Encounter Islam, October 22 & 23, 2010
Friday: 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm; Saturday: 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
St. David's Episcopal Church, Glenview, Illinois
Sponsored by the Evanston Deanery of the Diocese of Chicago and Seabury-Western Theological Seminary. Register online here. Click here to download a flyer and here for a downloadable registration form.
Encounter Islam explores one of the most important, relevant phenomena of our time: the influence of Islam. To live in a multi-faith world, non-Muslims must understand Islam’s realities and Muslims must understand the suspicions of non-Muslims. Together, Muslims and non-Muslims can become knowledgeable of each other and achieve common good. This is one of the world’s most urgent needs.
Going beyond media images and popular stereotypes, Encounter Islam provides facts and information about Islam worldwide: its history, beliefs, and traditional practices, as well as political and social trends associated with Islam.
This day-and-a-half program:
- Surveys the basis of Islam and the meaning of faith to Muslims
- Confronts the sources of misunderstanding and anger between Muslims and the Western world.
- Proposes pathways to cooperation in the workplace, schools, and civic life.
Combining expert presentations with open discussion, this program is a great opportunity to learn more about Islam and explore ways to better live and work in our multi-faith world. See a sample schedule of the program.
What past program participants say: “I had a limited and very stereotypical understanding of Islam and Muslims. Encounter Islam was a thoughtful, balanced and interesting introduction to an increasingly relevant and timely topic. In short, Encounter Islam was superb!” – Russell V. Palmore, Jr., Troutman Sanders
Faculty:
Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad, Ph.D., was born in 1948 at sea to Palestinian refugee parents and raised in Pennsylvania. He graduated cum laude from Harvard in 1970 and in 1975 obtained a Ph.D in astronomy and astrophysics from the University of Arizona. He is senior lecturer at the University of Maryland and has taught at Georgetown and Johns Hopkins universities. Dr. Ahmad has lectured on Islam at the Foreign Services Institute and for the Joint Special Operations University’s Middle East Orientation Course. He is President of the Minaret of Freedom Institute, an Islamic think-tank in the Washington, DC area. A popular speaker and writer, he is the author of numerous books and articles. He is also an Islamic chaplain at several hospitals, Imam of the Dar-adh-Dhikr Mosque, President of the Islamic-American Zakat Foundation, and arbitrator for the Coordinating Council of Muslim Organizations in the Washington area.:
The Rev. William L. Sachs, Ph.D. is Executive Director of the Center for Interfaith Reconciliation in Richmond, Virginia. In that work he develops educational programs on understanding and engaging constructively with Muslims and members of other faiths. Sachs holds degrees from Baylor, Vanderbilt, and Yale, and the Ph.D (History of Christianity) from the University of Chicago. He is the author of four books and more than 200 articles, chapters, reports, and reviews. As an Episcopal priest he has served five parishes in Virginia, Connecticut, and Chicago. A consultant with foundations and non-profit organizations, he is frequently interviewed by major media outlets including the New York Times.
The Center for Interfaith Reconciliation, an independent organization begun at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in 2006, the Center sponsors and participates in major interfaith gatherings and promotes local initiatives that build understanding and cooperation between people of different faiths.
For more information contact: Ruth Frey, Director of Continuing Education, Seabury-Western Theological Seminary. Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Phone: 847-328-9300 x 56