Last Saturday, the Register-Pajaronian included an amazing article on a new program at the School of Theology at Claremont. I commend the people at the R-P for sighting the article and including it in our local newspaper.

The article described a new focus for the Christian Seminary in Claremont — providing theological education to Christians, Jews and Muslims. Its first step is to offer courses to adherents of the three Abrahamic faiths, so they may sit together in class, touch elbows and interact as future leaders of the three traditions. This remarkably inclusive philosophy is in sharp contrast to Pope’s Benedict’s assertion in 2007, of the primacy of the Roman Catholic Church, saying Orthodox churches are defective and that other Christian denominations were not true churches.

Our world is changing; perhaps you have noticed. I went to Fuller Theological Seminary at a time when we struggled to have progressive and conservative Christians sit side by side in class, let alone Baptists and Presbyterians. Later, as I was attending San Francisco Theological Seminary, I watched as the Graduate Theological Union was formed — a graduate program bringing together five Protestant seminaries, a Jesuit seminary, the Unitarian Starr King Seminary and the University of California at Berkley to provide seminary and academic degrees — a radical idea, at the time.

Now, Claremont is calling future imams, rabbis and pastors to share classrooms, learn about and from each other, and possibly becoming friends. Sounds like “love thy neighbor” to me. Through the years, I have had good relationships with priests and rabbis, calling many colleagues and friends. I have not had the opportunity to become acquainted with an imam, but I am open to the idea.

School president Jerry Campbell said, “The School of Theology will not stop with Christians, Jews and Muslims, but will eventually extend their programs to include Buddhist and Hindu classes.” Having recently officiated at a Buddhist funeral here in Watsonville, I support the idea. At the time, I needed to research Buddhist practices so that the family would be comfortable during the last rites for their loved one.

The underlying assumption at Claremont is that contact with persons of other traditions will help persons clarify their faith. Most attendees will already have firm foundation in their own tradition and will find these new experiences an opportunity in which to broaden their understanding. A second benefit will be their knowledge of other traditions, and leaders will enhance relationships as they work side by side in community efforts such as feeding the hungry, healing the sick, lifting the fallen.

Five years ago, my wife, Donna, organized a program of the Watsonville Branch of the American Association of University Women. In it, female religious leaders of the three traditions (Islam, Jewish, and Christian) were asked to share their experiences as women of faith, participate in a worship service and share dinner with the members. The result was a surprise. The three women spent their time together talking of the challenges women face in leadership roles in religious institutions, not the differences or similarities of their faith traditions.

As our world changes, I invite you to come along for the ride.  It may be bumpy, but it is the road to the future.

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George V. Erickson is a Presbyterian minister at large and a resident of Watsonville. His opinions are his own and do not necessarily represent those of the Register-Pajaronian.

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