F u c h sSenior Rabbi, Congregation Beth Israel

“Zeh ha yom Asah Adonai. Nagilahv’nees-michah vo. (Psalm 118:24)

This is the day that the Almightyhas made. Let us rejoice and be glad init!”

Our tradition teaches thatAbraham’s tent was open on all sides sothat when he sat in it, Abraham wouldnever miss an opportunity to invite apasserby to come in.

Heidi, I hope you will always see thisday as an opportunity that God hasprovided you to make this seminary aTent of Abraham where all who seekreligious insight will feel welcome and athome.

You bring so many gifts: A finemind, an ability to focus on many thingswithout losing focus on any, a wonderfulability to listen born of genuine empathyand caring, and a great smile.

With these treasures to sustain you, Ipray you will guide this seminary to asacred and passionate middle ground:

Between those who defend Scripturewith fundamentalist fanaticism – andthose who dismiss it as foolishness andfairy tale.

Between those who say all religionsare really the same — and those who sayour differences are too great to bring ustogether in mutual respect.

Between those for whom a seminaryis a fortress for rigorous scholarship andresearch — and those for whom aseminary is a focal point for communityactivism.

Between those who say my faith isright and all others are wrong – andthose who say no faith is right and allfaiths are wrong.

Heidi, if you can guide us on thatsacred middle ground of respect, research,responsiveness and responsibility, then indays to come, observers will say of you, as

Mordecai said to Esther when the fate ofher people was in her hands:

“Oo mee yodea eem l’ate kazote hee-ga-at l’malchut.”

“Perhaps you have come to yourposition for just such a time as this.”

F r o m A l i A n t a rImam, Islamic Association of Greater Hartford

I am honored to have the privilege tospeak and give a charge on this specialoccasion, the inauguration of Dr. HeidiHadsell as President of HartfordSeminary.

(Qur’an 49:13)“O mankind! We created you from a

single pair of a male and a female, andmade you into nations and tribes thatyou may know one another, not that youmay despise each other. Verily the mosthonored of you in the sight of God is themost righteous of you. God has fullknowledge and is well acquainted withall things.”

Heidi, I am giving this charge, notonly on my behalf, but also on behalf ofthe Muslim community in the nation,especially the Islamic Association ofGreater Hartford in Berlin, theMuhammad Islamic Center in Hartford,the Islamic Society of WesternMassachusetts in West Springfield,Massachusetts and the Islamic Society ofNorth America.

We trust you come to HartfordSeminary with your excellent nationaland international expertise of theChristian Faith and global ethics thatyou will utilize with our multi-faith andmulti-ethnic Seminary community. Wetrust you will handle this with wisdom,compassion, modesty, integrity,resourcefulness and perseverance.

Let us all give our new president Dr.Heidi Hadsell our prayer and support inachieving her vision for HartfordSeminary.

F r o m Wa l t e r M a y o r g aGraduate, Programa de Ministerios Hispanos, andScience Teacher, Multicultural Magnet School,Bridgeport

Tengan todos muy buenas tardes,(Good afternoon everyone)

Quisiera empezar por darle lasgracias al comite organizador de esteevento por darme la oportunidad departicipar en esta preciosa ceremonia. Espara mi un verdadero honor y privilegioel poder dar la bienvenida a la Dr. HeidiHadsell a Hartford Seminary de parte delos “Ministerios Hispanos.”

Vivimos en tiempos difíciles y llenosde incertidumbre. Pero es en momentoscomo éstos que Dios, a través de lahistoria, ha llamado a hombres y amujeres para unir y guiar a su pueblo aalcanzar nuevas metas y nuevoshorizontes. Fue en momentos como éstosque Dios llamó a Josué para unificar a supueblo y conquistar la tierra prometida.Fue en momentos difíciles y llenos deincertidumbre que Dios llamó a Débora aunir al pueblo y derrotar a sus enemigos.Hoy, Dios también está llamando ahombres y a mujeres para unir y guiar asu pueblo.

Creo firmemente que Dios estállamando a la Dr. Heidi Hadsell aunificar y guiar a la comunidad

estudiantil de Hartford Seminary paraalcanzar nuevas metas y nuevoshorizontes. Pido a Dios que él continuedotándola de la sabiduría y la valentíanecesaria para alcanzar estos objectivos.

We live in difficult times; timesfilled with uncertainty. But it has been inmoments like this that God has calledboth men and women to unite and guideHis people to reach new goals andhorizons. It was in times like this thatGod called Joshua to unite His peopleand conquer the promised land. It was intimes of difficulty and uncertainty thatGod called Deborah to unite His peopleand defeat their enemies. Today, God isstill calling men and women to unite andguide His people.

I firmly believe that God is callingDr. Hadsell to unite and guide thestudent community of Hartford Seminaryin achieving new goals and horizons. Dr.Hadsell, it is my prayer today, that Godgrants you the wisdom and the courageto fulfill this calling.

I leave you with God’s message toJoshua as he prepared to enter thepromised land: “Be strong and of goodcourage; do not be afraid, nor bedismayed, for the Lord your God is withyou wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).

Heidi Hadsell1 0 T H P R E S I D E N T O F H A R T F O R D S E M I N A R Y

Charges to the President

Stephen Fuchs, David Daniels in procession

Edith Guffey, Efrain Agosto, WalterMayorga

David Daniels, M.T. Winter

Walter Harrison

Ingrid Mattson, Carl Dudley

F r o m E f r a i n A g o s t o

Bendito sea Dios, nuestro Creador.Blessed be the God who caused us to be,called us to flourish, created us free.

Gracias, oh Dios por este Gran Dia.Este es el Dia que hizo nuestro Dios, diade Alegria y de Gozo. This is the Daythat God has made. We shall rejoice andbe Glad in it.

We shall rejoice for all the beautifulpeople gathered together — Jews,Muslims, Christians, people of manyfaiths. People from Hartford,Connecticut, New England and NewYork. Friends and family from Chicago,California, and many parts of the UnitedStates. Friends and colleagues fromAfrica, Asia, Latin America, Europe,from all your great, created world, ohGod.

Este es tu dia, oh Dios, porque tantagente bella de todas partes del mundo

estan aqui en este lugar para celebrar connuestra nueva presidenta, Heidi Hadsell.Bendicela, oh Dios, en su dia, y bendiceeste gran seminario, y todo el trabajoimportante que hay por delante paratodo nosotros y nosotras. Darnos vision,dirreccion y sabiduria, que junto anuestra presidenta podemos tener unimpacto en este mundo que confrontatante dificultades en los dias por delante.

