Institute for the Study and Practice of Religion

Emory University - one of the premier institutions of higher learning in science, medicine, and the humanities - is seeking partners around the world to advance a signature university-wide initiative on world religions.

Through this initiative, Emory will advance the most distinguished scholarship and educate the very best college and graduate students in world religions. Emory also will work with leading non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to address the causes of religious conflict and promote their peaceful resolution. A significant public education component of the initiative will inform media and opinion-leaders and develop primary and secondary school curricula on world religions.

A preeminent Institute for the Study and Practice of Religion will be at the core of this initiative. This Institute will be unique in higher education in emphasizing the practice as well as the study of different religions, and in combining in one location spaces for the observance of the world's religious traditions.

Distinguishing features of this remarkable Institute will include:

• An international convening site for religious leaders and lay people to meet and address the pressing issues of the day.
• Shared prayer, meditation, and religious observance space designed in an innovative, modular fashion to allow Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, and Hindu observers and others to configure the space for their different practices;
• Hospitality areas, adaptable for common meals, and a halal and kosher kitchen for a wide range of dietary needs;
• Classrooms designed for on-site learning and interactive web exchanges with students and scholars from locations around the world;
• Exhibition and study of art, design, and architecture related to the world's religions;
• Innovative initiatives, for instance addressing the concerns of women in the world's religions;
• Outreach and media programs, extending from the diverse populations of Atlanta to around the world.