Russell Berrie Fellow Profile:
Linda S. Taggart
Introduction and Background:
My name is Linda S. Taggart and I have been privileged and blessed to receive the Russell Berrie Fellowship in Interreligious Studies at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome during the years 201 2-2013. I am a Roman Catholic who learned to read Biblical Hebrew while earning my mid-life Master of Arts degree (1999) in the academic field of "Religious Studies" at the University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa, Florida, USA. My USF studies-especially my focus on sacred scripture in world religions-opened the door to a new and rewarding career teaching and leading programs in interreligious education and dialogue for university classrooms, clergy, congregations, and the Tampa Bay community at large.
My prior employment experiences in both corporate and governmental agency environments served me well as I transitioned into teaching and leadership roles in both community and academic settings. Within a year of completing my M.A., I was invited to serve on the board of directors of Saint Leo University's Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies (CCJS), and subsequently joined the Saint Leo University (SLU) board of trustees as well. Over the years, I have been privileged to design and teach classes and courses in both interreligious topics and Hebrew Scriptures for Saint Leo University, the University of Tampa, the Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg Florida, and Tampa's Franciscan Center.
It is a great joy to continue my work as an Adjunct Professor in the Philosophy, Theology, and Religion Department at Saint Leo University where I teach undergraduate college students courses in World Religions and Old Testament/Hebrew Scriptures. My Russell Berrie Fellowship studies at the Angelicum in Rome have both enriched my understanding and blessed my teaching and service. I am especially grateful for the many gifts I am now able to share with Saint Leo University students from more than 50 countries around the world.
The Blessings of the Russell Berrie Fellowship in Interreligious Studies, 2012-2013:
In October, 2007, my friend and teaching colleague, Laurin Jacobson, and I flew to Rome for a Vatican-hosted conference of Catholic and Jewish educators from twenty-five cities in the U.S. It was there that I met and studied with the esteemed Rabbi Jack Bemporad, Director of the Pope John Paul II Center for Interreligious Dialogue at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. Alongside Cardinals Keeler and Kasper and a number of other renowned leaders in interfaith education and dialogue, Rabbi Bemporad articulated the principles and practices that would help to guide my own path and decisions in the years that followed. Based on the introduction provided by Rabbi Bemporad, I came to understand that the goals and objectives of the Angelicum's John Paul II Center and the Russell Berrie Foundation were a perfect fit with my own interests in interreligious education, teaching, and service.
After a 2010 meeting with Rabbi Bemporad, my beloved husband of 26 years was insistent that I should apply for the Russell Berrie Fellowship, even though my husband's health was in crisis at that time. The year after my husband's passing, I did keep that promise to him, and I applied for the Russell Berrie Fellowship. I am convinced that in addition to my sincere desire and academic preparation, my husband's prayer may have paved the way for me to receive that great honor and blessing of the Russell Berrie Fellowship studies at the Angelicum in Rome for the year 2012-2013.
It is my practice to describe the gifts of the Russell Berrie Fellowship experience in three parts: a) the rich and challenging academic curriculum; b) the teaching, guidance, and wisdom of the Dominican Fathers of the Angelicum faculty; and c) the example, inspiration, and friendship of the diverse Angelicum student community, including the Russell Berrie fellows. My Russell Berrie Fellowship also provided the resources needed for me to live in community with 25 Pontifical University students from 14 countries at the respected Lay Centre at Foyer Unitas on the grounds of the Passionists' Monastery in Rome. All of these relationships have enriched the learning and living experience of my time in Rome, and provided the gifts of knowledge and understanding which I have been able to build into my classroom and community teaching assignments since my return to the USA.
The Russell Berrie Fellowship studies and the practical application of interreligious dialogue, especially as experienced during the program's Israel Seminar, have brought to life the Catholic Church's four major pathways to dialogue, as described in the Church document, "Dialogue and Proclamation," 1991:
- Dialogue of Life: includes informal contacts among neighbors who are of different religions
- Dialogue of Action: cooperating for human development and liberation of people
- Dialogue of Theological Exchange: where experts exchange information viewing differences and similarities
- Dialogue of Religious Experience: people deeply committed to their own traditions feel confident enough to share their spiritual understandings and experiences.[1]
In the months since my return from Rome, I have experienced all four of these "pathways of dialogue," including when speaking to Catholic Diocesan and Parish groups, as well as during interfaith community lectures hosted by the Franciscan Center in Tampa. In my role as an Adjunct Professor at Saint Leo University, I have been privileged to teach the undergraduate course titled "World Religions: East and West," and I look forward to teaching both Scripture and World Religion classes in the years to come.
Building a Culture of Dialogue with Guidance from Two Popes and a Rabbi:
So much more could be said regarding the Russell Berrie Fellowship experience, but allow me to briefly focus on the very practical nature of the tasks involved in what I refer to as "building a culture of dialogue." The verb "to build" is an important one and used intentionally. Building is hard work. Building requires carefully selected tools, as well as the knowledge, the experience, and the energy to properly use them.
As a first example of guidance, I offer wisdom from our much admired
Holy Father, Pope Francis, who used the verb "to build" when he spoke to Brazilian leaders in July, 2013, on the need for "constructive dialogue" among cultures, and the three aspects he considers essential for facing the future:
"Memory of the past and hope for the future meet in the present that is not a juncture without history and without promise, but a moment in time which challenges us to gather wisdom and put it to good use in building the future....three aspects [include]...first, the distinctiveness of your cultural tradition; second, joint responsibility for building the future; and third, constructive dialogue in facing the present moment."
A second example of guidance comes from now Saint John Paul II who addressed the many challenges of "building a culture of dialogue" in his Papal Message issued for the celebration of the 2001 World Day of Peace; the Papal Message is titled "Dialogue Between Cultures for a Civilization of Love and Peace." In paragraph n. 20, the Pope speaks directly to the importance of education-specifically the responsibility of education-in building a more united and peaceful world. The closing paragraph of the Pope's 2001 Message, quoted below, has and will continue to inspire and guide me as I study, learn, teach and serve my Church, my Saint Leo University students, and our richly diverse and challenging interfaith communities. In paragraph n. 22, Pope John Paul II states:
"I wish to conclude this Message of peace with a special appeal to you, young people of the whole world, who are humanity's future and living stones in the building of the civilization of love...Dear young people of every language and culture, a high and exhilarating task awaits you: that of becoming men and women capable of solidarity, peace and love of life, with respect for everyone. Become craftsmen of a new humanity, where brothers and sisters-members all of the same [human] family-are able at last to live in peace."[3]
Finally, at the heart of my Russell Berrie Fellowship experience, I must address Rabbi Jack Bemporad's insightful questions, "How can I be true to my faith without being false to yours?...With what eyes do you see me?" These questions represent the challenges that will remain with us even after we have listened, studied, reasoned, and come to better understand ourselves and others. We will continue to face issues, old and new, for which no solutions are offered, and address questions for which there appear to be no answers. In my university classrooms, I have posted a chart titled, "Questions with No Answers." Explaining the chart's purpose, I relate the story the Rabbis of Blessed Memory tell about the importance of asking questions even if there seem to be no answers: "In a little shtetl in Poland, there lived a man who had a question with no answer. And in another shtetl far, far away, there lived a man who also had a question with no answer. Neither man knew about the other, which was a shame...because the second question was the answer to the first." Therefore, let us not be afraid of the challenges facing dialogue partners struggling with complex issues, or pathways that seem to lead nowhere, or promises that may never come to fruition. Rather, let us continue to address the questions, even those with no answers, and, perhaps, as the Rabbis say, one of these questions will bring light to another.
|
