Date: Thursday, October 15, 2026 from 12:30-2:00PM

Location: Casa Hispánica

Series: American Body Politics 

Speakers: Mark Fowler (Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding) and Heather Miller Rubens (Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies)

Moderator: Seth Kimmel (Columbia University) 

At moments of political and social crisis, conversation offers the possibility of compromise, if not also reconciliation and understanding. When religious histories and tensions run through these crises—as they so often do—many of us might think of turning to that particular subset of conversation known as “interfaith dialogue.” How do advocates and practitioners of interfaith dialogue understand and promote its protocols? How do they chart its origins and aims? How do they imagine the local scale of interfaith dialogue, which necessarily takes place among a specific subset of individuals located in a particular place and time, and its larger geopolitical and theological stakes? How does interfaith dialogue relate to pluralism and multiculturalism? Following concise presentations, our speakers will reflect on these questions while entering into conversation with each other and with the audience.

Free and open to the public

Please register in advance to reserve your spot

All prospective attendees must register by 11:59PM on Wednesday, October 14, 2026.

Note on building access: Please be aware that the event takes place on the second floor and is accessible only by stairs. Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact the IRCPL team directly at ircpl@columbia.edu.

Columbia University makes every effort to accommodate individuals with disabilities. If you require disability accommodations to attend an event at Columbia University, please contact Disability Services (disability@columbia.edu or 212-854-2388) at least 10 days in advance of the event. Requests for CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) or sign language interpretation require two weeks' notice.