What you’re saying

We invite you to share your ideas and experiences with us. Below is some of the feedback we’ve received.

The topics [the Center] addresses are important to our lives. I like being challenged and engaged by them, and our listeners do, too.
- David Lile, host of Columbia’s Morning News program on News Talk 1400 KFRU

With the push for interdisciplinary study and the need for students to integrate information from the humanities with science coursework, I can only foresee a growing need for this type of center.
- Chris Pierret, MU graduate student

The Center has provided many opportunities, specifically with speakers, to address current issues in an engaging context … I am very pleased to have such a resource here.
- Furqaan Sadiq, MU undergraduate student

Without the Center’s organization it wouldn’t be possible for the students to experience [these] kinds of speakers on campus.
- Moeena Mian, MU undergraduate student

In today’s society, religious pluralism is unavoidable and necessary, but religious knowledge (both about our own traditions and those of others) and knowledge about engaging in civil discourse are remarkably low. The Center is a necessary institution in correcting such a discrepancy and bringing religious discussions and considerations (not debates) to the forefront of our national consciousness.
- Brett Knight, MU undergraduate student, Discovery Scholar 2006-07

As a journalism major, and religious studies minor, I personally find the coverage of religion in the mainstream media to be somewhat discouraging, if only because it tends towards the sensational and the highly politicized. I admire the fact that the Center seems to take a very unbiased and academic approach to covering issues relevant to many different faiths. The fact that CORP hosts a variety of religious-themed events in Columbia further speaks to its authentic commitment to engaging people in the community in critical thought and discussion regarding the role of religion in society and in the lives of individuals.
- Carl Franzen, MU undergraduate student

I really do believe that you and your colleagues are embarking on a very important venture in building bridges in areas (religion and science) that are so crucial for the world we live in now, and yet have little ongoing dialogue.
- Dr. Farhat Moazam, chair of the Centre on Biomedical Ethics and Culture, Karachi, Pakistan

I think the Center provides a platform from different backgrounds to get an understanding on others’ beliefs.
- Shimin Zhuang, MU graduate student

The Center serves as an outlet for students to learn about the role religion plays in today’s society, specifically in the workplace. This is especially important at a public university like Mizzou; at private religiously affiliated universities, religion is stressed much more than here at Mizzou. The Center helps to make up for that gap by promoting [understanding of] religion and its role in our lives.
- Geoff Brooke, MU undergraduate student

I was pleasantly surprised with the ‘standing-room-only’ attendance for the lecture even though it was scheduled on a Friday immediately following a national holiday during a fractured work week. The audience was also very diverse in its make-up and included a broad cross-section of the Columbia community … Your Center is doing a wonderful job of hosting a diverse range of public lectures and other events that help educate our community and promoting dialogue. Keep up the great service to the community.
- Vellore S. Gopalaratnam, MU professor

We are proud of the work the Center has accomplished … It has brought together scholars from across campus and around the world to collaborate on scholarship aimed at better understanding the increasingly important role of religion in civic life and in the way professions serve the public.
- MU Chancellor Brady Deaton

This project has provided an excellent opportunity to elevate the attention – both research and teaching – given to business ethics. The interdisciplinary collaboration stimulated by the Center brings valuable perspectives and partners together to address important issues related to professional ethics.
- Bruce Walker, Dean, MU College of Business

I think the frank, balanced discussion is important … It’s our responsibility to educate people and find the common things.
- Rashed Nizam, physician

Understanding a person’s religion gives me a better idea of who that person is and how to render professional services most effectively.
- Attorney and clergyman Scott Smith, Sr., Center fellow

The depth and importance of what the Center does can’t be overstated, even if you just consider the diversity of our own student body and faculty. In health care professions, if you don’t understand how a person’s cultural and religious beliefs come to bear, you might design a health intervention that is completely inappropriate for that person.
- Rose Porter, dean, MU’s Sinclair School of Nursing

I’m with the press and I really appreciated the Center’s willingness and friendliness when it came to interviews.
- Sarah Berneking, MU undergraduate student and Maneater reporter

The Center was invaluable to me over the summer, when I was working as a reporter on the Faith/Higher Education beat of the Columbia Missourian. … The Center’s website proved easy to navigate and was filled with useful background information…I really cannot say enough good things about my experience with CORP.
- Carl Franzen, MU undergraduate student

I appreciate learning what great opportunities you are bringing to Columbia.
- Nancy Rahner, Columbia resident

I really enjoyed Steven Prothero’s talk on ‘Religious Literacy.’ I think it is great that you can bring in those kinds of accredited authors. His talk was very thought-provoking and fresh.
- Luke Freeman, MU undergraduate student

Keep up the excellent work. I’m so impressed with all you’ve done.
- Mary Lawrence, MU faculty

The two events I attended last were the ‘Oil and Water’ one the ‘Bhagavad Gita’ one and both were amazing. I am Hindu so going to the Gita discussion deepened my respect for my own faith. The program was relevant and interesting to me and made me curious to look further into the Gita. The ‘Oil and Water,’ an interfaith discussion between Islam and Christianity, was also interesting just because of how similar the Middle East’s perspective and Western perspective are compared to the portrayal by the media today. I really enjoyed both and hopefully will be able to go to some more religious discussions in the future.
- Anik Patel, MU student

The Center on Religion & the Professions’ work is important because it shows the student population that people of different religions can work together and really do have something in common.
- Azeema Akram, MU undergraduate student

(Speaker Paul Barrett) doubled my knowledge of Muslims in America.
- Carl Esbeck, MU professor of law

(The event featuring Michael Lindsay) was a great introduction to a complex range of issues.
- Art Simmons, community member

Thanks for the great programs!
- Nancy Osterlind, community member

I love what you guys are doing to encourage a place for dialogue over faith in the public square.
- Luke Daugherty, pastor for worship and mission at Karis Community Church

(Through my work at the Center) I learned a great deal about the way professionals from many academic arenas are considering the importance of religion. … I (also) refined my own understanding of the pervasive nature of religion and the importance it holds in every corner of the professional arena. All this is of course essential to what I hope to achieve as a journalist and writer. … I am proud and grateful to have worked with the Center.
- Justin Hienz, CORP research assistant 2006-07