Interfaith Engagement in Milwaukee
A Brief History of Christian-Muslim Dialogue
Kaitlyn Daly
Irfan Omar
9781626000629
400 pages
Marquette University Press
Overview
This book offers a brief overview of the history of interfaith efforts and relationships in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. In the fall of 1980, two Franciscan Sisters and a Muslim professor launched one of the first “Islamic–Christian” dialogues in the country, thus beginning a journey of dialogue, friendship, and activism that had a lasting effect on their group and the larger Milwaukee community. This book brings together their stories of encounter and collaboration alongside those of other interfaith actors. The initial Christian–Muslim dialogue inspired the next generation of leaders to continue the work of building trust and mutual understanding through educational programs and social activism. The narratives presented here are based on qualitative data and scholarly research. They are accompanied by representative examples of the efforts aimed at cultivating spaces for interfaith dialogue and interaction between and among people from different faith traditions and backgrounds. The Second Edition includes examples of interfaith interaction and solidarity during the social crises occurred since 2020, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, violence against Black Americans, and the Israel-Gaza war.
Author Bio
Kaitlyn C. Daly is a graduate of Marquette University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree with double majors in Nursing and Theology & Religion. She became one of the founding members of Marquette’s first Interfaith Coordinating Team (ICT)and interfaith group, Breaking Barriers & Building Bridges (BB&BB). In her final year at Marquette she took a graduate-level course on Muslim–Christian dialogue, which allowed her to explore the roles played by Milwaukee educational institutions and the persons within them in the overall interfaith effort in Milwaukee and beyond. Kaitlyn earned her Ph.D. from Duke University School of Nursing in 2023. Her research explores topics at the intersection of spirituality, theology, and health.
Irfan A. Omar is a professor of theology at Marquette University in Milwaukee, where he teaches courses in Islamic and interfaith studies as well as a course on religion and nonviolence. He is also an affiliated faculty member with the Center for South Asia at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He has published several book chapters, journal articles, and book reviews, and has edited and co-edited seven books, including Peacemaking and the Challenge of Violence in World Religions (2015), The Judeo–Christian–Islamic Heritage: Philosophical and Theological Perspectives (2012), A Christian View of Islam: Essays on Dialogue by Thomas F. Michel, S.J. (2010). He currently serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Ecumenical Studies and the Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Religion.