We pray for our new president,Heidi Hadsell, as we celebrate with herthis day, her day. We pray for ourSeminary and the important work thatlies ahead of us, together with Heidi, inthis troubled world, a world which sitsbefore you today, oh God, in this tent,represented by so many beautiful people,from all walks of life. Give us all vision,guidance and wisdom to confront allthat which lies ahead of us, we pray. Andwe pray for this wonderful service ofinauguration, invoking your presence. Be

Inaugural Prayers by Faculty at Hartford Seminary

Continued on next page

Continued on next page

Continued from previous page

Abdul Malik Mujahid, a speaker duringthe Inauguration weekend; Trustee M.Saleem Bajwa; Martin Budd, Chair of theBoard of Trustees

Alumna Judith Welles (right) speak-ing with Kaneez Bajwa and FatimaBoushaben.

Four national experts in the educationof religious leaders speak at aspecial Inauguration weekend forumon Saturday night. Hanging behindthem are quilts by Virginia Smanek.

P R A X I S 15P R A X I S14

honored by it, oh God, even as we honoryour servant, our sister, Heidi Hadsell.

Este es el Dia que hizo nuestro Dios.Alegremonos y gozemonos en el. This is theday that God has made. Let us, all of us,rejoice and be glad in it. This day andeveryday. Amen!

F r o m C a r l D u d l e y

In times of transition, we give our leaderpraise; in troubled times, we ask our leadersto produce. Hartford Seminary is uniquelysituated at this moment of history. We comein great need of God’s presence and guidance.

Let us pray. Almighty, all powerful God, You who are

merciful and compassionate, together we askyour blessing on our new president, HeidiHadsell.

As you have guided and strengthenedher in the past, now bless her leadershipamong us in these particular times.

As she has lived from the West Coast toNew England, and in between, make her bigenough to embrace our whole nation of suchamazing wealth and fearful pain, acrossdivisions that undermine us, and in hopesthat can unite us as your people.

As she is scholar of religious diversityand social ethics, challenge her to keep onlearning to help us to shape religious leaderswho honor the mystery of your presencedifferently among us, while finding ourcommon ground in the practice of our faiths.

As you have taught Heidi to be fluent inseveral languages, help her to guide ourSeminary and all who learn with usthroughout the world to know and buildupon the best of our traditions, yet also learnthe language and culture of others to learntheir silence and their sacred places as well.

Help us all to become seekers andhealers in our profound respect for yourcreative act in each of us, sensitive to ourmutual pain, celebrating old hopes andunseen possibilities.

As Heidi has challenged government forjustice and ecology in the Amazon, as shebrought conversation to conflicting religiousgroups at Bossey in the Alps, grant her thatpositive patience and relentless commitmentto give us leadership in this particularmoment of history, to engage a world whereour differences, ignorance, hatred have led todeath, to murder, in great numbers in a

horrible moment forever implanted on ourmemories, and in small numbers stretchedover many years in other nations of yourworld, and also here in Hartford.

Suffering and Loving God: As ournation is in a world at war, frightened byviolence and tempted by vengeance, in theleadership of our new president, grant us thecourage to hear and amplify the voices ofpoverty and powerlessness and in ourresponse, as a religious-educationalcommunity, grant us to be immoderate inlove, and risk, and willingness to sacrifice.

So bless and strengthen our leader forthese difficult times and bless all of us unitedin a cause so much larger than ourselves. Forwe ask it in God’s Almighty name.

Let all the people say, Amen.Let all the people say, Amen.

F r o m I n g r i d M a t t s o n

The Lord says:When my servants ask you about Me,

indeed I am near. I listen to the prayer ofevery suppliant when he calls on Me. So letthem listen to My call and believe in Me, sothey might be rightly guided. (Qur’an 2:186)

So, Oh Merciful One, we ask You withall humility to give us what you know is goodfor us.

Oh Knowing One, without You, we arepoor in knowledge, so help us to seek Youand attain useful knowledge.

Oh Subtle Creator, without You, we arelacking in vision, help us to see your wiseplan in all creation, so we can attain wisdom.

O Holy One, without You, we areinclined towards ourselves, let us know truelove of others through love of you.

O Lord, guide our leaders, especiallyHeidi Hadsell, bless our common work forwhat is good, protect our families and easeour journeys.

I leave you in the keeping of God, theOne who never fails His trust.

For anyone who loves this question as Ido, Hartford Seminary is a great place tobe. Hartford Seminary lives and teachesand researches and writes and formsreligious leaders, all in the spirit of thisquestion. Hartford Seminary takesdelight in having the conversation, orbetter, having a variety of conversationsand having them with a variety ofconversation partners. Its faculty has itsfingers on the pulse of many of the mostcompelling conversations in theologicaleducation today, conversations which

are important intellectually, of course,and also are critically important for thelife of churches and religiouscommunities around the nation andaround the world.

Hartford Seminary has been thiskind of a place with this kind of a spiritfor a long time, perhaps since itsinception, but certainly since the early

years of the twentieth century. Here isCharles Gross, then president of theBoard of Trustees speaking in 1927: “Noman in Hartford Seminary, whether he isPresident, Professor, Trustee, or student,is obliged to accept any doctrine whichhe does not believe himself. He isabsolutely free to seek the truth, as hefinds it, and to formulate his ownbeliefs… These men of alldenominations, men and women, arehere taught to work together inharmony, for the advancement of one

end – the kingdom of God.” What betterbasis we can add, for a rich ongoingconversation!

It is a common observation amongstudents, faculty alumni/ae and Trustees,that Hartford Seminary is a place almostimpossible to describe, especially in afew words. This is in part, of course,because there are no other seminaries

quite like us. We are a seminary whichdoes not have its own M.Div. program,(although we do have a cooperative onewith Andover Newton and Yale DivinitySchool); but which does have vigorousMasters Degree and Doctor of Ministrydegree programs, and several thrivingcertificate programs for leadership amongthe laity and the clergy. We are aChristian seminary with a newchaplaincy program for the preparationof Muslim chaplains ; we are a Christianseminary with growing years of

experience of and a deep commitment toMuslims on the faculty and Jews andMuslims on the Board. We are aseminary which values in equal measurethe empirical study of religiouscongregations and theological andbiblical reflection on the practice ofministry among peoples of faith. We area seminary which, right here in the Land

We are a seminary which, right here in the Land of Steady Habits, has made innovation a habit in itself.And we are a seminary which thinks of itself as local and values the local dimensions to its work, but atthe same time is aware that some of the people most interested in what we do are found all over thecountry, and indeed all over the world.

The President’s AddressDelivered by Heidi Hadsell at her inauguration as the 10th President ofHartford Seminary, September 30, 2001, Hartford, Connecticut.

