Introducing Our Instructors
The instructors for this course come from a variety of religious communities and are all active participants in interreligious engagement. Some have formal training and participate in formal interreligious dialogue, teaching or justice work. Others are leaders in local or international contexts, embodying their religious values through diverse partnerships.
They all bring a unique personal and theological perspective to Interreligious Engagement, as well as a rich background of experience, which they share through stories and suggestions. The learner will be able to discern the common threads woven through these shared stories, helping to inform and deepen their own interreligious engagement.
Rev. Dr. Kara Markell, D.Min.
Rev. Dr. Markell serves as the Assistant Director at the Center for Ecumenical and Interreligious Engagement at Seattle University.
Hannah Hochkeppel
Hannah Hochkeppel is the Director of Youth Programming for Paths to Understanding and has worked with youth across the United States, and globally in Western Europe, South Asia, and the Middle East.
Mahrukh Motafram
Mahrukh Motafram is a non-profit leader and serves on the Board of Trustees for the Parliament of the World’s Religions.
Sebrina Sommers
Sebrina Somers, is a Founder at Sociable and an active member of the Seattle Baháʼí Community.
Fr. Gary Lazzaroni
Very Reverend Gary Lazzeroni is Pastor of Christ Our Hope, Immaculate Conception, and Saint James Cathedral and Vicar General for Strategic Pastoral Planning at the Archdiocese of Seattle.
Imam Jamal Rahman
Imam Jamal Rahman is Co-Founder and Muslim Sufi minister at Interfaith Community Sanctuary and adjunct faculty at Seattle University. Jamal is an author, popular speaker on Islam, Sufi spirituality, and interfaith relations.
Rabbi Jason Levine
Rabbi Jason Levine is the Associate Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council with the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle. He formerly served as Associate Rabbi at Temple Beth Am in Seattle, Washington.
Rev. Kathy Sharp
Rev. Kathy Sharp is a leader in the Community of Christ denomination and she serves on the Jewish-Christian dialogue table with the National Council of Churches in Christ.
This course was created by the Center for Ecumenical and Interreligious Engagement (CEIE) at Seattle University. Introducing the team that brought this course to life: Rev. Dr. Michael Reid Trice, Rev. Dr. Kara Markell, Jean Schuler, Sofia Sayabalian, Jessica Cattle and Yasmin Brandt.