SORAC began with seed money from the famed anthropologist Margaret Mead. She passed away in 1978, but the Institute of Intercultural Studies (NYC), established through royalties from her books, awarded SORAC a 30K grant to run its first program in the summer of 2010 at Muhammad V University in Rabat.

The art of religious pluralism is a way to counter religious illiteracy—a core driver of global instability today when youth are exposed to all kinds of distorted religious messaging. Does America represent Christianity? Are all Arabs Islamists?

As developed by SORAC, the art of religious pluralism makes religion a point of connection between peoples amidst the differences. Participants in SORAC programs, future teachers, study one another’s traditions with one another. They catch glimpses of divine guidance at work among other peoples and in this way actually acquire a fuller knowledge of religion’s meanings and purposes.

I’ve devoted my life to SORAC for one reason. Amidst the many global crises, there’s a crucial need to renew the study of religion in a way that is not only scholarly respectable but also spiritually inspiring. There are many challenges, but since SORAC began in 2010, I’ve met countless individuals who seek to participate in a global conversation around religion but have no way to do so.

SORAC offers a way for all to enjoy equal place at the table of theology. I hope you’ll join us in leading the renewal of the global study of religion.

Paul Heck, Founding Director