24-25 programming
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What Does Ecumenism Have to Do with Liberation?
Monday, March 24, 2025
6:30pm - 8pm
Chapel of St James
Purchase tickets.
(Day-of student rush tickets upon presentation of a valid student ID)
We live in a world where exists oppression and exploitation of the weak by the powerful, of societies struggling to be free and equitable in the face of domination and inequality. The ecumenical movement, for over a century, has brought together representatives of the many Christian churches and cultivated relationships among “separated siblings,” in the hope of healing wounds and forging reconciliation and peace between (and within) communities. But, does the search for “Christian unity” matter in any concrete way in our world of existential challenges, or is it just an “in house,” academic exercise? How might ecumenical engagement be a source of hope for societies on the long and hard road to freedom? How might ecumenical relationships open vistas for the emergence of liberated and reconciled peoples—not only among Christians but among all peoples? How does the “reconciled diversity” proposed by much modern ecumenical dialogue square with the urgent demands of justice in our societies? Our dialogue proposes to take up these questions in interchurch, international, and intercultural perspectives.
Dr. Aaron T. Hollander is Executive Director of Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute, Editor of Ecumenical Trends, and Adjunct Faculty in Theology at Fordham University. He serves on the steering committee of the Ecclesiological Investigations International Research Network and on the faculty of the Summer Course in Ecumenism at the Centro Pro Unione in Rome; from 2022-2024 he was President of the North American Academy of Ecumenists. He is a scholar of ecumenical theology and lived religion, with his PhD from the University of Chicago (2018). His first book, forthcoming from Fordham University Press (2025), is entitled Saint George Liberator: Hagiography and Resistance in the Modern Mediterranean.
Sr. Estelle Sogbou, CCN, Ph D. Candidate in dogmatic theology at Les Facultés Loyola Paris and trainer at Institut de Théologie des Dombes in France, an Institute which is in partnership with the Catholic Faculty of Theology in Lyon, and with the Protestant Faculty of Theology in Strasbourg. She is a member of the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians.
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From the Margins to the Mainstream: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in Conversation
Monday, May 12, 2025
6:30pm - 8pm
Chapel of St James
Purchase tickets
(Day-of student rush tickets upon presentation of a valid student ID)
The Cathedral will welcome three leaders in interreligious dialogue for a panel entitled From the Margins to the Center: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in Conversation.
The tragic events of October 7th and their aftermath have catapulted the engagement of Judaism and Islam into the center of dialogue with Christianity. Is it still possible to maintain good relations or are the three Abrahamic religions doomed to be locked in a widening gyre of enmity? Can the center hold?
The conversation promises to be a meaningful exploration of the intersection of tradition, contemporary challenges, and shared values in a world that increasingly calls for interfaith cooperation.
Rabbi Dr. Burton Visotzky is Appleman Professor Emeritus of Midrash and Interreligious Studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary, where he serves as director of the Milstein Center for Interreligious Dialogue and as the Louis Stein Director of the Finkelstein Institute for Religious and Social Studies.
The Rev Eva Suarez joined the Cathedral clergy team in February of 2023, where she serves as Canon for Community Engagement. In that role, she focuses on the Cathedral’s relationship with the neighborhood, city, and the wider Episcopal Diocese of New York. She also supervises the work of the Cathedral’s Public Education and Visitors Services team, as well as the Cathedral’s outreach arm, Cathedral Community Cares (CCC). Originally from Washington, D.C., Canon Suarez completed her seminary studies at Union Theological Seminary, as well as earning a Masters in Social Work from the Silberman School at CUNY Hunter. Prior to joining the cathedral staff, she served as an Associate Rector at St. James’ Church in Manhattan. Canon Suarez is a contributing author for several anthologies, most recently Forward Movement’s A Journey Through Genesis, and When Kids Ask Hard Questions: Faith-Filled Answers for Tough Topics, from Chalice Press.
Emre Celik is the Executive Director at Peace Islands Institute New York and a Leadership Fellow at the Interfaith Center of New York. He arrived in Manhattan with more than 20 years experience in cross-cultural and interfaith engagement, having worked in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Washington DC. He was a member of the Religious Freedom Center’s Committee on Religious Liberty and the International Religious Freedom Roundtable on Capitol Hill. In 2024 he had an audience with Pope Francis and was awarded the Isaac Hecker Award by Paulists of Manhattan.
