In a world in which institutions, individuals, and states function beyond (and in some cases even circumvent) national boundaries, the importance of examining transnational functions of education becomes an increasingly vital line of scholarly inquiry. With limited space in this essay, a full explanation of the term “interreligious theological education” is not possible. Building on the scholarship of David Roozen, Heidi Hadsell, María Isasi-Díaz, Eboo Patel, Catherine Cornille, Judith Berling, John Thatanamil, and others, I consider five common components that undergird the scaffolding of interreligious education in seminaries; the engagement may range from one encounter to a fully developed course of study in this area:

As I was editing Namsoon Kang’s essay on “Radical Border-Crossing,” my American-born daughter told me of her friendship with an international student at the University of Iowa. She and her new friend from China exchange meals in their student apartments in Iowa City. They alternate Chinese and American foods, taking turns cooking for each other. They discuss holidays like Valentine’s Day or the Chinese New Year, phrases like “I love you,” and customs like dating. The rhythm of their “culture or context comparison” is this: “We do this, you do that. What do we have in common?” Of course, I probed about the matter of differences. Risk-takers that they are, the counsel was this: “You have to be willing to say, ‘Ooh, let’s try this!’” Perhaps in the rhythm and risk of these mundane yet microcosmic moments on a university campus, there is a hint of the promising future of transnational encounter in education.