Thursday, April 9, 1998
Course analyzes how three religions interact
ACADEMICS: Professors examine resolutions to present, future
conflicts
By Andy Shah
Daily Bruin Contributor
Using lessons from history, a new course at UCLA will examine
the interactions between three major religions and how they will
affect the world in the next century.
Titled "Abrahamic Religions in the Twenty-First Century and the
Clash of the Civilizations," the course will examine the linkage
and interplay between Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.
"Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have intertwining destinies.
They are separate and distinct yet conjoined. If there is interplay
between two, wait a moment, wait a day, wait a thousand years – and
the third will appear," says George Grose, who teaches the
course.
Grose says the global link between the three religions is
Abraham and his relatives.
"Abraham is the linchpin, the key figure," he says. "The
connections are real and will probably apply (until) the end of
time."
Grose notes that the connection between the religions are
"sometimes destructive, sometimes creative." For example, the
conflict in Bosnia has Christians pitted against Muslims. The
course will examine the history of these conflicts and concords,
and how this information can be used to avoid possible clashes in
the next century.
The course, along with a handful of others, didn’t appear in the
printed version of the Schedule of Classes because of late
approval.
The course was finally approved on March 27 and put up with
other last-minute course additions on the on-line Schedule of
Classes.
The course is being funded by the Los Angeles-based Zimmer
Foundation, which donates money toward education. It was
unanimously endorsed by the Center for the Study of Religion at
UCLA.
Grose, president of the Academy for Judaic, Christian, and
Islamic Studies, says the course is the only one of its kind in the
country.
In addition to him, other scholars who will participate in class
discussions include Dr. Elliot Dorff of the University of Judaism
and Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi, President of the Islamic Society of North
America.
The course will conclude with a dialogue-lecture with all three
scholars, which is not exactly a debate, nor exactly a discussion.
"It’s sharing our insights on the subject without compromise and
with respect," said Grose.
"That’s just a function of (the course) being so new," says
Grose.
He hopes that a diversity of students enroll in the class, not
just religion majors. He says the course will help future leaders
understand the dynamics of religious coexistence.
"This course can model things for the U.S.," says Grose. "We
have the creative possibilities at our fingertips in the U.S."
The course has no prerequisites and is offered on Tuesdays,
4-6:50 p.m. It is listed under the Study of Religion.