Events and Programs

Lectures and Seminars

The Interfaith Initiative wishes to encourage students at John Cabot University to be active within their international community by participating in dialogue. At the same time, the Initiative's aspiration is for students to gain knowledge and religious literacy. Through periodically organized lectures and seminars on relevant topics, the Initiative hopes to provide students with a means to get academically acquainted with different religions and philosophies and their role in the world today.

Interfaith Dialogue

Interfaith Coffee Break
The Interfaith Coffee Break is meant to bring students from different backgrounds together to talk about religion, faith, spirituality and their role in society through sharing their own experiences and ideas. Through these conversations, the Coffee Break aspires to create a more casual atmosphere in which students can brainstorm and converse on different topics and themes. In addition, the Initiative wishes to strengthen the John Cabot community by getting to know each other on different levels while enabling religious tolerance through inter-cultural friendships. The Interfaith Initiative also uses these meetings to lay the groundwork for organizing future events and activities. The Interfaith Coffee Break is structured like a forum, including a panel of students who represent different standpoints and lead the conversation.

International Scholar Series on Interfaith Dialogue
In 2014 the JCU Interfaith Initiative received a generous grant from the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See in Rome to fund an International Scholar Series on Interfaith dialogue. The Series promotes student dialogue and learning activities and introduces students to interfaith scholars and practitioners from Rome and beyond. The Lectures are open to visitors as well as students from other universities.

Past Lectures
• Dr. Anthony Carroll, Professor of theology and philosophy at Heythrop College at the University of London, on "Atheist Secular Dialogue"
• Archbishop David Moxon, the diplomatic appointment of the Anglican Church to the Holy See, on "Human Trafficking"
• Marco Veronesi and Sarah Parisio from the L'Arche Communities on "Faith, Service and Disability"
• Dr. Fadi Daou and Dr. Nayla Tabbara, co-directors of Lebanon's Adyan Foundation, on "Beyond dialogue, Spiritual solidarity versus Extremism: the experience of Adyan Foundation"
• Imam Yahya Pallavicini, Vice President of the Italian Islamic Community on "Imams in the West."