There’s still time to register for the next Interfaith Connection Cambridge event on Thursday 12 November where we’ll be exploring the them of ‘Light’. The winter season sees a number of religious festivals which focus on light and its significance in a period of darkness. The Dharmic faiths celebrate Diwali (the festival of light) but Sikhs, Hindus, Jains, and some Buddhists all celebrate this festival in different ways. For Jews, Chanukah marks the rededication of the Second Temple and the miracle of a small jar of oil burning for eight days. Light is also a significant part of the Christian festival of Advent where a candle is lit each week in the lead up to Christmas. Register for free at: woolf.cam.ac.uk/whats-on/eve… #interfaith #religion #cambridge

The Rt Revd Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani: "Holding the Tensions: Faith, Hospitality and Hope in a Troubled World". We are pleased to share the second keynote address from the inaugural conference of the Cambridge Theological Federation 'Ecumenism and Interfaith in an Age of Global Crisis'. The session was introduced and chaired by Revd Dr Helen Dawes, and the full video is now available to view on YouTube: youtu.be/0B_tK9oEpsU. The Rt Revd Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani has served as Bishop of Chelmsford since April 2021, before which she served as the first Bishop of Loughborough in the Diocese of Leicester. She is the lead Bishop for Housing for the Church of England, Chair of the Board of the Church Army and has served as a member of the Lords Spiritual in the House of Lords since November 2021. Born in Iran, Guli’s family left the country in the wake of the Iranian Revolution in 1980, when she was 13 years old, and to date she has been unable to return. Bishop Guli reflects on many of these experiences in this powerful keynote address, given at the inaugural conference for the Cambridge Theological Federation. She explores how a theology of hospitality, emerging from the relationship between the host and the guest, might serve as an anchor of hope in a troubled world. Bishop Guli was introduced by Revd Dr Helen Dawes, Principal of Westcott House and previously the Team Rector of Shaftesbury and the Dean of Women’s Ministry in the Diocese of Salisbury. #CambridgeTheologicalFederation #Ecumenism #InterfaithDialogue #ReligiousLeadership

We are proud to present the recording of the panel discussion Ecumenism and Interfaith in an Age of Global Crisis from the CTF's inaugural conference hosted last month at the Woolf Institute. This session welcomed four panelists from four different CTF houses to discuss the titular theme of the conference and to reflect on how both ecumenical and interfaith work have been challenged by, and have responded to, global crises. The full video is now available to view via our YouTube channel here: youtu.be/ppWCrJuTlZI Our panelists were: Dr Anna Abram, Principal of The Margaret Beaufort Institute and previously the Head of Pastoral and Social Studies Department and Senior Lecturer in Ethics at Heythrop College, University of London. Revd Prebendary Dr Isabelle Hamley, Principal of Ridley Hall, Ambassador for Sanctuary Mental Health UK and Anglican representative to the World Council of Churches’ Faith and Order Commission. Revd Dr Peter McEnhill, Principal of Westminster College, Minister of the Church of Scotland and systematic theologian with experience in theological education, ministry, and ecclesial leadership. Dr Lucy Peacock, Senior Research Fellow at the Woolf Institute, Sociologist of Religion and Principal Investigator for the Woolf Diversity Study, examining attitudes towards religious, ethnic and national diversity across England and Wales. The panel was chaired by Dr Esther-Miriam Wagner, Executive Director of the Woolf Institute, Fellow of St Edmund's College and Affiliate Lecturer at the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Cambridge. Photo and video credits: Błażej Mikuła @RidleyHall @WestCollCambs @MBITheology #Ecumenism #Interfaith #Religion #Conference #CTFConference

This week, Dr Mohammed Ibraheem Ahmed visited International Dialogue Centre (KAICIID) in Lisbon to discuss shared projects and mutual work in the area of interreligious dialogue. #Interfaith #Religion

We are immensely grateful to Revd Dr Susan Durber for delivering the first Keynote Address for the inaugural conference of the Cambridge Theological Federation. Her address, entitled 'I'd like to teach the world to sing' drew on the metaphor of harmony to explore how we can think better about what ecumenical and interfaith engagement really mean. Rather than seeking to enforce uniformity, a choir instead seeks harmony, where difference serves as an integral part of what makes the music beautiful. The session was introduced and chaired by Dr Cynthia Lumley, principal of Westfield House, and the full recording is now available to view on YouTube at: youtu.be/I3Lgnp7C334. Photo and video credits: Błażej Mikuła #Ecumenism #Interfaith #Religion #Conference #CTFConference

