Catholicism and Interreligious Dialogue with Dr. Heather Miller Rubens

Dr. Heather Miller Rubens, Executive Director and Roman Catholic Scholar of the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS), discusses the history and goals of interreligious dialogue, Pope Francis and Judaism, and much more! It is not hard to see that western culture is in the midst of a crisis. In the 20th century, St. John Paul II described this crisis as a “culture of death” that wages a “war of the powerful against the weak.” In the 21st century, Pope Francis has lamented our “throwaway culture” that “threatens or violates fundamental human rights” because of a pervasive “functionalistic and privatized mindset” in our society. Despite this crisis, however, there is hope, because the Gospel is the prophetic voice crying out in our cultural wilderness. For over 10 years, the M.A. in Faith in Culture at the University of St. Thomas in Houston has transformed lay students who want to be the change in our culture by immersing them in the intellectual patrimony of the Catholic Church. In our graduate program, students are equipped with the wisdom of the Catholic theological, moral, social, and spiritual traditions. These tools allow them to go out into the dominant American culture, and leaven it with the Good News. M.A. in Faith and Culture Objective: Our program is intended for students who want to be transformed by the Catholic theological, social, and moral teachings of the Church, and then to go out and transform the dominant American culture. Our Students: Our students come from a variety of backgrounds, including different professional experiences, stages in life, and educational histories. What brings them together is their shared passion to grow intellectually and spiritually through immersion in the best texts that the Tradition has to offer. What Makes Us Different: Unlike graduate programs that are designed to form either professional theologians or ministers, our program is designed for students of different vocations who want to root their vocations more deeply in the patrimony of the Catholic intellectual tradition. If you are interested in learning more about our M.A. in Faith and Culture, which is now online as well as on campus, please email [email protected] You can also check out these social media pages: Our website A video that was made about the Center for Faith and Culture Our Twitter page Our Facebook page Our Instagram page