*Religious Particularism, the world view that holds that one’s own religious group’s beliefs and practices are the only true or legitimate ones, appears in many major religious traditions.  The religious exclusivist insists that one’s own tradition is the “right” or “orthodox” way, while other religions are “heterodox” or “superstitious.”  There is, from this perspective, only one truth and a single avenue to religious salvation.  In many cases, religious particularism provides believers with an incentive to missionize, with the aim of bringing hope and comfort to persons who adhere to other faiths.  In some cases, religious particularism has inspired social service and global aid that have had profound benefits.  However, religious particularism can also lead to intolerance towards those who are not of the same religion.  Historically, it has been used to justify outright violence toward other religious groups, and to curb the religious freedom of others.  Particularist versions of many religions figure prominently as a source of ethno-religious nationalism and other major conflicts in the world today.  In Texas, some particularist versions of Christianity motivate considerable intolerance, discrimination and incivility toward not only persons of other faiths, but even other Christians who embrace more inclusive versions of the same religious tradition.  This dialogue will be designed to promote the recognition of others’ right to believe and freely practice their own religion.  At best, it may help to uncover a spiritual commonality and to promote a real appreciation and respect for the religious practices and moral stances of others’ religions, even when they seem to differ dramatically from one's own.

Compulsory Heterosexuality is the social norm that defines all expressions of sexuality other than society’s image of “proper” erotic desire for a person of the “opposite sex” as deviant.  By problematizing heterosexuality and the boundaries that make it compulsory, this focus attempts to avoid moralizing about and labeling of homosexuality.  Although student organizations that focus on these issues began to emerge here in the early 1980s, anecdotal evidence suggests that Trinity’s student culture remains constrained by traditional inhibitions against the discussion of gender and sexual orientation.  In part, these inhibitions emerge from the relatively homogeneous cultural backgrounds that characterize the student body.  Moreover, San Antonio’s history of conservative Christianity and the influence of a strong military presence work against a supportive environment for gay, lesbian and bisexual college students.  The local news media often have avoided coverage of political and cultural issues involving sexual orientation.  We have very good reason to conclude that gay, lesbian and bisexual students are especially isolated here and that the discussion of all issues pertaining to sexuality is especially constrained in the classroom and elsewhere.  Unlike courses where instructors examine empirical studies of sexual diversity, this dialogue will be designed to promote the recognition of others as fully human and worthy of respect as fellow students, faculty, or staff, regardless of sexual orientation.

Islamophobia has increasingly become one of the most serious issues threatening the foundation of tolerance and pluralism in the United States.  The horrific images of planes directed by a small group of Muslim extremists flying into the World Trade Center and the resulting implosion of the towers on live television made enduring marks on Americans, and especially on current and future college students who experienced 9/11 as children.  These images have contributed to a deepening fear and distrust of Islam and Muslims among many Americans.  A number of national and regional surveys indicate that nearly half of the American population believes that Islam, as compared to other religions, is more likely to encourage violence.  These surveys also suggest that up to half of the American respondents agree that there should be certain restrictions placed on the civil liberties of American Muslims.  There is no question that fear of Muslims has increased in the United States since 9/11 and that this fear has been accompanied with calls for restrictions on American Muslims, treating them as the suspicious “other”.  Unfortunately, knowledge about Islam and Muslims among Americans is incomplete and inconsistent.  At Trinity there is desire to learn more about Islam, but also a deep and hidden sense of it as a frightening and alien religion.  It is essential that institutions such as Trinity initiate dialogues about Islam and its rich diversity so that our community can “unlearn intolerance” towards Muslims and the Islamic religion.

Culture and Civil Status is a major problem in Texas, the only state where the nation’s original subaltern populations - African-Americans, Mexican-Americans, and Native Americans - have been present since its incorporation into the Union in the middle of the 19^th century.  The relations between and among these groups were historically conflictive.  Group relations improved as a consequence of the Civil Rights Movement, although social tensions continued to exist below the surface.  African-Americans and Latinos still constitute the bulk of the non-Anglo population of Texas, but the demographic composition at the beginning of the 21^st century is quite different.  Just recently Texas has become the second minority-majority state and is now home to a very large population with Asian and Pacific origins.  Also growing rapidly are populations from the Middle East.  The categories - Blacks, Mexicans, and Indians - that historically informed how “others” were defined in Texas have changed dramatically.  “Otherness” is no longer defined simply in terms of race and ethnicity, for culture, religion, and civic status are now part of a very fluid and complex mix.  Yet, Texas by and large still sees and defines itself as Anglo and (Protestant) Christian, which makes the questions - Do I not belong? Am I not a citizen? - highly relevant for persons of color, non-Christians, Catholics, immigrants, as well as members of all non-Anglo ethnic groups.  Many of the tensions implicit in this region’s social environment were made obvious to the nation by the Hurricane Katrina disaster in New Orleans.  While Texas in general and San Antonio in particular have welcomed those affected by the hurricane destruction with open arms (Trinity is currently hosting 12 New Orleans "transfer" students), many potentially divisive issues, such as jobs, housing, political participation and fundamental human dignity, still remain to be resolved. These events magnify the need for the Trinity community to seek ways of preventing, resolving, or ameliorating the worst manifestations of conflict and resentment among groups.  The goal of this dialogue will be to address these issues through reason, respect and tolerance.