Twenty-four GMU Family members joined on Zoom on October 23 to honor GMU and celebrate the university's achievements and future goals.

The Role of Spirituality and Interfaith Dialogue in Solving the Present Crises in the Middle East

The three monotheistic religions originating in the Middle East, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, have within their histories rich resources to promote compassion, understanding, and mystical union with the divine and with all creation. The unity of God with humanity is clearly taught in the Torah, the Bible, and the Qur’an. It is only moral failure and blindness that allow human beings to attack each other and deny that we are all members of the same family originating in the heart of the HOLY ONE from which all life originated...

President Grudzen will give a presentation on GMU's role on "open and distance" global education at the ICDE President's Forum on November 6 in Costa Rica. He will highlight GMU's biennial free international interfaith conferences on Fratelli Tutti and Laudato Si' at the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) conference in Costa Rica.

In addition, President Grudzen will address the entire assembly on November 8. He will speak on GMU's Religion and Science program which brings students from Asia, Africa and North America together.

“Blessed Are the Peacemakers, for They Will Be Called Children of God” (Matt 5:9)

Dr. Sudarshan Kapoor, Professor Emeritus of Social Work Education & Peace Studies at CSU Fresno, CA, is currently offering a 4-week series on "Mahatma Gandhi and Building a Just Peace" on Zoom.

Because this is such an important topic to address the violence in today's world, GMU will accept whatever tuition you can pay plus the $25 application fee. Learn more.

GMU's Peace Studies program was applauded at the Gala. With the crisis in the Middle East, we need to focus on building a just and lasting peace now more than ever! You can view all of Dr. Kapoor's lectures by submitting only the $25. application fee.

Albert Einstein Quotes. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved September 25, 2023, from BrainyQuote.com Web site: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/albert_einstein_136891

"Life is not a contest or a conquest. It is a struggle and a quest to find the best in each and every one of us."

~ Sudarshan Kapoor

President Grudzen's interview with Dr. Sudarshan Kapoor

The Crisis in the Middle East: Learning More…

We’re all stunned and deeply concerned about war in the Middle East. When I’m fearful and worried about a national or global situation I want to read as much as I can about it. Information, when it’s reliable, helps me understand the major players and events and gives me a little greater sense of security.

I looked at several trustworthy sites, wanting to find some of the books that have been recommended on the subjects of Israel, Hamas, and Gaza and the conflicts that have developed over the decades. And this is just a sample of the available titles on these topics (I haven’t read them all—yet!) To find out more, to read reviews and summaries, and to locate the books themselves, go to Amazon.com or worldcat.org. And, of course, check out your local library.

Here are the titles of some that I found—not in any particular order:

Enemies and Neighbours: Arabs and Jews in Palestine and Israel 1917-2017 by Ian Black (2017) 

Eighteen Days in October: The Yom Kippur War and How it Created the Modern Middle East by Uri Kaufman (2023) 

 Bibi: The Turbulent Life and Times of Benjamin Netanyahu by Anshel Pfeffer (2018) 

A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: A Palestine Story by Nathan Thrall (2023) 

Footnotes in Gaza by Joe Sacco (2009)  

Hamas: The Islamic Resistance Movement by Beverley Milton-Edwards and Stephen Farrell (2010) 

The Iron Cage: The Story of the Palestinian Struggle for Statehood by Rashid Khalidi (2007) 

A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East by David Fromkin (1989) 

Israel: A History by Anita Shapira (2012)

. 

A Tale of Love and Darkness by Amos Oz (2002) 

Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid by Jimmy Carter (2006)

The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine by Rashid Khalidi (2020)

My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel by Ari Shavit (2013)

Hamas Contained: The Rise and Pacification of Palestinian Resistance by Tareq Baconi (2018)

We Are Not One: A History of America’s Fight Over Israel by Eric Alterman (2022)

Righteous Victims by Benny Morris (2001)

A final word of warning: whatever you do, don’t rely on stories in TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, or other social media sites that seem to be offering information on conditions in the Middle East. There’s reported evidence that some of them have been compromised, resulting in massive amounts of misinformation.

Questions? Comments? Reflections? I’m here…just click on the link!

~Judy Clarence, M.L.I.S., GMU Librarian

Image: Alisdare Hickson on Flickr

GMU Registrar, Lee McCoy, has sent an email inviting you to attend the faculty meeting on Zoom on Monday, December 4 at 4 p.m. (PST) / 7 p.m. (EST). If you haven't rsvp'd to Lee yet, please do so soon.

Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP, Dean of GMU's D.Min./M.Div. Programs promoted women priests and "a renewed model of priestly ministry in a community of equality" at the Spirit Unbounded international program, during the Synod on Friday, Oct.13, before keynote speakers Joan Chittister and Mary MacAleese.

Dr. Nazar Sloboda will give a seminar on Religion and Politics within Orthodox Christianity in January 2024. Dr. Sloboda received a Doctorate in Sacred Theology Ecumenism and Dialogue from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (the Angelicum), Rome, Italy. He will direct GMU graduate studies programs in Orthodox theology and history. Stay tuned for more information.

Community Chaplaincy

Negotiations are underway for collaboration with All Faiths Seminary on a Community Chaplaincy Program. The curriculum and Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) structure are being developed. Stay Tuned for updates. Individual chaplaincy courses are available now.

Many of our students go into business as celebrants after they complete our program.  Would you like to do something worthwhile and be compensated for your services? We train you to do personal and meaningful wedding ceremonies and/or funeral services.

People's Catholic Seminary... a Journey to Spiritual Transformation, Empowerment & Equality

People's Catholic Seminary offers programs to inspire and educate individuals and groups who embrace a vision of spirituality that is inclusive, liberating, empowering, and equal. Matthew Fox, one of the great visionaries of our times, proposes that contemporary seminaries move from knowledge factories to wisdom schools. PCS offers pathways to theological and ministerial competencies in a renewed priestly ministry that nurtures our baptismal call to live holy lives as midwives of grace in mystical, prophetic, and sacramental communities of equals.

An application for accreditation has been made with an international accrediting agency. We will keep you updated on GMU's progress.

Please take a moment to answer the questions in our survey. It will only take a minute or two and will help GMU respond to your needs and the needs of future students. Thank you so much for your help!

We apologize for the delay in acknowledging your responses. Frank Pisciotta, a GMU alumnus and Board member, is experiencing health issues. Please keep him in your prayers.

If you have benefited from the excellent education at Global Ministries University and would like to help others succeed as well, you can "Pay it Forward" by contributing to scholarships for those needing financial assistance to pursue their educational goals.

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If you would like to ensure GMU's growth in the 21st Century and contribute to its stature as a valued and recognized educational institution, you can "Pay it Back" by helping to defray some of the financial burdens of pursuing accreditation.

Please support your university and its "Global Commitment" to diversity, equality, and peace! There is no donation too small. We are here to support each other in any and every way we can!