We are delighted to be able to share the full recording of the recent panel discussion on Ecumenism, Interfaith, and the Environment. This panel was part of the Cambridge Theological Federation's inaugural conference, hosted at the Woolf Institute last month. Access the video at: youtube.com/watch?v=IoeMpp5j… The panellists were: Revd Prof. Paul Fiddes: Professor Emeritus of Systematic Theology in the University of Oxford, Principal Emeritus and Senior Research Fellow of Regent's Park College, Oxford. Dr Tobias Müller: Leverhulme Early Career Fellow and Isaac Newton Trust Fellow at @CRASSHlive at the University of Cambridge. Dr Rebecca Watson: Tutor in Old Testament/Hebrew Bible scholarship and Director of Studies at the Eastern Region Ministry Course as well as an Associate Supervisor at @Westcott_House, Cambridge. Dr Richard Davis: Director of Contextual Theology and Director of the Centre for Faith in Public Life at @wesleyhousecam as well as an Affiliated Lecturer at the University of Cambridge. The panel was chaired by Dr Mohammed Ibraheem Ahmed, Policy Lead and Research Fellow at the Woolf Institute. Photo and video credits: Blazej Mikula #Ecumenism #Interfaith #Religion #Conference #CTFConference

The CTF's Inaugural Conference opened with a presentation session under the title 'Ecumenism, Interfaith and the CTF'. The three presenters each represented one of the Federation's Member Houses and their presentations focused on just some of the ongoing research and engagement within the Federation. We welcomed; Dr Razvan Porumb: Vice-Principal and Director of Research at the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies, to present his paper Ecumenism as Sacrament. Dr Jonathan Chaplin: Fellow at Wesley House, to present his paper Can Christians and Muslims Stand - and Think - Together in the Global Crisis of Democracy? Convergent Commitments in Christian and Islamic Political Theology. Dr Elizabeth Phillips: Director of Education and Engagement at the Woolf Institute to present her paper Interfaith Encounter & Theological Education. The session was Chaired by Revd Dr Ian Randall, Independent Trustee for the Cambridge Theological Federation and Senior Research Associate at the Cambridge Centre for Christianities Worldwide. The session is now available to view in full on YouTube at: youtu.be/eEhSg6ahfYs @wesleyhousecam @CCCWCambridge @IOCS_Cambridge #Ecumenism #Interfaith #Religion #Conference #CTFConference

Across three days in September, the Cambridge Theological Federation convened its inaugural conference under the title of: “Ecumenism and Interfaith in an Age of Global Crisis: Challenge and Hope.” Each day over the course of the next two weeks, we are proud to be able to share with the public some of the highlights of the conference. About the conference: The conference was hosted by the Woolf Institute on the Westminster College Site and brought together all twelve member institutions for three days of presentations, panels and keynote talks to explore the immense challenges that ecumenical and interfaith work are facing in today’s world, and also to showcase, and find hope in, the invaluable ecumenical and interfaith work already being undertaken within the CTF and beyond. An Age of Global Crisis: The last decade has seen unprecedented levels of both state-based and non-state conflict, forms of religious nationalism becoming powerful forces in international relations, the climate crisis and its devastating effects continuing to destroy and dislocate communities across the globe, all while rapid globalisation has been accompanied by an increasing push to renegotiate national and religious identities and relationships. Ecumenical and interfaith relationships are certainly facing the challenges brought about by these changes. The Inaugural CTF Conference asked what these challenges really mean for ecumenical and interfaith work and what hope still exists for these endeavours. Ecumenism, Interfaith and the CTF: The CTF is an inherently ecumenical body, bringing together Anglican, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, URC, Methodist and Orthodox institutions alongside research institutes which promote the study of interfaith relations, the global nature of Christianity, and the relationships between religion, science and policy. The CTF therefore represents a space in which barriers are broken down in the common pursuits of personal and professional development, shared worship and encounter, and research. Where the seeds of ecumenical and interfaith work have grown naturally in the spaces between our Member Houses, this conference served to centralise this work within the ethos of the CTF as a whole. #Ecumenism #Interfaith #Religion #Conference

What does it mean to be Jewish or Muslim in British public life today? That was the question at the heart of a thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation at the Woolf Institute earlier this week, chaired by our Founder President, Dr Ed Kessler MBE. He was joined by Baroness Luciana Berger, Lord Khan of Burnley and Baroness Ayesha Hazarika for a discussion on the opportunities, pressures and particular challenges faced by Jewish and Muslim public figures. The conversation touched on some of the increasingly difficult realities of public life. Political disagreement has always been part of democratic life, but the speakers reflected on how the contemporary communications environment can amplify hostility in ways that are difficult to escape. Hatred can itself become part of an economy: provocative content attracts attention, algorithms reward engagement, and narratives of hostility can quickly take on a life of their own. Perhaps most importantly, the evening was more than simply a series of speeches. Members of the audience were able to ask questions, challenge ideas and share reflections directly with the panelists. The openness of that exchange was made possible by the atmosphere in the room: serious, curious and non-judgmental. #Interfaith #Muslim #Jewish #MuslimJewishRelations

Phil Rosenberg, President Board of Deputies with Dr Ed Kessler when he visited the Woolf Institute earlier this week. Members of the Jewish Community also held a dialogue with him.