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Ingrid Mattson delivers anInauguration prayer.

Martin L. Budd, Chair of the Board of Trustees, investsHeidi Hadsell with the rights and privileges of presidentof Hartford Seminary.

Michael Rion, formerHartford Seminary president,and Nancy Rion

Ineke Bijlefeld, James Cox-Chapman and ProfessorEmeritus Willem Bijlefeld

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“Where is the conversation?” That’s aquestion David Daniels often asks whenseeking to discover what is going on in agiven academic discipline, in an historicalmovement, in ministry, or in otherimportant settings. I have always loved thisquestion. I love it because it focuses not onwhat the commonly accepted propositionsare, or on the already agreed upon body ofaccumulated knowledge and truth, butrather on the growing edges. It asks where isthe disputed territory? What are thequestions? Why the debate? Where is theexcitement and the dynamism? Who is inthe dialogue? Where is the new emergingand where might it be going?

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of Steady Habits, has made innovation a habit in itself. Andwe are a seminary which thinks of itself as local and values thelocal dimensions to its work, but at the same time is aware thatsome of the people most interested in what we do are found allover the country, and indeed all over the world. I could go on,but the point is clear: no one need wonder why we are sodifficult to describe.

Difficult to describe yes, partly because we have no modelsto refer to. So we struggle to find words to describe ourselvesand our shared mission coherently, although not perhaps in

conveniently sized sound bites. One of the ways we describeourselves is to borrow the metaphor of conversation and tothink of ourselves as an institution characterized by a numberof simultaneous and quite different conversations, each ofwhich has its own logic and coherence and interlocutors;conversations which then coalesce around common projects,academic values and commitments, and the mission of theinstitution. Conversation as a metaphor is helpful because itexpresses well the sense Hartford Seminary has of itself as aneducational institution which at its heart involves dialogue.The commitment to dialogue across many boundaries is acommonly and deeply shared value, an existential postureeven, at Hartford Seminary, and it is one of the primary wayswe “support faithful living in a pluralistic and multi-faithenvironment.”

By definition a dialogue is somewhat open-ended. It is ajourney that has not been precisely mapped, although is it not

without direction. It is a process of mutual discovery whichpromises the possibility of something new emerging, perhapssomething no one has dreamed of or expected, a realigning ofthe self perhaps, a reshaping of one’s own hopes and dreams. Adialogue involves the I-Thou relationship explored by theJewish philosopher Martin Buber several decades ago. AtHartford Seminary one finds this spirit present in many kindsof dialogue. Let me name just a few which I have observedsince I have arrived.

There is, for example, an on-going dialogue between theempirical study of religious groups both locally and across thenation, and the theological reflection on them; there is alsothe dialogue with the groups who are and have been studied,and dialogue inside their congregations about what the studiesmight mean for them. There is also a dialogue between theacademic resources for ministry such as theology, bible,liturgy, ethics, on the one hand, and the practice of ministry

itself as embodied in specific denominational or ethnic orlinguistic contexts on the other; and then there is acomparative dialogue between faiths, which is both descriptiveand analytic, and the theological dialogue between thosefaiths, most often between Christianity and Islam, but also andimportantly, inclusive of Judaism, along with a dialogue of lifeitself as our students study together and live side by side.Through its various institutional partnerships and friends,there is an on-going and significant dialogue between theSeminary and the city to which it is committed.

And now today a new form of dialogue is emerging tocomplement the face-to-face conversation one finds in ourclassrooms and meeting spaces. I mean, of course, the growingelectronic dialogue which enables individuals to participate invirtual communities of learning no matter where they are. Inshort, dialogue, conversation, in its many forms, is at thecenter of the life at Hartford Seminary.

A number of these dialogues or conversations to which weare committed are also at the growing edges of theologicaleducation in North America, and sometimes too are on thegrowing edges of North American life in general. BeforeSeptember 11, inter-religious conversation was already agrowing concern in theological education and in manycommunities in North America, and most certainly abroad.The interfaith conversation, often led by those outside theUnited States, was finding significant echoes here as somebegan to comprehend the full reach and nature of religiouspluralism in the United States. Hartford Seminary hasparticipated in the leadership of this growing national andinternational conversation because of its commitment to inter-religious study and longer years of preparing people for ministryabroad in the Middle East and elsewhere, earlier in its history.

Today, after the tragic events of September 11 and theignorance about and prejudice towards Islam that has beenrevealed, the participation and leadership of HartfordSeminary in these now widening and increasingly urgentconversations feels more like an institutional responsibility or,speaking like my Calvinist ancestors, even a call from God toserve the wider public even more than before. And indeed ourfaculty has been very active in these last weeks in a variety ofpublic settings explaining the history, theology andcontemporary dynamics of Islam, reflecting theologically onviolence and religion, and explaining the nature of North

American religious pluralism. I strongly believe that with ouracademic expertise, our years of experience, and our clearcommitment to dialogical relations, we have a new public aswell as academic role to play in the world. Thus in a small waywe can contribute to the local, national and internationalconversations which must now begin across the ancient faultlines of race, nationality and religion.

But it is also clear today, if it has never been quite clearbefore, that as important and pressing as the inter-religiousconversation is, it needs to be accompanied by new models oftheological reflection. Christian theological reflection that is

intentionallyconducted inthe light ofthe presenceandknowledge ofotherreligions isfor example apressingconcern.Whatdifferencereligious

plurality makes to Christian identity is a critically importantquestion today. Can Christians in good conscience continue tothink theologically and to behave morally as if there are noother religions in the world, or as if the only properrelationship to other religions is that of evangelization andconversion or mutual ignorance and dislike? These aretheological questions that all religions need to ask themselves.Perhaps or better said, certainly, they are questions mostfruitfully pursued in the presence of friends and colleagues fromother religions, friends who raise their own questions andconcerns and who help keep us honest with ourselves. Happilywe have this kind of conversation built into our reflection atHartford Seminary.

In Christian theological education a decade or two ago welearned, slowly, but we did learn, that the theological,liturgical, historical, biblical, conversation was incompletewithout women’s voices as an integral part of it. We alsolearned, even more slowly and painfully, that the conversationwas incomplete without Latino and African American andAsian and other Christian voices. The value of these lessons iswell attested to at Hartford Seminary where I am sure no onecan imagine any longer an institution without our BlackMinistries Program, or the Hispanic Ministries Program, or ourWomen’s Leadership Institute; nor would there be much of afaculty without women, Latinos or African Americans. By thesame token, we can no longer imagine the theologicalconversation without Muslim and Jewish participation. Inthese years, years by no means free of conflict, we have grownolder together and learned together and here at HartfordSeminary our circle would not be complete without each other.In My Fair Lady Henry Higgins finally realizes that he can nolonger live without Eliza Dolittle, and he sings, “I’ve grownaccustomed to her face.” At Hartford Seminary we have grownaccustomed to each other’s faces. This experience is a gift, it

seems to me, and one that bears sharing with our sisterseminaries here and abroad.

