For most, religion doesn’t come to mind when talking about diversity, equity and inclusion. That isn’t the case at Chapman.
The university has a longstanding commitment to religious diversity stemming from its origins in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the progressive Christian denomination that founded Chapman. Disciples have historically sought to end mistrust and division between Christians. In more recent decades, we have expanded that vision to include people of the world religious traditions and those who are agnostic or atheist. Simply put, Disciples honor the spiritual paths of others—that has been a part of Chapman’s DNA from the beginning. So, when Chapman decided to build a center to support religious life on campus, it needed to be an interfaith center.
But what does interfaith mean? Rather than seeing religions in opposition to one another, an interfaith lens views the world’s traditions quite differently. As people are encouraged to explore and practice their faith, they are also encouraged to learn about other religions to promote appreciation and respect. Our goal is to nurture global citizens at Chapman. In our work at the Fish Interfaith Center, that means we model appreciative inquiry and education that is not about arguing competing doctrine, but finding the strength and nobility of the common search for meaning and transcendence that is inherent to all of our spiritual paths.
