1. Home ›
  2. News & Events ›
  3. News

News

Scholars unpack Indigenous insights at inaugural Nasr Book Prize Symposium

Author: Josh Stowe

Asian Traditions Panel

Global collaboration is crucial as the world confronts multiple crises and Indigenous ways of thinking can help point the way. So argued scholars from multiple faith and philosophical traditions, who converged on the University of Notre Dame’s campus Oct. 2-3 for the Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion’s inaugural Nasr Book Prize Symposium. 

Read More about Scholars unpack Indigenous insights at inaugural Nasr Book Prize Symposium

Clingen Family Center and Ansari Institute host "Islam and Ireland" conference

Author: Heather Stanfiel

16979edf E398 4102 Bca0 910c90d5a698

The Clingen Family Center for the Study of Modern Ireland, part of the Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies, and the Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion jointly hosted an October conference at the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin highlighting the everyday experience of Muslims…

Read More about Clingen Family Center and Ansari Institute host "Islam and Ireland" conference

New book examines the plight of migrants from a Christian perspective

Author: Patrick Gibbons

Groody Event Page Feature

“A Theology of Migration,” a new book by Rev. Daniel Groody, C.S.C., vice president and associate provost for undergraduate education at the University of Notre Dame, examines the historical, philosophical and theological perspectives on migration and asks readers to reconsider their views on how to understand and respond to this global crisis.

Read More about New book examines the plight of migrants from a Christian perspective

In new book on global Catholicism, Provost John McGreevy explores modern history, current challenges of the Church

Author: Carrie Gates

Bj 8

Through a series of compelling vignettes and detailed analyses, McGreevy traces the events and trends that gave rise to the modern-day Catholic Church, one marked by an unwavering concern for social justice, unprecedented vibrancy in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia and increasing global connections — and one that has significantly expanded the organizational and symbolic reach of the papacy.

Read More about In new book on global Catholicism, Provost John McGreevy explores modern history, current challenges of the Church

Iranian students urge Notre Dame community to amplify protestors’ voices

Author: Ansari Institute

Iran Protests

We are writing this because we want Notre Dame, as a nationally ranked Catholic research university in the US that supports justice and democracy, to now support the people of Iran. After George Floyd, the University mobilized for racial justice. After Ukraine, the University has mobilized against the war. It is time for Notre Dame to stand with Iranians crying out for justice. Iranian lives matter, too.

Read More about Iranian students urge Notre Dame community to amplify protestors’ voices

Ansari Institute and Religions for Peace Announce Strategic Partnership

Author: Josh Stowe

The Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion is partnering with Religions for Peace, the world’s largest and most representative multi-religious movement advancing common action for peace. The partnership will allow the two organizations to work together on joint educational…

Read More about Ansari Institute and Religions for Peace Announce Strategic Partnership

Ansari faculty fellow Karrie Koesel testifies on religious freedom in China

Author: Colleen Sharkey

Koesel Karrie Medium Feature

The associate professor will testify on the People’s Republic of China’s strategies for asserting party control over religion, especially through sinicization, which calls on religious believers to integrate party loyalty into all aspects of religious life. She'll offer recommendations for how Congress and the Biden administration can effectively advocate for freedom of religion in China.

Read More about Ansari faculty fellow Karrie Koesel testifies on religious freedom in China

On Poland trip, students reflect on religion, international law, and violence

Author: Josh Stowe

Powell Narrative Empathy

This summer, Charles W. Powell and Emilia Justyna Powell taught a summer study abroad course that challenged students to learn about atrocities such as genocide and crimes against humanity—including the Holocaust—in the context of international law, and to explore the role religion has played in international law.

Read More about On Poland trip, students reflect on religion, international law, and violence

Exploring Buddhism and the imagination: A conversation with faculty member Alexander Hsu

Author: Josh Stowe

Alex Hsu

In June, Ansari Institute faculty member Alexander Hsu attended “The Imagination and Imaginal Worlds in the Mirror of Buddhism,” a two-week summer institute offered through the National Endowment for the Humanities. The gathering, held at Mangalam Research Center in Berkeley, Calif., featured a mix of scholarly presentations, Q&A with faculty, and breakout sessions, all built around the concepts of Buddhism and imagination. Here, Hsu reflects on the experience, and the inspiration he drew from it as a scholar of Buddhism—and as a teacher.

Read More about Exploring Buddhism and the imagination: A conversation with faculty member Alexander Hsu

Reflections in Srebrenica

Author: Mohammad Farrae

Bosnia

"At the graveyard, while I was praying in my heart for the forgiveness of those that had passed away, I was reminded of our belief that those who are martyred in Islam are considered to have a guaranteed route to Jannat (heaven). And, I thought to myself, those who died did indeed die tragically, but those who survived experience the real test. How do you begin to deal with the loss of multiple family members? How do you begin to think about forgiveness? And for those who are aggressors: How do you even forgive yourself for the misguided actions you might have taken?"

Read More about Reflections in Srebrenica

Religion, identity, and peace: Learning through cultural immersion in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Author: Mahan Mirza, Ansari Institute Executive Director

Mahan Bryan Martin

During our May student trip to Sarajevo, Amra, one of our discussion facilitators, laughed, cigarette dangling from her lips, as she likened the city to a femme fatale—alluring, but with a dark side. It was, we soon learned, an apt description for a lovely and complicated city, one that has been simultaneously strengthened and scarred by its history. Our group, which included fourteen students from Notre Dame was drawn to Sarajevo to study “Religion, Identity, and Peace and the Periphery of Europe.”

Read More about Religion, identity, and peace: Learning through cultural immersion in Bosnia and Herzegovina

How I learned to appreciate religion’s role in building peace

Author: Prithvi Iyer

Prithvi Hiking Main

Bosnia and Herzegovina is not a place I had ever pictured myself visiting. This small country in the Balkans had quite simply never captured my imagination. Its allure was less obvious to me, unlike that of western European countries such as France and Switzerland that are often romanticized in globalized pop culture. But thanks to a student trip made possible by the University of Notre Dame and Peace Catalyst International, I recently visited the country—not as a tourist, but as a student of peacebuilding who gained a new appreciation for the role of religion in peace processes and reconciliation. 

Read More about How I learned to appreciate religion’s role in building peace

Finding hope amid the horrors of violence: Lessons from Sarajevo

Author: Allison Sharp

Allison Sharp News Image

I applied to Notre Dame’s faculty-led trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina this summer because I wanted to learn more about a part of Europe that is often left out of history books and course syllabi. I wanted to educate myself on the rich history of the country, and the current situation in regards to peacebuilding. This trip did help me accomplish those goals, but the most impactful part of the journey was actually a conversation about my own country.

Read More about Finding hope amid the horrors of violence: Lessons from Sarajevo