📢FREE RE RESOURCES FOR PRIMARY SCHOOLS! After receiving feedback from numerous teachers and consultation with RE specialists, we are delighted to announce that we have updated our Living in Harmony resources to the Key Stage 2 context. Living in Harmony explores intellectual, artistic, and cultural relations between Christians, Jews, and Muslims across time and space and encourages students to relate these explorations to their own experience and understanding of religion and coexistence today. This resource is organised into three units: •Music and Interfaith Encounter •Architecture and Interfaith Encounter •Science and Interfaith Encounter Each unit guide introduces the subject and learning outcomes of the unit, and includes a video, a case study, historical and contemporary examples for further research, PowerPoint slides, a list of key terms, and a sample lesson plan including new learning activities. rn more about how you can book a visit to your school or register to use any of these resources, contact: [email protected] @NATREupdate RECouncil @culhamstgabriel @NASACRE #ReligiousEd #ReligiousEducation #ReligionAndWorldviews #Interfaith #REteacher

Come along to the next Interfaith Connection Cambridge event. Join us at the Woolf Institute as we explore how our different traditions use the theme of light in festivals, stories, and the lives of religious figures. Date & Time: Thursday 12 November 6-8pm Location: Woolf Institute, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0UB Register at: woolf.cam.ac.uk/whats-on/eve… The Interfaith Connection Cambridge brings together people of faith in Cambridge so that we can learn about one another’s traditions, understand one another better, extend hospitality to one another, and become friends. We are open to people of all faiths. #interfaith #religion #cambridge

This week is #hospicecareweek, a great opportunity to highlight the important work that hospices do through caring for patients and their families at the end of life. At the Woolf Institute, we support hospice staff and volunteers through our Religious Diversity in End of Life Care training. By undertaking training, they can become more knowledgeable and confident offering care, empathy and compassion to Muslim, Jewish, and Christian patients who are approaching the end of life; this is achieved by staff better understanding the religious, social and cultural practices that surround death and dying. If you’re interested in booking a session, email [email protected], or there’s still time to register for our in-person training day at the Woolf Institute on Thursday 22 October from 9:30am to 4:30pm. Sign up at: woolf.cam.ac.uk/whats-on/eve… #HospiceCare #palliativecare #endoflifecare #Hospice #hospiceheroes

🎉Happy Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah to those celebrating across the next few days!🎉 Shemini Atzeret marks the end of Sukkot and is immediately proceeded by Simchat Torah, celebrating the end of the cycle of Torah reading and the beginning of the new cycle. #Judaism #ChagSameach

Earlier this month, the Commission on Interfaith Relations travelled to Canterbury to host our 6th Public Participation Session. We were welcomed to the Canterbury Cathedral Lodge by The Very Revd Dr David Monteith who spoke to us about the differences between the perceptions and realities of life in Kent as well as about the work that the Cathedral is doing to better support, and become more engaged with, the life of the city. Following introductions and welcomes from Dr Ed Kessler (Chair of the Commission) and our regional partner, The Reverend Canon Andrew Dodd, we held two roundtable discussions across two sittings each to hear about how global conflicts are impacting community life and interfaith relations in Canterbury and Kent more broadly. The cost of living was a central theme across both discussion groups, with participants explaining how financial concerns were inhibiting people, organisations and institutions from engaging with one another. This session was convened and facilitated by our regional partner The Reverend Canon Andrew Dodd. Andrew is the Canon Residentiary and Canon Treasurer at Canterbury Cathedral and has recently been appointed to be the next Dean of Coventry. We'd also like to thank our commissioner, and Kent local, Francis Davis, who helped to facilitate this session. #CommissionOnInterfaithRelations #Interfaith

Our Founder President Dr Ed Kessler recently appeared on Radio 4’s Sunday programme where he commented on the withdrawal of the Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation from the Pakistani cleric Tahir Mehmood. Listen for free (from 39:00) at: bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0031s…

Chag Sameach to all those celebrating Sukkot! Commencing five days after Yom Kippur, Sukkot commemorates the wanderings of the Israelites after the revelation at Mount Sinai. It is named after the huts that Jews are supposed to reside in during this week-long festival. #Sukkot #Judaism