Abrahamic Voices in the Aftermaths
"How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?" John Kerry posed this question in 1971 while testifying before Congress about Vietnam. The question keeps returning to haunt us in other theaters of war. Twenty years ago, America invaded Iraq. As this year's Notre Dame Forum reflects on the aftermaths of that war, this forum invites us into a spiritual space of remembrance and healing. How can we appropriately recognize those who struggled to act with compassion amidst conflict, those who worked toward repair amidst catastrophe? What wisdom do the Abrahamic traditions offer? Join the Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion to hear three Abrahamic voices of prayerful reflection.
Light Breakfast will be provided.
Note: tables will be available for those fasting for Ramadan
Panelists
Roy Scranton (Welcome)
Roy Scranton is an essayist, novelist, literary critic, and climate philosopher, best known for his work on war, war literature, and the Anthropocene. He is the author of five books, and has written widely for publications such as the New York Times, Rolling Stone, MIT Technology Review, the Yale Review, and elsewhere.
Rabbi Karen Companez (Jewish)
Rabbi Karen Companez is pleased to be Temple Beth-El’s rabbi. Her passion for community-building fuels her rabbinate and she relishes the opportunity of leading Temple Beth-El into its next phase, welcoming new people through its doors, and accompanying its members, whether relatively new or long-time, along life’s path with all the attendant joys and trials that life brings, and doing this within the sheltering and nurturing tent of Judaism.
Mahan Mirza (Muslim)
An Islamic studies scholar and expert on religious literacy, Mirza brings extensive pedagogical and administrative experience to his role, including serving as dean of faculty at Zaytuna College in Berkeley, California, America’s first accredited Muslim liberal arts college. Immediately before his appointment to the Ansari Institute, Mirza served as the lead faculty member for Notre Dame's Madrasa Discourses project, which equips Islamic religious leaders in India and Pakistan with the tools to confidently engage with pluralism, modern science, and new philosophies.
Charles Powell (Catholic)
Charles W. Powell, a practical theologian, earned his Ecumenical Doctor of Ministry degree at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. He specializes in interreligious dialogue between Christians and Muslims and multifaith engagement. Powell travels extensively throughout the Levant and Gulf States and Europe engaging in conversations with Muslim scholars and practitioners of Islam in order to have a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Islamic milieu. He is a Visiting Academic Fellow at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, University of Oxford, UK. Additionally, Powell serves as an adjunct professor of Muslim-Christian relations at Holy Cross College.