In this way Hartford Seminary is today called to be apioneer in theological education, just as it was a pioneer in1889 when it was the first seminary in North America to admitwomen students. And that same pioneering spirit was presentin 1913 when Hartford agreed to become non-denominationalin its Board of Trustees, its Faculty and its student body.

Over the last few weeks, very tragically and painfully theUSA has awakened to the fact that we are a part of and notapart from experiences, histories and religious dynamics incontexts that are physically distant. The dynamics ofglobalization have brought changes in North Americanreligion that have been imperceptible for some and for othersstill incomprehensible. Getting an empirical handle on NorthAmerican religious diversity is one of the challenges ofcontemporary theological education and an area whereHartford Seminary contributes to the larger academiccommunity as well as to the self-comprehension of thecommunities that are studied. This national focus quicklybecomes international in scope as researchers abroad turn tothe HIRR for research expertise and as we look to partnersabroad for their varying experiences of and conceptualizationof religious life and religious plurality. The intersection of thelocal, national and international in this area as elsewhere atHartford Seminary is evident and inevitable. We embrace ourinternational students, our international conversations, andour international partners in theological education. Theinternational dimensions of our institution enrich the work wedo nationally and locally. A delightful symbol for our decisionto live intentionally and simultaneously locally but alsonationally and internationally is in the person of our newDean, Ian Markham, who comes to Hartford Seminary fromGreat Britain. Ian began his Deanship in the spirit of HartfordSeminary by seeking local African American and Hispanicworship experiences. Welcome to the New World and to NewEngland, Ian.

In the years to come I intend that we continue in theareas in which we are already active, that we continue tocontribute to and, when appropriate, lead, creatively andenergetically, the conversations in which we are alreadyinvolved, and that we continue to move into being aninstitution where the pioneering spirit of dialogue marks allthat we do.

On September 11, and a number of times in the followingdays, members of Hartford Seminary sought each other out forcommon prayer. Trustees appeared, along with friends from thecommunity – Muslims, Christians, Jews, local clergy, faculty,students, alums, staff and people from the neighborhood aswell. We talked and consoled and prayed together in the spiritof the apostle Paul when he wrote: “if one member suffers, allsuffer together.” It felt good and right to be together buildingbridges over the traditions and experiences that often separateus humans from one another. I found myself grateful that I wasin this particular community when the evil event occurred. I, arelative newcomer, am grateful for being included, for beingembraced by this community, and I am grateful for the hopeand vision and support that this community provides. Thankyou, Hartford Seminary.

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Hartford Seminary faculty gather for the processional at the inauguration.

Clergy leaders line up for the processional.

The Hadsell family: John and Virginia Hadsell and HeidiHadsell’s children Martin and Nena

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Reunion Weekend 2002Faithful Living in a Troubled World

P R A X I S18

Call your fellow graduates.Mark your calendars andsave the date. But aboveall, make plans now toattend Reunion 2002.Following the success ofReunion 2000, HartfordSeminary will welcome allof its alumni/ae back tocampus on May 3 and 4,2002.

One of our mostdistinguished graduates, Dr.Andrew J. Young, Jr. ’55,will be the featured speaker.

Born in New Orleans on March 12, 1932, Andrew Younggraduated from Howard University in 1951. In 1955, a careerin ministry was born when he graduated from HartfordTheological Seminary with a Bachelor of Divinity. Soon afterhis ordination by the United Church of Christ, Young becamea pastor in Thomasville, Georgia where he spearheaded a voterregistration drive.

Young served as the associate director of the Departmentof Youth Work of the National Council of the Churches ofChrist in the USA, from 1957-1961. “I was introduced to theglobal church, and I learned to appreciate the church as aninstitution with enormous political influence as well aspersonal significance.” He would return to the NationalCouncil in 1999 when he was elected president.

In 1964 as a top aide to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Youngserved as the director of the Southern Christian LeadershipConference. He was elected as executive vice president of theSCLC in 1967. During his tenure with the SCLC, Young wasinvolved in the desegregation plans for southern cities, byworking with business and political leaders.

Young was elected a representative from Georgia, in 1972,the first black United States Representative from Georgia sinceReconstruction. In 1977, after three terms, President Carterappointed Young as Ambassador to the United Nations. Moregovernmental service followed when Ambassador Young servedas mayor of Atlanta – and played an important role in securingAtlanta as the site for the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Now a founder and chairman of Good WorksInternational, Andrew Young is involved in providing servicesto clients (including corporations and governments) wishing toset up contacts and do business in Africa. He sits as a memberon many boards of directors including Delta Airlines, ArcherDaniels Midland, and others and has received the PresidentialMedal of Freedom as well as many honorary degrees. HartfordSeminary will be bestowing its highest honor, the Cup ofCompassion, while Young is with us on May 3rd. Young is theauthor of two books, A Way Out of No Way (Thomas Nelson),and An Easy Burden (Harper Collins). Young’s books areavailable at the Hartford Seminary bookstore. Please callSharon Burt at (860) 509-9528 or email her atsburt@hartsem.edu for more information.

Tickets for Andrew Young’s May 3rd keynote lecture are

$15.00 for Hartford Seminary alumni/ae and current studentsand $20.00 general admission. This event is open to thegeneral public and pre-registration for all events is requested.A registration brochure will be mailed to all Alumni/ae withinthe next few weeks. Space is limited so please make sure toregister early.

Alumni/ae Dinner, May 3Before the lecture, catch up with classmates or make newfriends at the Alumni/ae Dinner. We will join together toreminisce about the good old days and share our thoughts forthe future. In addition to our presenting Andrew Young withthe Cup of Compassion, the Reunion 2002 recipient of theDistinguished Alumnus/a Award will be announced. Thedinner is open only to Hartford Seminary graduates and aguest. Tickets for the dinner are $15.00 per person.

Worship Service, May 4Following coffee and registration for Saturday’s activities, wewill gather together for a bilingual interfaith prayer service.

