Campus & Community

Interfaith Dialogue Dinner Series to Explore ‘‘Moby Dick,’ Faith and Ecology’

Thursday, November 5, 2020, By Delaney Van Wey

The University’s ongoing Interfaith Dialogue Dinner Series, “Common and Diverse Ground: Raising Consciousnesses by Acknowledging the ‘Hidden’ Things that Divide Us,” continues on Monday, Nov. 9, with the second and final virtual dialogue of the Fall 2020 semester.

The program will explore the intersection of climate change, disability, literature and faith through the topic “‘Moby Dick,’ Faith and Ecology.” Led by guest co-facilitator Ralph Savarese, a professor at Grinnell College, and graduate student co-facilitator Sarah Nahar, the event will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Zoom.

Savarese teaches American literature, disability studies, medical humanities and creative writing at Grinnell College. He is the author of “See It Feelingly: Classic Novels, Autistic Readers, and the Schooling of a No-Good English Professor” (Duke University Press). He has also written books of prose and poetry, and has won numerous awards for his writing, research and scholarship. Learn more about Savarese on his Grinnell College webpage.

Sarah Nahar is a nonviolent action trainer and interspiritual theologian. She is a doctoral student in the College of Arts and Sciences, and her focus is on ecological regeneration, community cultivation and spiritual activism. Previously, Nahar was a 2019 Rotary Peace Fellow and worked at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center in Atlanta.

Registration for this program is required and is available directly on the Zoom platform. Those who would like or prefer alternative registration are invited to contact Hendricks Chapel at chapel@syr.edu or 315.443.2901.

All participants are welcome to bring their own meal to the “virtual table” during the conversation. Although this semester’s Interfaith Dialogue Dinner series will not permit the sharing of a traditionally provided, inclusive dinner, both virtual conversations being held during the Fall 2020 semester will allow participants to break bread in company with one another, providing secular and spiritual nourishment.

This program is free and open to the public. Live captioning, American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and image descriptions will be provided. For requests for additional accommodations or questions, contact Hendricks Chapel at chapel@syr.edu or 315.443.2901.

The Fall 2020 “Common and Diverse Ground” series is co-sponsored by Hendricks Chapel, the Burton Blatt Institute’s Office of Interdisciplinary Programs and Outreach and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.