May 20, 2009

Prominent Personalities in Swedish and International Interfaith Work Visit Paideia

On May 14th, the Paideia One-year Jewish Studies Program received much appreciated visits from personalities in the field of interfaith work.

The fellows in the program had the wonderful opportunity of talking to Brita Stendahl and Anna Stendahl, wife and daughter of the late Krister Stendahl, who passed away in April 2008, and in whose honour the current fellowship year is named.

Krister Stendahl, former bishop in Stockholm and dean of Harvard Divinity School, was a great friend of Paideia and a member of the Institute’s Board of Trustees. Brita and Anna talked about Krister Stendahl’s pioneer work in the fields of gender equality within the church and of interfaith dialogue.

Brita Stendahl also expanded on the three rules of religious understanding that Krister Stendahl outlined, and that form a thoughtful and inspiring ground for any interfaith dialogue:

- If you want to understand another religion, ask its adherents, not its enemies: let the other define him- or herself.

- Don’t compare your best to their worst.

- Leave room for “holy envy” - find aspects of another religion that you admire, but accept that it belongs to that religion, and not your own.

During the same day, Paideia was honoured to have Gunnel Borgegård as a guest to the One-year Program. Gunnel Borgegård is Director of the Nordic Ecumenical Council in Uppsala, a member of the Church of Sweden Mission Committee for Church and Judaism, ICCJ Vice-President and Chair of the ICCJ Women’s Council.

Gunnel gave a historic overview of the work of the International Council of Christians and Jews, in Sweden and internationally, and the direction that the work of the ICCJ has today.

The ICCJ works for promoting understanding and cooperation between Christians and Jews, countering prejudice and intolerance, and advancing dialogue - working on four levels in society: between organizations, between religious institutions, in academia and in daily life.

Paideia considers interreligious work a cornerstone in its mission, and is truly grateful to Brita, Anna and Gunnel for sharing their insights and experience with the fellows.