Faculty Seminars – Sessions I and II, May 4 Join Ibrahim Abu-Rabi’, Professor of Islamic Studies andChristian-Muslim Relations and Co-Director of theMacdonald Center for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations, Heidi Hadsell, President of HartfordSeminary, Ian Markham, Dean of the Seminary and Professorof Theology and Ethics, and David Roozen, Professor ofReligion and Society and Director of the Hartford Institute forReligion Research, as they present seminars on differentaspects of the Reunion 2002 theme: Faithful Living in aTroubled World. Abu-Rabi’ will offer his thoughts on AfterSeptember 11th: Muslim-Christian Dialogue. Hadsell willshare her views in International and Ecumenical: a Discussionon Global Christianity. Markham will discuss A Theology ofReligious Diversity: How Christians Understand Other FaithTraditions. Roozen’s seminar title is FACT and the FourMega-Trends Changing America’s Religious Landscape.

You may attend any two of the seminars for $10.00.

James Gettemy Significant Ministries Award Lunch, May 4A generous bequest from Jeanette Campbell to honor HartfordSeminary President (1958-76), James N. Gettemy has mademany Reunion 2002 activities possible. One such event is thepresentation by the Alumni/ae Council of the SignificantMinistry Awards. Recipients of these awards are recentgraduates of the Seminary who have made significantcontributions since graduation. Our guidelines for SignificantMinistry include:

1. The knowledge acquired at Hartford Seminary hasbeen applied in ministry

• and had a positive impact on the community; • contributed to ecumenical dialogue; or • influenced a transformation within a faith

community.2. The ministry of the Alumnus/a has been fruitful.

If you would like to nominate someone, please call theAlumni/ae Office at (860) 509-9518 or emailalum@hartsem.edu by January 18, 2002. To join in thefestivities please stay for lunch. Tickets for the awards lunchare $10.00 per person.

Reunion Closing, May 4As Reunion 2002 comes to a close we will conclude theweekend’s scheduled activities with time for fellowship.Participants are welcome to continue to socialize at ourCoffee and Social Time from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Dr. Andrew J. Young, Jr

B y M a r y K a l e n c i k

This year Hartford Seminary’s AnnualFund will be chaired by William J.Cronin, Jr. and Thomas F. Mullaney, Jr.will be vice chair. Bill and Tom are bothmembers of the Seminary’s Board ofTrustees.

Other members of this year’s AnnualFund Committee are Richard C. Diehland Amy B. Robinson, Co-Chairs of theAlumni/ae Appeal; Ned W. Edwards, Jr.and S. Edward Jeter, Co-Chairs of theCorporator Appeal; Samantha Gonzalezand Scott L. Thumma, Co-Chairs of the

Faculty and Staff Appeal; Courtney B.Bourns and Diane Dawson-Brown, Co-Chairs of the Friends Appeal; Gregory W.Schmidt and Brian R. Schofield-Bodt,Co-Chairs of the Synagogue/Church/Mosque Appeal; and Roseann LezakJanow, Chair of the Vendors Appeal.

We thank all of these volunteers for theirvery generous gift of time and for helpingwith the Seminary’s fundraising efforts.

This year’s first appeal and our largestappeal of the year started going out at theend of October. The letter highlights theimportant work that Hartford Seminary

does in the area of promoting interfaithunderstanding — work that is more vitalthan ever before.

We would like to give thanks to the 51volunteers and over 900 donors whohelped to make the 2000-2001 AnnualFund a tremendous success. A total of$172,132.35 was raised, which was a 5.5percent increase over the previous year.

If you have any questions regardingHartford Seminary’s Annual Fund, pleasecall our Institutional Advancement officeat (860) 509-9520 or send e-mail to giv-ing@hartsem.edu.

Giving at Hartford Seminary: Annual Fund 2001-2002

Reunion Weekend 2002

Friday May 3, 2002

Event Time Cost Location

Refreshments 5:30-6:00 p.m. Capital Community Collegeand Registration

Dinner 6:00-7:15 p.m. $15.00 Capital Community College

Dr.Andrew Young 7:30-9:00 p.m. $15.00 Capital Community CollegePresentation for Alumni/ae

and Current Students$20.00 General Admission

Saturday May 4, 2002

Coffee and Registration 9:00-9:30 a.m. Hartford Seminary

Worship Service 9:30-10:00 a.m. Hartford Seminary

Faculty Session I 10:00-11:15 a.m. $10.00 Hartford Seminary

Faculty Session II 11:30-12:45 p.m.

Awards Luncheon 1:15-2:30 p.m. $10.00 Hartford Seminary

Reunion Closing 2:30-4:00 p.m. Hartford Seminary

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tradition, present cultural realities and experience. IanMarkham, Dean of Hartford Seminary and Professor of Theologyand Ethics

Major Religious Figures: Howard ThurmanTuesdays from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on 1/29, 2/12, 3/12, 4/2, 4/30A study of the major writings of Howard Thurman will allowstudents to gain a deeper insight into the reflective mind of,arguably, one of the greatest scholars of the twentieth century.This course will study Thurman’s place as one of the seminalAfrican American religious thinkers of his time and hiscultural analysis, which, in part, helped in shaping the civilrights movement. Howard Thurman, the mystic, prophet, poet,philosopher and theologian, promotes the idea that out ofreligious faith emerges social responsibility. Benjamin K. Watts,Adjunct Professor of Theology and Pastor, Shiloh Baptist Church,New London

Spirituality on the Web (1 credit) Mondays from 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. on 1/28, 2/11, 2/25, 3/11,3/25, 4/1This course will explore the role of the Internet and the Webin one’s spiritual journey. It will incorporate readings, thepractice of various disciplines, and an extensive exploration ofwebsites and Internet forums to understand the benefits andlimits of engaging in spiritual practices in a cyber-reality. ScottThumma, Faculty Associate in Religion and Society, HartfordInstitute for Religion Research

Biblical Storytelling Wednesdays from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. on 1/23, 1/30, 2/6,2/13, 2/20, 2/27, 3/6, 3/13, 3/20, 4/3The art of biblical storytelling is a living link to oral traditionsembedded in the scriptures, a key to uncovering the wisdominherent in the living word and hidden within and behind thetext. Telling the story is an acquired skill and a rich spiritualdiscipline. A participatory course for all who love the Bibleand want to tell the story at the heart of a biblical spirituality.Miriam Therese Winter, Professor of Liturgy, Worship, andSpirituality and Director, Women’s Leadership Institute

AREA III: PRACTICES AND INSTITUTIONS

Leadership for Transformation Tuesdays from 4:30 p.m. – 6:50 p.m.For lay and clergy leaders, this course will identify resources,develop strategies, and practice essential skills for transformingministries. Faith communities learn by opportunity andsometimes threats, by hard work and taking risks, by practicalexperience and spiritual inspiration, by scriptural models andvisionary leadership. Using their congregational experiences ascase studies, students will examine how their unique qualitiescan be mobilized to encourage local leaders, strengthencommitments, organize resources, and focus their energies toexperience the satisfaction of changing to meet newchallenges. Carl Dudley, Professor of Church and Community andFaculty, Hartford Institute for Religion Research

