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STATE OF FORMATION Weekly

Hate Hits Home: When My Friend Became a Target

By Simran Jeet Singh

Last night, I received the kind of phone call that everyone dreads: a close friend was hurt, and on his way to the hospital. But the news got worse, as I learned that my friend, Dr. Prabhjot Singh, a young Sikh American professor at Columbia University, had been brutally attacked on a public street, the victim of a violent hate crime. My brother and I immediately jumped in a taxi and rushed to the hospital, where we finally saw Prabhjot being wheeled in, bloody and bruised, his face swollen from a fractured jaw. He couldn't speak because many of his teeth had been displaced, but he waved limply to let us know that he was okay.

We joined Prabhjot in his hospital room and were surprised to find it already filled with officers from the NYPD and its Hate Crime Task Force. As he struggled to give his statement, we came to learn that his assailants had taunted him as they beat him, calling him "Osama" and "terrorist." He described being punched in the face repeatedly until falling to the ground. And then he recalled how the punches to the head continued as he lay on the sidewalk.

Read more here. 

 

State of Formation to feature Paul Raushenbush and top scholars in workshop at AAR/SBL


We are pleased to announce that Paul Raushenbush will deliver a special presentation on expanding one's voice within the online public sphere at the State of Formation workshop at the annual meeting for the American Academy of Religion (AAR). Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush is the Senior Religion Editor for the Huffington Post. From 2003-2011, Raushenbush was the Associate Dean of Religious Life and the Chapel at Princeton University. He was the President of the Association Of College and University Religious Affairs (ACURA) from 2009-20011. An ordained American Baptist minister, Rev. Raushenbush speaks and preaches at colleges, churches and institutes around the country including The Chautauqua Institute, the Center for American Progress, the New America Foundation and the Aspen Institute. Raushenbush is regularly invited to offer commentary on issues of religion and society on national television and radio. His current focus is on the interplay between religion and the internet. Read more about his work and writing here.

Contest: Outstanding Contributing Scholars at AAR/SBL
At the 2013 AAR & SBL Annual Meeting, State of Formation will host a workshop for new and potential Contributing Scholars. The workshop will feature high profile writers who are established voices in the online public sphere. We also hope to feature between 2-3 Outstanding Contributing Scholars who post exemplary content on the State of Formation site. This workshop will serve as an excellent networking session to begin to navigate the AAR/SBL meeting in Baltimore, Maryland. COntributing scholars who are interested in presenting at the workshop should e-mail Honna (honna@irdialogue.org) and Ben (ben@irdialogue.org) for more information.
 
State of Formation Workshop - Sunday, November 24th from 2-5pm
State of Formation will be hosting a workshop at the annual meeting of the this November at the AAR/SBL meeting. As many of you know, AAR recently approved the Interreligious and Interfaith Studies group, which is a significant step forward for interreligious studies as a discipline. Read more about State of Formation, JIRD, and other interreligious events here.

Call for Nominations

Please nominate a colleague, student, or friend to become a State of Formation Contributing Scholar!

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State of Formation is a forum for emerging religious and ethical leaders. Founded by the Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue, State of Formation is a project of the Center for Inter-Religious & Communal Leadership Education at Andover Newton Theological School and Hebrew College. It also works in collaboration with the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions.