The Association for Interreligious / Interfaith Studies is a collaboration of scholars, practitioners, and activists committed to advancing the academic field of interreligious and interfaith studies. Founded in 2017 by Jennifer Howe Peace, then Associate Professor of Interfaith Studies at Andover Newton Theological School and co-chair of the Interreligious and Interfaith Studies Unit of the American Academy of Religion (AAR), in response to the growing interest at AAR in interreligious and interfaith studies, the association now hosts an annual meeting on the Friday before the AAR annual meeting for individuals and groups to connect and to serve as a forum for work in the field.
AIIS Board of Directors
Officers:
President: Lucinda Mosher (Hartford International University) 2024-2025 (Vice-President 2023-24)
Past President: Hans Gustafson (University of St Thomas) 2024-2025 (President 2023-24)
Vice President/President-elect: Benjamin E. Sax (Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies) 2024-2025 (Advisory Council 2023-24)
Secretary: Rachel Heath (Vanderbilt University) 2023-2027
Treasurer: Soren Hessler (Candler School of Theology, Emory University) 2023-2027
At Large Directors:
Kristi Del Vecchio (University of Chicago) 2023-2027
Barbara McGraw (Saint Mary’s College of California) 2023-2027
Kevin Minister (Shenandoah University) 2023-2027
Marianne Moyaert (KU Leuven) 2023-2027
Zeyneb Sayilgan (Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies) 2023-2027
Linda Bredvik (Heidelberg University) 2024-2028 (Advisory Council 2023-24)
Rachel Mikva (Chicago Theological Seminary) 2024-2028
Valeria Vergani (Stanford University) 2024-2028 (Advisory Council 2023-24)
Ex Officio Directors:
*Representing the Journal of Interreligious Studies: Axel Marc Oaks Takacs (Seton Hall University)
*Representing the AAR Interreligious/Interfaith Studies Unit: Feryal Salem (American Islamic College)
*Representing the European Society for Intercultural Theology and Interreligious Studies: Daan F. Oostveen (Utrecht University / University of Amsterdam)
AIIS Advisory Council
Russ Arnold (Regis University): 2024-present (Past President 2023-2024)
Patrice Brodeur (Université de Montréal) 2023-present
Anne Hege Grung (University of Oslo) 2023-present
Jennifer Howe Peace (independent scholar) 2023-present
Michael Whitenton (Interfaith America) 2024-present
Past Board & Council Members
Carolyn Roncolato (Interfaith America): Advisory Council (2023-2024)
*We maintain collaborative relationships with the European Society for Intercultural Theology and Interreligious Studies (ESITIS) and with the Journal of Interreligious Studies (JIRS).
History of AIIS (2017-2024)
The Association for Interreligious/Interfaith Studies (AIIS)—founded by Jennifer Howe Peace (then on the faculty of Andover-Newton School of Theology) and launched in Boston during the 2017 annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion (AAR)—is a network dedicated to nurturing the growth and academic rigor of interreligious and interfaith discourse with space for networking and learning among scholars, practitioners, and activists that extends beyond the confines of the AAR. Under the leadership of Russell C. D. Arnold (Regis University), AIIS organized and facilitated yearly gatherings immediately preceding the AAR’s annual meeting, thus fostering continuous conversation among its participants—even with the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, AIIS has a tradition of facilitating rich scholarly dialogue, critical reflection, and engagement with local interfaith communities. By maintaining a collaborative relationship with the Journal of Interreligious Studies (JIRS) and the European Society for Intercultural Theology and Interreligious Studies (ESITIS), and by adapting to virtual platforms as necessary, AIIS has created connections for scholarly discourse and shared academic endeavors. Not only does AIIS support established scholars in the field, it places a strong emphasis on cultivating emerging scholars, providing them with a platform on which to share pioneering work and to navigate challenges within their graduate research. During the 2022–2023 academic year, a committed volunteer leadership team took significant strides towards institutional development, prioritizing the establishment of AIIS as a legal entity. AIIS, Inc. incorporated in the state of Delaware in 2024 and was recognized as a non-profit organization under Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code by the IRS later that same year.