Essential Skills in Pastoral CounselingWednesdays from 4:30 p.m. – 6:50 p.m.This course will offer pastors, lay ministers and caregivers anopportunity to learn basic counseling skills for use in pastoralsettings. Students will develop skills in assessment, honoring

ethical concerns and addressing the most common diagnosessuch as depression and anxiety. Attention will be given toclarifying the differences between pastoral care and pastoralcounseling. Issues of referral to professional mental healthresources and community agencies also will be addressed.Marcus M. McKinney, Adjunct Professor of Arts of Ministry andDirector of Pastoral Counseling, Saint Francis Hospital andMedical Center

Reclaiming the Art of PreachingTuesdays from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on 1/29, 2/12, 3/12, 4/2,4/30This course invites students who are currently or have beenrecently preaching on a regular basis to examine in some depththe various contexts which mold their preaching (includingpastoral, personal, liturgical, global, etc.). Students will havetwo opportunities to preach in class. This year particularattention will be paid to preaching in the context of currentevents. Rochelle Stackhouse, Adjunct Professor of Arts of Ministry

Pentecostalism: Social Realities and Theological FoundationsWednesdays from 7:00 p.m. – 9:20 p.m.Pentecostalism is a global movement with both religious andsocial dimensions. Given its phenomenal growth, it hasattracted significant attention in scholarly and popular studiesin recent decades. This course reviews the century-old historyof this movement, its biblical and theological foundations, andits ministerial practices in a variety of settings around theworld, but especially in the United States and Latin America.Special attention will be given to Pentecostalism’s multi-racialand multi-cultural aspects, including its popularity amongAfrican-Americans and Hispanics. Efrain Agosto, Professor ofNew Testament and Director, Programa de Ministerios Hispanosand Scott Thumma, Faculty Associate in Religion and Society,Hartford Institute for Religion Research

AREA IV: ISLAMIC STUDIES AND CHRISTIAN-MUSLIM RELATIONS

Islamic Mysticism and Muslim Devotional Life and Practice Tuesdays from 7:00 p.m. – 9:20 p.m.Sufism, which refers to the mystical tradition within Islam, isconcerned with the inner or esoteric understanding andpractice of Islam. This course will examine Sufi interpretationsof the Qur’an and the life of the Prophet Muhammad, andfollow the development of Sufi spiritual practice andreligious/philosophical thought with attention given toselected Sufi writers. The revival of Sufism in contemporaryIslam will be studied with examples from around the world,including the United States. Ibrahim Abu-Rabi’, Professor ofIslamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations and Co-Director,Duncan Black Macdonald Center for the Study of Islam andChristian-Muslim Relations

Islam in America and Western EuropeTuesdays from 4:30 p.m. – 6:50 p.m.This course considers the historical and current realities ofMuslims in the West, including the rise and development ofIslamic institutions and forms of leadership, Muslim worshipand devotional life, Islamic education and the range of issuesinvolved in living as Muslims in a western society. Jane Smith,Professor of Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations andCo-Director, Duncan Black Macdonald Center for the Study ofIslam and Christian-Muslim Relations

Hartford Seminary’s January session beginson Monday, January 14 and ends onFriday, January 18. The Winter/Spring

2002 semester begins on Monday, January 28 andends on Monday, May 6 (M.A.) or Tuesday, April30 (D.Min.). The Seminary offers a number ofcourses that are open to qualified members of thepublic on a space-available basis. Most coursescarry three graduate level credits. Students areurged to register early to ensure a place in theircourses of choice. For students enrolled in athree-credit course, the cost is $975. The auditfee is $450. A special audit fee of $225 for thosewho are 62 and over also is available. To register,please contact the Registrar’s Office at (860) 509-9511. Her e-mail is registrar@hartsem.edu.

JANUARY COURSES(January 14 – 18, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.)

The Life of the Prophet Muhammad The Prophet Muhammad is believed by Muslims to be the finalprophet of God and the model for their lives as individuals andcommunities. Through translated selections of originalhistorical sources, this course will survey interpretations of thepersonality and achievement of the Prophet made by Muslimand non-Muslim scholars. Muslim emulation of the Prophetwill be examined with reference to the Hadith literature anddevotional prayers. Ingrid Mattson, Professor of Islamic Studiesand Christian-Muslim Relations

The Old Ship of Zion: The History of African AmericanSacred Music A historical survey of African American sacred music,beginning with the psalm settings of the seventeenth centuryand proceeding chronologically through the Baptist LiningHymn, Negro Spirituals, and adapted Protestant and gospelhymns to traditional and contemporary gospel songs of the latetwentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Special attentionwill be given to theological, sociological and culturalimplications of the music on African American religion.Horace Clarence Boyer, Adjunct Professor of History and ProfessorEmeritus of Music, University of Massachusetts at Amherst

WINTER/SPRING COURSES

AREA I:TEXTS AND TRADITIONS

Hebrew Bible Survey IMondays from 4:30 p.m. – 6:50 p.m. An introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures, this course willapply historical-critical methods of study to develop aframework for understanding the origins of the texts and therelationship of the texts to one another. Attention will begiven to contemporary theories of biblical interpretation.Survey I will cover the materials in the Torah and Prophets(Genesis-Kings). Judy Fentress-Williams, Professor of HebrewScriptures and Director, Black Ministries Program

AREA II: FAITH AND REFLECTION

Good and Evil: The Ethics of Judaism, Christianity and Islam Mondays from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. beginning on February 11This course will provide the context for a consideration of theconcepts of good and evil in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.Attention will be given both to the origins of good and evil asfound in classical texts and to ways in which the threereligions have used the categories to frame their respectivemoral concepts. Adolfo Roitman and Ibrahim Ozdemir, HenryLuce Forum Visiting Professors of Abrahamic Religions. (Dr.Adolfo Roitman is an expert in the Dead Sea Scrolls and earlyChristianity. Dr. Ibrahim Ozdemir is an expert in Islam andreligious views of environmental ethics.)

