Interfaith Engagement
USC’s Office of Religious & Spiritual Life oversees more student religious groups and more campus religious directors than any other university in the United States. USC also sits in the heart of Los Angeles, a city many scholars consider the most religiously diverse metropolis in the world. This convergence gives USC students the remarkable opportunity to engage in meaningful and proactive interfaith and interreligious dialogue and action, both on our campus and in our city.
The Office of Religious Life hosts a number of regular interfaith programs, such as the USC Interfaith Council, Shanti Multifaith Choir, and Souljourn. The Office of Religious & Spiritual Life also works in close collaboration with global interfaith leaders, such as the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, the Interfaith Youth Core, and Patheos. Furthermore, the Office of Religious & Spiritual Life produces and manages INGAGE, the first and only interfaith e-newsletter for Southern California.
For more information about USC’s interfaith programs, events, and opportunities, please contact Associate Dean Vanessa Gomez Brake at vanessagb@usc.edu
New Testament Comparative Passages Dialogue Series
In March 2019, leaders from eight Christian denominations engaged in inter-denominational dialogue to study the New Testament. The aim was not to debate, but to understand and appreciate diverse interpretations. Coined as “convicted civility” by Professor Richard Mouw, the dialogue focused on civil discourse rooted in conviction. The experience was intellectually and spiritually enriching and is seen as a model for future interfaith conversations.
November 3-4, 2023, 9 am to 4 pm, 1057 W. 30th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007
Dialogue Participants:
- Bruce Beck (Eastern Orthodox): Assistant Professor, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Massachusetts
- Carlos Campo (Hispanic Evangelical): President, Ashland University, Ohio
- Peter Huff (Roman Catholic): Chief Missions Officer, Benedictine University, Illinois
- Mark Maddix (Nazarene Wesleyan): Dean, Point Loma Nazarene University, California
- Robert Millet (Latter-day Saint): Emeritus Chair, Brigham Young University, Utah
- Richard Mouw (Evangelical Calvinist): President Emeritus, Fuller Theological Seminary, California
- Helen Williams (African Methodist Episcopal): Vice Chancellor, Pepperdine University, California
- Jacob Rennaker (Latter-day Saint): John A. Widtsoe Fellow, facilitator, Washington
