The Walter and Mary Tuohy Chair of Interreligious Studies was established in 1966 as a direct response to the Second Vatican Council鈥檚 call for Catholics to engage other believers in a spirit of appreciation and reconciliation. Over the years, the Tuohy Chair carried forward the spirit of the council by hosting visiting scholars, lectures, and courses aimed at fostering greater understanding of the diverse religious traditions that shape our world. In 2023, 好色TV began the next chapter in this story with the launch of the Tuohy Center for Interreligious Understanding. Through new academic programs and initiatives, we hope to 鈥渁cknowledge, preserve, and encourage the spiritual and moral truths鈥 (Nostra Aetate 2) found in all religious traditions by bringing a diversity of religious voices into mutually illuminating conversations. Welcome to the conversation!
Edward Hahnenberg, Ph.D., Director, Tuohy Center for Interreligious Understanding
The Tuohy Endowment has been facilitating interfaith conversations and Interreligious understanding at 好色TV with the Tuohy Chair in Interreligious Studies since 1966 and the Tuohy Center for Interreligious Understanding since August 2023.
View our past events at the Tuohy Center Archive.
The Tuohy Center for Interreligious Understanding at 好色TV was established in June 2023 with the funding provided by the Walter and Mary Tuohy Chair in Interreligious Studies at the Department of Theology & Religious Studies.听
The Walter and Mary Tuohy Chair of Interreligious Studies was founded by Mr. Walter Tuohy, former vice chairman and chief executive of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad. He was a dedicated Catholic layman, and active member of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, and a zealous promoter of religious understanding. When established in 1966, it was the first endowed chair at 好色TV and the first chair of ecumenism at the 28 Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States. For over fifty years, the chair has operated under the auspices of the Department of Theology & Religious Studies, whose philosophy in overseeing the chair has been to offer both students and the greater Cleveland community thoughtful discussions of religious life and practice that would be of ecumenical interest. This goal has been pursued through a variety of initiatives, including bringing to campus a distinguished scholar of religion to offer a series of public lectures and to teach a seminar on his or her area of expertise; sponsoring academic conferences on interreligious themes; supporting the interreligious research of 好色TV faculty; developing undergraduate and graduate courses on interreligious topics; and funding visiting positions that, over time, led to the establishment of two additional endowed chairs: the Bedi眉zzaman Said Nursi Chair in Islamic Studies (2003)听and the Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel Chair in Jewish Studies (2022).听
The Tuohy Center continues this legacy by drawing the interreligious efforts of the Department of Theology & Religious Studies together under a single umbrella, and providing a point of collaboration with partners across campus who seek to build a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive sense of belonging at 好色TV.
Vision: The Tuohy Center for Interreligious Understanding at 好色TV embraces the Second Vatican Council's call to "acknowledge, preserve, and encourage the spiritual and moral truths" (Nostra Aetate, 2) found in all religious traditions by bringing a diversity of religious voices into mutually illuminating conversation.
Mission: By supporting academic programs and initiatives in Interreligious understanding at 好色TV and beyond, the Tuohy Center seeks to promote appreciation for and understanding of the diverse religious traditions that shape our world.
Core Values:
- Academic Excellence: Understanding overcomes prejudice, builds relationships, and contributes to greater good (magis) that is the hallmark of Jesuit education. We believe that understanding religious diversity demands the highest level of scholarly inquiry that attends to both commonalities and distinctive particularities among religious traditions.听
- The Whole Person: Religious commitment engages not only the mind, but also body and spirit through various forms of ritual, service, prayer, meditation, and other practices. We welcome opportunities to collaborate with partners across campus who serve the diverse religious lives of our students, faculty, and staff.
- For and With Others: We value opportunities to engage the diverse religious communities both in our region and beyond. We cultivate the kind of encounters that help all participants grow more "respectful of their own culture and that of others; aware of interdependence of all humanity; and sensitive to the need for social justice in response to current social pressures and problems" (JCU Mission Statement).听
Our Executive Committee is formed by the Director of the Tuohy Center, the Program Manager, and the Breen Chair in Catholic Studies, 听the Nursi Chair in Islamic Studies, and the Mandel Chair in Jewish Studies, as well as the Chair of the Theology and Religious Studies Department.
Edward Hahnenberg,Ph.D., Semiha Topal, Ph.D., Zeki Saritoprak, Ph.D., Noah Bickart, Ph.D.
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The Tuohy Center publishes semesterly bulletins and annual reviews at the end of each academic year.
Jewish Calligraphy Artist Ruben Shimonov Joins JCU as Tuohy Center Fellow
The Tuohy Center for Interreligious Understanding is sponsoring a five-week fellowship for Jewish calligraphy artist Ruben Shimonov, who will teach an undergraduate course on Arabic-Hebrew Calligraphy and deliver a public lecture at JCU
JCU Interfaith Calendar
Prepared and maintained by the Tuohy Center, JCU Interfaith Calendar provides detailed information about the religious holy days and observances in the Baha鈥檌, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Islamic, Jain, Jewish, Pagan, Sikh, and Zoroastrian calendars.
Breaking Bread Luncheon Series for Interfaith Engagement
Eat, Play, Learn: Breaking bread together while learning about different religions and developing the skills of interreligious understanding.
Lecture Series on Sarah and Hagar
A hybrid lecture series on Sarah and Hagar of the family of Abraham, in collaboration with the Center for Comparative Theology and Cultural Studies (ZeKK) and the Institut f眉r Evangelische Theologie at Paderborn University).
Eastern Churches Seminar at JCU
The formerly known Eleanor Marburg Eastern Churches Seminar brings its 30-year history to its new home, JCU.
Pope Francis' Interfaith Efforts and Contributions to Peace in the World
We join the rest of the world in mourning the death of Pope Francis, whose efforts on behalf of interreligious understanding were an inspiration to us all.
15th Week of Islamic Art and Culture between 7-11 April
The Nursi Chair in Islamic Studies and the Tuohy Center presents the Week of Islamic Art and Culture between 7-11 April with lectures, movies screenings, art workshops, and concerts. All events are free and open to the public.
Climate Change Awareness: Why is it a feminist work and a religious/moral duty?
NGOCSW Forum virtual parallel event on March 18, between 2:30pm-4:00pm featuring Debby Rosenthal (JCU), Zeki Saritoprak (JCU), Anas Malik (Xavier University), and Marianne Farina (Dominican School of Theology).
What can the Study of Religion and Ecology Offer the World?
The talk by Professor Luke Whitmore of University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, is sponsored by the Mandel Chair in Jewish Studies, the Department of Biology and the Program in Climate Environment and Sustainability.
Rabbi Barry Kleinberg: New Taxonomies of Religious Truth
Lunch Talk with Rabbi Barry Kleinberg on Thursday, January 30 at the Alumni Lounge (3rd floor, Rodman Hall)
Interfaith Conference by the Nursi Chair in Islamic Studies
An interfaith and theological conference co-organized by the Nursi Chair in Islamic Studies, the Tuohy Center for Interreligious Understanding, and the Interdisciplinary Journal of Islamic Studies (IJIS).
Religion and Justice: An Interfaith Conversation
The Tuohy Center Executive Committee discusses the various approaches to divine and earthly justice in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