Environmental Ethics Thursdays from 7:00 p.m. – 9:20 p.m.This course examines the ethical thought which informsapproaches to environmental questions from several differentreligious traditions and several different branches ofChristianity. The course intends that the student will learnabout environmental ethics – issues, challenges andconundrums – and will acquire a deeper understanding of theethical thought of major religious traditions both insubstantive terms and in terms of methods that varioustraditions use to think ethically. Heidi Hadsell, President ofHartford Seminary and Professor of Social Ethics

Constructive Theology Tuesdays from 7:00 p.m. – 9:20 p.m.In this course, we will examine several approaches to theology(e.g. Luther, Erasmus, Schleiermacher, Kierkegaard, Barth,Tillich, Ruether) that have arisen since the Reformation withthe intent of learning different ways in which such classicaldoctrines as revelation, God, the human condition, JesusChrist, and eschatology have been refined. Students will beinvited to think through how a theology bridges between

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Hartford Seminary CoursesJanuary and Winter/Spring ’02

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ENVIRONMENT FORUM FILLS THE HOUSE

A Forum on Religion and the Environment, heldOctober 4 and sponsored by the Seminary and theInterreligious Eco-Justice Network, filled the MeetingRoom with interested participants. More than 150people signed up to hear lectures, ask questions andlearn from workshops. Shown here is a workshop onearth prayers that was held in the Chapel. Keynotespeaker was Dieter T. Hessel, Director of the Programon Ecology, Justice and Faith. Participants alsolearned about ways to teach environmental issues,green energy and environmental racism. The Eco-Justice Network and the Seminary plan to offerfuture programs to meet the clear need forinformation on preserving our precious environment.

P R A X I S 23P R A X I S22

LANGUAGE COURSES

Introduction to Arabic, Part II Mondays from 3:30 p.m. – 4:40 p.m. and Thursdaysfrom 4:20 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. This is the second semester of a basic introduction toArabic, which assumes no prior knowledge of theArabic language. This course is designed to assiststudents who want to learn to read the Qur’an inArabic. Steven Blackburn, Adjunct Professor of Arabic

Intermediate Arabic, Part II Mondays from 4:50 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. and Thursdaysfrom 5:40 p.m. – 6:50 p.m.This is the second semester of Intermediate Arabic,designed for participants to consolidate their knowledgeof Arabic. Prerequisite: Steven Blackburn, AdjunctProfessor of Arabic

Introduction to the SeptuagintThursdays from 4:30 p.m. – 6:50 p.m.The Septuagint (LXX) is the name given to a collectionof documents that emerged from Greek speaking Jewishcommunities in the three centuries before the Christianera, translating the Hebrew scriptures for the first time.As such, it is a primary tool in the study of the textualhistory of the Hebrew Bible and the study of HellenisticJewish theological trends in the period immediatelybefore the Christian era. It is also the text primarilylooked to by the earliest Christians to discover the fullmeaning of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. Theprimary focus of the course will be the graded reading ofLXX texts, and sampling the various forms of literaturepresent in the collection. Hebrew will not be necessary;however, students enrolling in the course must haveattained an intermediate level of Biblical Greek. DonaldS. Larsen, Adjunct Professor of Greek and Senior Pastor,Grace Lutheran Church, Hartford

F a c u l t y N o t e s

At the end of August, Efrain Agostopreached at the Craigville Tabernacleat the United Church of Christ’sMassachusetts Camp ConferenceCenter in Craigville, Cape Cod. Healso had an opportunity after theservice to bring folks up to date abouthappenings at Hartford Seminary. Thisfall, Agosto was the “Guest Steward”for First Church of Christ,Congregational, in downtownHartford, which entailed doing a Biblestudy on stewardship with theStewardship Committee and preachingon Stewardship Sunday in November.At the Seminary, Agosto did the NewTestament portion of the SeptemberBible Institute to kick off the BlackMinistries Program. In October, hevisited Union Theological Seminaryin New York, where he serves as anoutside mentor for a Latino graduatestudent on behalf of the HispanicTheological Initiative. He also visitedSt. Paul School of Theology in KansasCity, Missouri, as a member of anAssociation for Theological Schoolsaccreditation team. In November hetraveled to Denver for the annualmeeting of the Society of BiblicalLiterature, where he continues to serveon the Committee onUnderrepresented Racial and EthnicMinorities in the Profession. InDecember, Agosto, along with FacultyAssociate Scott Thumma, offered acourse preview on Pentecostalism aspart of an Educational Outreachevent.

In August, Nancy Ammermanattended meetings of the AmericanSociological Association, in Anaheim,California, where she served as the2000-2001 chair for the Section onSociology of Religion. It was a busyfall for her at churches, preachingand/or leading workshops at SecondBaptist, St. Louis; Christ Church,Alexandria, Virginia, and SecondBaptist, Suffield, Connecticut. Shedelivered the Warren Lectures at theUniversity of Dubuque TheologicalSeminary October 31 and November1. On October 23, Ammerman led aconversation on sources of communityin a fragmented world. Thisconversation convened by the SamuelBronfman Foundation, in New York,included rabbis, academics, andvarious other leaders in the nationalJewish community.

Worth Loomis spoke at the HartfordFoundation for Public Giving’s AnnualReception on “Leadership GreaterHartford.” He also gave a talk at theYale Club in New York City on thesubject of “Trends in AmericanReligion.”

Since he became dean on August 1,Ian Markham’s focus has beenprimarily internal. He began a reviewof chapel and started to look at therequirements for a self-study inpreparation for an accreditation visitin 2003. In addition, he delivered apaper to the Collegial Sharing at theSeminary on “September 11 and theImpossibility of Dialogue.” Externallyhe has worked with the InterfaithFoundation’s patrons (Prince Hassan ofJordan, Prince Phillip of England, andSir Evelyn Rothschild), who are in theprocess of issuing a statement on “TheImportance of Encounter inEducation.” Markham was theprincipal architect of this statement.

Blackwell Publishing has offered him acontract for his next book, which willbe called A Theology of Engagement.

In September, David Roozenpresented a paper on four religiousmega-trends that are changing thefoundations of faith communities inAmerica today at the annual meetingof the Religion Newswriters’Association in Cambridge, MA. InOctober, he delivered the H. PaulDouglass Lecture at the joint annualmeetings of the Religious ResearchAssociation and Society for theScientific Study of Religion inColumbus, Ohio. His topic was,“10,001 Congregations: H. PaulDouglass, Strictness and ElectricGuitars.”

Miriam Therese Winter’s travelitinerary during recent monthsincluded speaking at the NorthwestCatholic Women’s Conference inSeattle, Washington; an enrichmentday for pastors and pastoral associatesin the Archdiocese of Anchorage,Alaska; a week-long course at theAtlantic Seminar in TheologicalEducation in Truro, Nova Scotia inthe company of biblical scholar JohnDominic Crossan; enrichment days forthe sisters of Mount Saint BenedictPriory in Erie, Pennsylvania, JoanChittester’s congregation; and talks atNational Call to Action Conferencesin Los Angeles, Philadelphia, andChicago. Winter continues to promoteher most recent book, Out of theDepths: The Story of Ludmila Javorova,Ordained Roman Catholic Priest,through additional book-signingevents and interviews with the press.

