The Association for Interreligious / Interfaith Studies is a network 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 members of the network to connect and to serve as a forum for work in the field.

AIIS Board of Directors

Officers:

President: Hans Gustafson (University of St Thomas)

Past President: Russ Arnold (Regis University)

Vice President/President-elect: Lucinda Mosher (Hartford International University)

Secretary-Treasurer: Rachel Heath (Vanderbilt University)

At Large Directors:

Kristi Del Vecchio (University of Chicago)

Soren Hessler (Vanderbilt University)

Barbara McGraw (Saint Mary’s College of California)

Kevin Minister (Shenandoah University)

Marianne Moyaert (KU Leuven)

Zeyneb Sayilgan (Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies)

Ex Officio Directors:

*Representing the Journal of Interreligious Studies: Axel Marc Oaks Takacs (Molloy University)

Representing the AAR Interreligious/Interfaith Studies Unit: Feryal Salem (American Islamic College)

*Representing the European Society for Intercultural Theology and Interreligious Studies: pending

AIIS Advisory Council

Linda Bredvik (Heidelberg University)

Patrice Brodeur (University of Montreal)

Anne Hege Grung (University of Oslo)

Carolyn Roncolato (Interfaith America)

Jennifer Howe Peace (independent scholar)

Benjamin E. Sax (Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies)

Valeria Vergani (Stanford University)

*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 (2017-2023)

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. Having now formed an interim Board of Directors and an Advisory Council, AIIS is well positioned to apply for status as a not-for-profit corporation—a move that will ensure its continued impact on interreligious and interfaith studies in North America and beyond.