Faith, Hope, and Love University Program

Faith, Hope, and Love University Program Overview

Graduate student ambassadors from Christian colleges, universities and professional schools create, model and teach intentional, proactive strategies to stand strong in their faith and convictions while maintaining a posture of compassion and grace in relationship with LGBT individuals. The Faith, Hope, and Love Initiative recently completed a pilot program with students and faculty from Brigham Young University and Fuller Theological Seminary.

Rationale:

Theologically conservative Christians are often portrayed as unkind or even bigoted when in fact the opposite is often true. As a result, theologically conservative members of Christian college and university communities are left in a reactionary, defensive position unnecessarily. In the words of one student participant, “In my program, [conversations on LGBTQ issues] are so fraught with emotion and tension that we can’t even dialogue about it in a way that doesn’t start to devolve.”

Talented graduate students interested in dialogue to find proactive and creative ways to stay strong in their own faith and convictions while having a compassionate heart are the change makers needed to improve perception and reality on campus and in the professional worlds these students will inhabit. Students are encouraged to lean into their faith in love, not abandon or apologize for their convictions.

The FHL Initiative is comprised of a value-based process to frame key components of faith within an integrative, dialogical and educational workshop. Congruence between important religious values and sectors of an individual’s life is examined through the “3 Bs” of integrity: belief, being, and behavior. Students are given opportunities to reflect on how these concepts work together to form an integrated whole, whether they ‘match’ the person’s theology, and whether there is anything to attend to in the context of personal integrity. This reflection is a synthesis of the preceding three components, brought together with the final “B,” the sum of belief, being, and behavior: belonging. The final discussion centers on creating alignment in integrity and belonging both within the self and with those around us. This alignment of integrity and belonging is facilitated by religious freedom and covenantal pluralism principles and results in an increased impact towards individual and collaborative goals.

All participants in the FHL pilot project reported feeling more confident and better equipped to support LGBTQ people in personal and professional contexts as a result of their participation. Participants also recognized the value of their experience as extending beyond the LGBTQ community, fostering deeper understanding of effective, respectful dialogue across any type of difference.

Evaluation available.
Read about the Faith, Hope, and Love Process
Learn more: marian@parity.nyc