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Introduction: Religious Traditions in Conversation

This issue of Religious Education revolves around a story of collaboration across religious boundaries and commentary on the questions the story raises. Although the story and the commentary describe and analyze what happened when twenty-two religious educators in the Catholic and Jewish communities studied together over nearly three years, the implications of their encounter transcend the modest number of those involved and the particularities of their religious traditions. By engaging in a "thick" description and analysis of the Catholic-Jewish Colloquium, we hope to stimulate serious reflection on the goals and processes of conversation between religious traditions in order to foster a genuinely pluralistic society.

We believe it is appropriate that the story and commentary appear in this journal. The essays testify to the importance of projects grounded in the knowledge and know-how of religious educators, and point to the distinctive contribution the field of religious education might make to interreligious dialogue. They also point to the transformative power of educational process.

A word about the structure of this issue. Under the leadership of editor-in-chief Hanan Alexander, Religious Education has inaugurated a fourfold format. The section on "Insights from Theory" brings research and scholarship to bear on critical issues in the intersection of religion and education, while that on "Insights from Practice" provides readers with studies of educational practice as well as reflections by practitioners. "Forum" includes conversations across different traditions of faith and points of view. "Critique" contains reviews of books and other resources.

Readers will find that this issue encompasses this format at its deepest level while following an organization more organic to the project under discussion. The issue as a whole is a forum, and in each section readers will find insights from theory and practice intertwined. Of the eighteen authors who offer commentary, eight participated in the Colloquium, and write from the perspective of their experience. The other ten work principally in colleges and universities. The annotated bibliography on Christian-Jewish Relations constitutes our contribution to the resources on this important subject.

We owe enormous gratitude to many. First and foremost, our thanks to the Lilly Endowment, Inc., not simply for the generous grant that supported our venture, but to the personal involvement of Drs. James Wind (now of the Alban Institute), Edward Queen II (now of Indiana University) and Craig Dykstra. We are grateful to the Institute of Christian and Jewish Studies in Baltimore, through whom the grant was managed. Director Christopher Leighton, associate Rosann Catalano and former associate Shira Lander, and coordinator Joan Marie Stief were a source of much help. Charles and Peggy Obrecht, so active in the Institute, offered us hospitality and support through every phase of the project. Our thanks, too, to the guest scholars whose expertise stimulated such rich reflection: John Coleman, Celia Deutsch, Hasia Diner, Anthony Saldarini and Michael Signer. Guests Elizabeth Losinski, Donald Goor and Dorothy Bass lent us their wisdom. Moreover, Dorothy’s intense interest in our project sparked many conversations that that have been central to our thinking and stimulate us to further collaboration.

We thank our eighteen authors who responded so thoughtfully and promptly to our invitation to write, and to Karin Case whose help has been invaluable in the editing process. We acknowledge with gratitude the work of Hanan Alexander and and the editorial staff of Religious Education, as well as the sage counsel of Barbara Ryan of the Religious Education Association.

Finally, we express our profound indebtedness to the commitment and love of the twenty-two religious educators who participated in the Catholic-Jewish Colloquium. We list them below, because it is to them that we dedicate this issue.

Mary C. Boys and Sara S. Lee

February 24, 1996

 

Participants in the Catholic-Jewish Colloquium

Ms. Marthajoy Aft
Bureau of Jewish Education
Newton Centre, Massachusetts

Rabbi Deborah Joselow

Temple Emanu-El

Westfield, New Jersey

Ms. Carol Augustine

Coordinator of Catechist Formation and Leadership Development

The Archdiocese of Baltimore (Maryland)

Rabbi Daniel L. Lehmann

Beth Tfiloh Community High School

Baltimore, Maryland

Ms. Joanne M. Cahoon

Coordinator of Adolescent Catechesis

The Archdiocese of Baltimore (Maryland)

Rev. Terry Odien

Director of Religious Education

Diocese of Camden, New Jersey

Ms. Joanne M. Chafe

Project Specialist, Adult Portfolio, National Office of Religious Education

Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

Ottawa, Ontario

Ms. Natalie Ray

Director of Education, New York Metropolitan Region

United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism

Ms. Anne Comeaux

Director of Religious Education

Diocese of Wheeling-Charlestown, West Virginia

Sr. Mary Scanlon

Co-director, Adult Catechesis

Archdiocese of New York (New York)

Rabbi Barry Diamond

Temple Emanu-El

Dallas, Texas

Ms. Barbara Veale Smith

Mercy High School

Farmington Hills, Michigan

Ms. Marci Dickman

Director, Special and Elementary Education

Council on Jewish Education Services

Baltimore, Maryland

Mr. Robert E. Tornberg

Cohen Hillel Academy

Marblehead, Massachusetts

Ms. Lois Edelstein

Educational Director

Temple Isaiah

Lexington, Massachusetts

Ms. Sandy Vogel

Director of Secondary Education

Board of Jewish Education of Baltimore (Maryland)

Dr. Shulamith Elster

Associate Professor

Baltimore Hebrew University

Baltimore, Maryland

Sr. Addie Walker

Associate Director

Institute of Black Catholic Studies

Xavier University of Louisiana

Ms. Joyce Gillooly

Director, Office for Adolescent Formtion and Youth Ministry

Diocese of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania)

 

Mr. Edmund F. Gordon

Diocesan Director of Religious Education

Diocese of Wilmington (Delaware)