News

As we pause to remember the fallen and stand in solidarity with victims, we call on devotees of all faiths and philosophies to change the conversation about religion.

Read More about Ansari Institute statement on attacks in Sri Lanka

A flash panel on April 17 examined the root causes of the shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand in March.

Read More about VIDEO: "Interrogating the Christchurch Shooting: How Global Racism, Islamophobia, and White Supremacy Manifested in New Zealand"

Words of comfort, unity and peace were woven into the prayers, reflections and hymns at an interfaith prayer service for victims of the recent shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Read More about Unity at the heart of prayer service for mosque shooting victims

The Ansari Institute condemns the attack on Friday worshipers at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, on Friday March 15, 2019. We offer our condolences to all those affected directly and indirectly, in the Pacific and around the world. We cannot allow the shock of this horrific act of violence, which aims to divide us, slow our efforts to come together. At this historical moment when voices that promote hate and violence instantly cross the globe, we cannot hesitate to counter divisive voices and, with deep sadness but renewed resolve, rededicate ourselves to fostering peaceful and just communities that derive strength from diversity.…

Read More about Ansari Institute statement on mass shooting at Christchurch mosques

A prayer service in remembrance of victims of the shootings at two mosques Friday (March 15) in Christchurch, New Zealand, will be held at 12:15 p.m. Thursday (March 21) in the rotunda of University of Notre Dame’s Main Building.

Read More about Notre Dame to offer prayer service in remembrance of victims of New Zealand shooting

The Madrasa Discourses project is an effort to equip Islamic religious leaders with the tools necessary to confidently engage pluralism, modern science and new philosophies.

Read More about Madrasa Discourses initiative receives 2-year Templeton Grant extension

The University of Notre Dame will host two public events related to ecumenism and the relationships among Christians in the world. 

Read More about Events planned to celebrate Notre Dame’s ecumenical commitment

Groody, an Ansari Institute affiliate, is an award-winning author and filmmaker on international migration and refugee issues.

Read More about Rev. Daniel Groody elected Fellow and Trustee of Notre Dame

Daniel Philpott, professor of political science and Ansari Institute affiliate, recently spoke to Zenit’s Deborah Castellano Lubov about Pope Francis' visit to the United Arab Emirates.

Read More about ‘I Hope Pope Francis Will Call for Full Freedom for Everyone in Every Muslim-Majority Country’: Daniel Philpott interview with Zenit

In his newest research, Daniel Philpott, professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame, examines conditions in 47 Muslim-majority countries and considers a question at the center of intense public debate: Is Islam hostile to religious freedom?

Read More about Study finds Muslim-majority countries lack, but hold surprising potential for, religious freedom

Christian Smith, the William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Sociology at Notre Dame, has won the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion’s 2018 Distinguished Book Award. The honor, conferred upon the most outstanding book published by an SSSR member in the past two years, lauded the “impressive accomplishment” of Smith’s Religion: What It Is, How It Works, and Why It Matters…

Read More about Sociologist Christian Smith wins book award for research building innovative theory of religion

The Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion launched with inaugural events on Oct. 25 and 26.

Read More about Ansari Institute launches with prayer, celebration, and conversation

The Ansari Institute condemns the October 27 shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue. We mourn with friends and relatives of the eleven worshippers killed by gunfire, and stand in solidarity with all Jews in Pittsburgh, across the nation, and around the world. At a historical moment when ethno-religious nationalism is rising, and we see more and more anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim rhetoric, it is tragic but not surprising that the gunman, who “wanted all Jews to die,” also was outraged that HIAS, the global Jewish non-profit that protects refugees, had aided displaced Muslims and migrants of other faiths. Evidence suggests the assailant shot the worshippers because HIAS is resettling “invaders” that “kill our people.” But, for us, all …

Read More about Ansari Institute statement on mass shooting at Pittsburgh synagogue

The new Rafat and Zoreen Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion at the University of Notre Dame will officially launch with private and public events this month. On Oct. 25, religion historian Thomas Tweed, founding director of the Ansari Institute, will deliver the inaugural keynote address titled “Engaging Religion” at 5 p.m. in the Hesburgh Center for International Studies auditorium. The lecture is free and open to the public.…

Read More about Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion announces inaugural events

Thomas Tweed, a historian committed to improving public understanding of religions, has been appointed founding director of the Rafat and Zoreen Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion at the University of Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs, effective July 1. Tweed came to Notre Dame in 2013 as the Harold and Martha Welch Professor of American Studies and professor of history, roles he will retain. He is the former president of the American Academy of Religion, the largest society for scholars of religion in the world, and has also served on the international advisory board for Notre Dame’s Tantur Ecumenical Institute in Jerusalem.…

Read More about Thomas Tweed named founding director of Rafat and Zoreen Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion

Rafat and Zoreen Ansari and their family, of South Bend, Indiana, have made a $15 million gift to the University of Notre Dame for the creation of an institute dedicated to the study of religion around the world. "The need for people of faith to focus on what unites us rather than on what divides us has never been more urgent,” said Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.…

Read More about Ansari family’s $15 million gift to Notre Dame aims to unite global religions