About
Founded at Marist School in 2024, the Bearing Witness Institute for Interreligious and Ecumenical Dialogue seeks to combat hate and prejudice by building a community of conscience committed to promoting understanding among the Abrahamic faith traditions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The Institute pursues its work through interactive learning experiences, dialogues, and leadership training.
The Bearing Witness Institute and Marist School
The Bearing Witness Institute is an integral part of Marist School in Atlanta, Georgia, a Catholic secondary school founded in 1901 by the Society of Mary. Marist School’s formative educational experience and mission reflect the vision of the Society of Mary, which embraces a gentle yet insistent encounter with God. Marist students are taught to use their God-given talents to demonstrate mercy and compassion, a perspective that is deeply aligned with interreligious dialogue and mutual respect.
The Bearing Witness Institute’s mission aligns with the Catholic Church’s aim to promote respect and collaboration among different faith communities. Calling interreligious dialogue “a providential sign of our times,” Pope Francis has urged Catholics to engage in such discourse as a “privileged path to the growth of fraternity and peace in our world." In 2018, the Superior General of the Society of Mary, Reverend John Larsen, S.M., established the Marist Commission for Interreligious Dialogue and Reconciliation. The Commission’s objectives include using education, publishing, and advocacy to promote awareness and understanding among different peoples, cultures, and faith traditions. Marist School actively promotes civil dialogue across differences to shape students into global-ready servant leaders with extensive academic knowledge, a compassionate outlook, and the tools and mindset to improve the world. The Bearing Witness Institute at Marist School offers the opportunity to combat prejudice by engaging local and national communities through education and dialogue.
History
The Bearing Witness Institute blossomed from the “History and the Holocaust” course that Brendan Murphy has taught at Marist School for nearly 30 years. The course inspired meaningful student trips to visit significant Holocaust sites in Europe as well as adult classes offered through the Marist Evening Series. Murphy’s talent for presenting thought-provoking lectures about combatting antisemitism, hate, and prejudice spurred synagogues and churches across Atlanta and around the country to invite him to speak to their communities. Growing demand for Murphy’s lectures, which help to draw communities together in a unique way, led to the creation of the Bearing Witness Institute at Marist School with him as the inaugural director. Going forward, Murphy and the Bearing Witness Institute will seek to expand reach by engaging educators, students, religious congregations, and others to help ignite interest in a community of conscience that can help transcend prejudice and hate.
Future Plans
To fully realize the important mission of the Bearing Witness Institute, it is essential to share knowledge as widely as possible. As such, future initiatives of the Institute will include a podcast series and a MasterClass-style video series as well as expansions of signature programs such as Peace by Piece, teacher trainings, and the lecture series on antisemitism.
