Welcome to the Interfaith Observer!
Exploring Interfaith Culture and Religious Pluralism
The Interfaith Observer thrives in the Center for Ecumenical and Interreligious Engagement (CEIE) at Seattle University. The Interfaith Observer releases two multi-author and theme-based volumes in the fall and spring of each academic year, with a focus on first-person accounts on the positive impact of religious and cultural pluralism as a force for good in the world today.
Spring 2026: Personal as Political: Gender, Climate, and Economy
by Sheena Foster
In Washington, D.C., the snow comes down quietly at first. It hushes the city. It blankets the sharp edges: the curb cuts, the cracked sidewalks, the marble steps of institutions that were never designed for all of us…
by Phyllis Curott J.D. Rev. H.Ps.
“First they came for the Communists… then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.” These words, written by Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller after the Second World War, are not just an act of contrition…
by Amelio Collins
The world held its breath in 2018 marked by intensifying climate reports, rising global temperatures, and a growing sense that time was running out...
Previously: Religion & Healthy Democracy (Fall 2025)
by Ivan Shneerson
I have long struggled to figure out where I belong. This came to a head during my senior year of college when I, an agnostic and low-observant Jew, chose to live in a Christian living community. Forty-nine young Christian men and me. Growing up, my family was…
by Brandon LaGreca, LAc, MAcOM
My daughter recently reached a pivotal point in her homeschool curriculum: the study of world religions. Until now, my wife and I had been content to let her experience the sublime through nature, art, and music, instilling a subtle sense of…
by Muhammad Sohail
The Muslim world has faced various social, political, and economic challenges recently. Internal divisions, unstable political and social systems, outside interventions, poverty, and unemployment have posed significant barriers to its influence in…

At a time when armed conflicts proliferate, and democracies strain under polarization and the coercion of autocrats, truth itself is contested and trust for moral authority stands at a crossroads. This week, we are seeing how religion is used as a balm—or a blade…