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College of Human Development, Culture, and Media
Initiatives for the Institute for Communication and Religion

Initiatives

Through various initiatives, the Institute for Communication and Religion focuses on exploring how communication and religion are integrally connected. The Institute seeks to ensure the University's students and broader community are informed and equipped to communicate about religious topics with responsibility, passion, and excellence.

Ecumenical and Interreligious Dialogue

"Swami Sarvapriyananda Makes History with ICR Address on Religious Harmony"
Swami Sarvapriyananda spoke about how to achieve religious harmony from a Hindu perspective. View this news story »

"Renowned Scholar Leads ICR Master Class"
The Institute for Communication and Religion within the College for Communication and the Arts recently hosted internationally renowned scholar Heidi Campbell, Ph.D., for a master class on how digital media is reshaping the way people engage with their faiths. View this news story »

"Ethically Speaking: Is There Hope for Civil Discourse in America?"
The College of Communication and the Arts with the involvement of the Institute hosted "Ethically Speaking: Is There Hope for Civil Discourse in America?" on February 15, 2018.

"Speaking Truth: Religion in the News Media"
More than 125 University community members and visitors gathered on November 2, 2017 for "Speaking Truth: Religion in the News Media," the inaugural event for the Institute. William McGurn, The Wall Street Journal columnist and a former presidential speechwriter, headlined the event, discussing how religion is presented in the press.

Curricular Innovation

Curriculum Development Workshops
University faculty were invited to learn about Catherine Zizik, associate professor of communication, led the workshops to facilitate a discussion on new course development and syllabus exploration for the Institute at the graduate and undergraduate level.

Academic and Scholarly Excellence

American Academy of Religion/Society of Biblical Literature
Through support from the Institute, Dr. Ruth Tsuria, an assistant professor within the College of Communication and the Arts, participated in a panel discussion on media and religion at the 2017 American Academy of Religion/Society of Biblical Literature's Annual Meeting in Boston.

The Chesterton Review
The speech by William McGurn, "Speaking Truth: Religion in the Media," which was first delivered as the keynote address at the Institute's inaugural event, was published in a "Special Journalism Issue" of The Chesterton Review – a publication of the G.K. Chesterton Institute for Faith & Culture at the University.