The
Duncan Black Macdonald Center for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim
Relations is the country’s oldest center for such study. The
Macdonald Center embodies Hartford Seminary’s long-term commitment
— begun in 1893 — to the study of Islam and Christianity
and the complex relationship between the two religions throughout
history and in the modern world.
The
Macdonald Center challenges scholars, students, members of religious
institutions, community groups, the media and the general public
to go beyond stereotypes and prejudices and develop a profound awareness
and appreciation of Islamic religion, law and culture. It is committed
to the premise that through intensive study and academically guided
dialogue, mutual respect and cooperation between Muslims and Christians
can and must develop.
The
Macdonald Center is an academic unit within Hartford Seminary dedicated
to scholarly research, teaching and publication. The Center is responsible
for the Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations component
of the Seminary’s nationally acclaimed Master of Arts degree
program. The Seminary also offers a Graduate Certificate in Islamic
Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations and has an Islamic Chaplaincy
program to train and certify institutional chaplains. Macdonald
Center faculty are responsible for instruction in the study of Islam
and Christian-Muslim relations concentration of the Doctor of Philosophy
degree program.
Under
the Seminary’s aegis, the Center publishes the bi-annual scholarly
journal, The Muslim World, which reaches subscribers in 65 countries.
The Muslim World is dedicated to the promotion and dissemination
of scholarly research on Islam and Muslim societies and on historical
and current aspects of Christian-Muslim relations.
Complementing
its rigorous academic work, the Macdonald Center is actively engaged
in community service through Hartford Seminary’s educational
outreach and professional consultations activities.
It also sponsors
lectures and programs each semester, as well as the biennial Willem
Bijlefeld lecture in Islam and Christian-Muslim relations. In these
ways, the Center works to promote understanding between the two
faiths and to foster mutual tolerance in local, national and worldwide
communities.
More information on the history of Hartford Seminary and the Macdonald Center:
A History of Hartford Seminary’s Muslim Mission
By Alexis Rankin Popik for the Hog River Journal, Summer 2005
A Century of Arabic and Islamic Studies at Hartford Seminary
By Willem A. Bijlefeld for The Muslim World, April 1993
Partnerships
and Resources
The work of the Macdonald Center is enhanced by various institutional
partnerships. As part of the Seminary’s joint doctoral program
with the University of Exeter, Macdonald Center faculty guide and
supervise the work of students studying Islam and Christian-Muslim
relations.
The M.A. concentration is strengthened through cooperation
with the Department of Religion at Temple University in Philadelphia.
The Macdonald Center enjoys a special cooperative arrangement with
the Office of Interfaith Relations of the National Council of Churches
of Christ USA, and works with several local and national Muslim
organizations. Hartford Seminary is an active participant in the
Connecticut Council for Interfaith Understanding.
In
addition to these resources, scholars and participants in the Macdonald
Center’s programs can take full advantage of the Hartford Seminary
Library, roughly half of whose 60,000 volumes focus on Islamic studies
and the historical relationship between Christians and Muslims.
The Library also houses special research collections, including
1,600 Arabic Islamic manuscripts, 1,300 volumes of the Arabian Nights
in various languages and editions, and a collection of medieval
European literature on Islam.
Study
Tour
Every other year, the Macdonald Center in consultation with the
President and Dean organizes an international study seminar. These
seminars provide participants with a rare opportunity to meet Muslim,
Christian, Jewish and other religious leaders in the Middle East,
Southeast Asia and elsewhere and to learn about local efforts at
inter-faith cooperation.
We will soon post more information about the Study Tours.
