Duke University, Interfaith Dialogue

Numerous college and university professors have requested copies of the film to use in class.  One of them, Ted Purcell from Duke University, is a member of the Campus Ministry Interfaith Dialogue Project and also teaches a spirituality and ecology class at the Nicholas School of the Environment. 

Ted showed the film to a session of his class and received great, positive feedback.  Ted reported that it was an "excellent and unusual resource, especially because it takes an interfaith approach" that fits his course well.  He suggested that a discussion guide would be an important follow up to make the most of the DVD.  The students' evaluation forms report a positive experience and an increased awareness of the connection between faith/spirituality and the environment.

Perhaps more important than his classroom use are Ted's plans to screen RENEWAL as part of the Duke Interfaith Dialogue Project.  He sees religious environmentalism and its interfaith representation in RENEWAL as a key tool in enhancing this dialogue.  He is working on a campus-wide screening, potentially co-sponsored by the Faith Council and the Eastern Orthodox Campus Ministry and the Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences.  Beyond this, he hopes to include a screening of RENEWAL in a program lead by the Eastern Orthodox campus minister who is organizing a cooperative event including Rev. Richard Cizik and a panel from the Nicholas School and the Divinity School.