A l u m n i / a e N o t e s

Compiled by Mary Kalencik, Director of Annual Giving andDatabase Administration for Institutional Advancement

Marian L. Adams, ‘51, writes that her retirement has beenfun: the fun of serving God and His Church more complete-ly; the fun of writing and publishing a book, The Flame of theFire; and the fun of being able to travel more.

Alex Gondola, ‘00, has written Don’t Forget the Child:Sermons for Advent and Christmas, which was published byCSS Publishing Company of Lima, OH in June. Alex is alsoserving as Senior Pastor at the Dennis Union Church, UCC,in Dennis, MA.

Cyril H. Grant, ‘47, writes that he retired 18 years ago, butstill conducts two services every Sunday at the age of 82.

Earl M. Herrick, ‘66, has just retired as professor of linguis-tics at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. He is looking for-ward to staying in Texas for a few years while he teachespart-time, writes about linguistics, collects stamps, andbuilds computers. And then he plans to retire “somewherein New England.”

Margaret Berger Morse, ‘91, has revised and published herfirst book, Choices: A Journey of Faith under the new title,Torrey’s Miracle - A Matter of Choice. This book, which waspreviously mentioned in our September 2000 Alumni/aeNotes, is a story of Mrs. Morse’s family and their walkthrough cancer. It is a journey of healing through faith andalternative cancer therapy. Mrs. Morse has also writtenanother book entitled Vermont Life Stories - Memories ofSummer Living in the Green Mountain State. Both books werepublished by 1stBooks Library. Mrs. Morse would be happyto hear from readers at her e-mail cplottie@aol.com.

Van I.W. Stuart, ‘93, is the newly elected president of TheNew York Capital District Interdenomination MinistersConference and Pastor of the Friendship Baptist Church inSchenectady, NY.

A Preusse-less GiftA Special Bequest from a Very Special Alumna

Hartford Seminary wishes to acknowledge the receipt of avery special bequest left to us by Edith F. Preusse, ‘44, whopassed away on July 2 at the age of 86. Edith, whose obitu-ary appeared in the September 2001 issue of Praxis, was avery dedicated alumna who is missed by her friends atHartford Seminary. Less than one month before her death,Edith had attended our biennial Appreciation Dinner.

Edith, a member of the Mackenzie Heritage Society, left abequest of $39,481.11, which was received in October andhas been placed in the Seminary’s endowment. Its use willbe restricted to student scholarships. Hartford Seminary isvery appreciative of this very generous planned gift.

If you would like more information about Planned Giving atHartford Seminary, please call our InstitutionalAdvancement office at (860) 509-9520 or send an e-mail togiving@hartsem.edu.

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Hartford Seminary will present lectures,seminars and special events for people ofall faiths starting in January. For moreinformation or to register for any of theprograms listed below, please call theEducational Programs Office at 860-509-9512 or send an email message toinfo@hartsem.edu.

Annual Bible LectionaryGod’s Word in Greek: Paul’s Letter to theRomans (Part II)With Don Larsen, pastor of Grace LutheranChurch, Hartford, and adjunct professor ofGreek at Hartford SeminaryWednesdays, January 9, February 6, March 13,April 10, May 8 and June 51 p.m. – 3 p.m.

The Old “Meter Hymn” and Other Types ofGospel SongsWith Horace Clarence Boyer, professoremeritus of music theory and AfricanAmerican music at the University ofMassachusetts at Amherst and author of HowSweet the Sound – the Golden Age of Gospel.Co-sponsor: Church of the Good Shepherd,HartfordTuesday, January 157:30 p.m.

Spirituality on the WebWith Scott Thumma, Faculty Associate inReligion and Society at Hartford Seminary’sHartford Institute for Religion Research, andadministrator of the Hartford Institute web site,the Faith Communities Today web site, andnumerous other scholarly sites.Mondays, January 28, February 11, February 25,March 11, March 25 and April 17 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Luce Forum LectureGood and Evil: The Ethics of Judaism,Christianity and IslamWith Adolfo Roitman, Curator of the Shrine ofthe Book at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem;Ibrahim Ozdemir, Assistant Professor, AnkaraUniversity Divinity School; and Kelton Cobb,Professor of Theology and Ethics, HartfordSeminary. Roitman and Ozdemir are HenryLuce Forum Visiting Professors of AbrahamicReligions this semester at the University ofHartford and Hartford Seminary. Monday, February 117:30 p.m.

Understanding Islam With Ibrahim Abu-Rabi’, Professor of IslamicStudies and Christian-Muslim Relations andCo-Director, Macdonald Center for the Studyof Islam and Christian-Muslim RelationsSunday, March 171 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Islam and the WestWith Tariq Ramadan, a leading Islamic thinkeramong Europe’s second- and third-generationMuslim immigrants and professor of philosophyat the College of Geneva and Islamic Studies atthe University of Fribourg in Switzerland.Saturday, April 6, 7:30 p.m., at Saint John’sEpiscopal Church, West Hartford andSunday, April 7, 7 p.m., at Hartford Seminary

A Special Course PreviewReconciliation for Congregations andCommunities in a Global ContextWith Robert A. Evans and Alice Frazer Evans,Executive Director and Director of Writing andResearch at Plowshares Institute, Simsbury,respectively.Thursday, April 117 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Film Screening and DiscussionJews and Christians: A Journey of FaithPresented by Connecticut Public BroadcastingInc.Wed., April 247:30 p.m. Location: Cinestudio, Trinity College,Hartford

Reunion 2002Faithful Living in a Troubled WorldKeynote speech by Andrew Young, formerAmbassador to the United Nations;Faculty presentations by four members ofHartford Seminary’s faculty: Ibrahim Abu-Rabi’, Professor of Islamic Studies andChristian-Muslim Relations; Heidi Hadsell,President of Hartford Seminary; Ian Markham,Dean of the Seminary and Professor ofTheology and Ethics, and David A. Roozen,Professor for Religion and Society; Friday, May 3, 7:30 p.m. – 9 p.m., at CapitalCommunity College, Hartfordand Saturday, May 4, 10 a.m. – 12:45 p.m., atHartford Seminary

Congregational Studies Institute With Hartford Institute for Religion ResearchfacultyJune 20 - 25

Winter & Spring Events