Why Interreligious Education is NOT a Threat to Christianity
Behind the Scenes at CST: The Third in an Occasional Series
At a time when polarization seems to define both public life and religious discourse, some might question whether Christians should simply engage in polite dialogue with people of other faiths—or whether something deeper, more transformative, is possible. At Claremont School of Theology, a seminary deeply rooted in the Christian and United Methodist tradition, the answer is not just possible—it’s essential.
Claremont School of Theology (CST) has taken a bold and necessary step beyond mere dialogue. The institution is committed to an interreligious model of education that cultivates not just understanding, but compassion, justice, and a radical sense of belonging. It’s a model shaped by the belief that Christian identity is not diminished, but deepened, when it engages with the faith, wisdom, and lived realities of others.
This vision has been central to CST’s growth and transformation, particularly under the leadership of The Reverend Dr. Kah-Jin Jeffrey Kuan, CST’s seventh president. An ordained elder in The United Methodist Church, Rev. Kuan brings a lifelong commitment to interreligious learning, shaped by his upbringing in an interfaith family, in multi-ethnic and multi-religious Malaysia, and by his scholarship in the Hebrew Bible and Asian American hermeneutics. Since 2018, he has served as co-convener of the National Buddhist-Christian Dialogue of the National Council of Churches. Last semester, he taught a course on Forgiveness in Christianity and Jainism: Theology, Philosophy, and Practices” with Dr. Venu Mehta. “We’re trying to create a new model of religious education where people from different faith traditions learn together in the same classroom,” he explains. “It’s not just an intellectual pursuit. In many ways, we need to go beyond finding common ground—we have to find a way to live with our differences.”
At CST, the study of religions like Islam, Buddhism, Jainism, and Judaism is not an elective side path—it’s integral to the curriculum. Students who come primarily for Christian formation—whether to become pastors, educators, chaplains, or scholars—are learning to work hand-in-hand with others in a world that demands religious fluency, cultural humility, and moral courage.
This vision has found institutional footing through partnerships with the Islamic Center of Southern California, the Academy for Jewish Religion, the International School for Jain Studies, and others. The result is a campus that pulses with real-time, lived engagement across religious boundaries—a vibrant contrast to academic echo chambers or monologue-driven theological discourse.
Some may fear that such engagement weakens Christian commitment. But at CST, the opposite is true. Students emerge with a deeper grasp of their own faith, a clearer sense of their call, and an urgent motivation to serve in an increasingly interconnected and divided world. Rev. Kuan often reminds his community that “true understanding does not spring from the mere study of different cultures and philosophies.” Instead, “it flows from the sacred work of sharing space, ideas, worship, and life with others.”
CST’s progressive Christian ethos also means it confronts not only interreligious questions but also internal ones—about gender, race, sexuality, and justice. Through programs like the Center for Sexuality, Gender, and Religion, the school embraces the full dignity and leadership potential of women, LGBTQ+ persons, and those long marginalized by traditional theological institutions. It’s an education not just about ministry, but about transformation.
In a global landscape marked by fear of the “other,” Claremont School of Theology offers a radically different path: a place where Christians can grow in faith by walking alongside people of all faiths; where theological education is shaped by love of neighbor and a thirst for justice; and where the goal is not uniformity, but community.
As the world’s headlines grow more troubling and its divisions more entrenched, CST’s message becomes even more urgent: It is not enough for Christians to tolerate others. We must build a new world together—with Jains, Muslims, Buddhists, Jews, and people of every tradition and background—because our shared future depends on it. And because the Gospel calls us to nothing less.
This is not compromise. It’s courage. And it’s the kind of seminary the world needs now.
Steve Horswill-Johnston
Senior Vice President of Advancement & Communications