As Election Day nears, one of our Syracuse University faculty experts shares a reminder to be kind this political season. The Rev. Brian Konkol, Ph.D., serves as Dean of Hendricks Chapel and Professor of Practice at Syracuse University, writes:
“The ballot box is sacred space and voting is a spiritual act. When we elect representatives or discern referendums, we proclaim our personal beliefs and shape our public surroundings, all which shapes communities far after the polls close. To be a voting citizen is itself an act of faith, for we all depend on each other, and together we trust that our actions can indeed make a difference.”
To get an idea of Brian’s work, you can read his opinion piece in the Huffington Post titled “We are Witnessing the Revival of Religion in Higher Education.”
If you’d like to learn more or schedule an interview with Rev. Konkol, please reach out to Vanessa Marquette, media relations specialist, at vrmarque@syr.edu.
More about Rev. Konkol:
Konkol is responsible for guiding, nurturing, and enhancing religious, spiritual, moral, and ethical life at the University and across its extended community. As a member of Chancellor Kent Syverud’s Executive Team, Konkol provides direct support and input for university-wide strategic initiatives and overall operations for the institution.
Konkol has a diverse and global background, including overseas ministry service for nearly a decade while serving in South America and South Africa. He is an ordained Lutheran minister, a Faculty Associate in the Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration (PARCC) in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, Faculty Chair of the Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Ministry, and Honorary Associate Professor in the School of Religion, Philosophy and Classics at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.
