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Understanding and appreciating the faith of our neighbors in a pluralistic world
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Dr. Adil Ozdemir is a teacher and interpreter of Islam currently lecturing at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. This spring Adil will also be teaching a class titled Understanding Islam sponsored by United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities as part of its Academy of Vital Christianity series.
In describing his upcoming class for United, Adil speaks of the importance of understanding and appreciating the faith of our neighbors in a pluralistic world. And he promises “participants will leave the class with a greater understanding of both the distinctive and similar qualities of Islam and Christianity.”
The Abrahamic traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have several important foundational ideas in common beginning with monotheism, Adil explains. He points out that although there may be subtle differences among them, "each of these faiths teaches that every person deserves dignity, integrity,
and respect with utmost love and care."
Adil reminds us that members of the above religions hold in common principles of human freedom and responsibility in caring for creation that ultimately lead to judgment and accountability. He notes that Islam, the youngest of the three faiths, honors Jesus, respects the Judaic and Christian prophets, and reveres the Hebrew and Christian scriptures, while at the same time offering new revelations by Mohammed.
A native of Turkey who earned his doctorate at the Institute of Social Sciences of Dokuz Eylul University in 1984, Adil served as an imam under the President of Religious Affairs of Turkey, taught in his homeland for many years, and he has long engaged in inter-religious dialog.
Adil has been teaching and interpreting Islam in America for about nine years. In 1985-1986, he was a visiting scholar at the Center for the Study of World Religions at the Harvard Divinity School. In 1995-1996, he participated in the Globalization of Theological Education program by teaching courses on Islam and presenting seminars to faculty and clergy at several United Church of Christ and Disciples of Christ seminaries in the United States.
Adil returned to America in 2003 with his wife and their four daughters, ranging in age from 27 to 35. He taught at Bangor Theological Seminary in Maine for two years before accepting a position at St. Thomas University in St. Paul where he now teaches Islam and along with Dr. Terry Nichols, serves as co-director of the Muslim Christian Dialogue Center.
When asked if he has seen any changes in attitudes resulting from his efforts to promote greater understanding of Islam in America, Adil immediately replied, “I wish you could have been with me on the recent student tour that I led in Turkey. The feedback offered by the 19 students from St. Thomas University was 100 percent positive and according to them, their experiences in Turkey overturned many erroneous assumptions and stereotypes.”
In the previous year, Adil led 27 St. Thomas students on a tour in Turkey, and they reported similar experiences.
Registration information for Adil’s upcoming class in Understanding Islam:
Dates: Saturdays – February 20 and March 20
Times: 9:30 AM-3:30 PM
Location: Roseville, Centennial United Methodist Church
Cost (includes lunch): $190.00 ($240.00 after February 6)
Registration deadline: Saturday, February 13
Registration required: for Online Registration or a Printable Registration Form, go here.
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