John B. Switzer

College Theology Society, Society for Pastoral Theology, American Academy of Religion

John B. Switzer is completing the PhD in theology and education from Boston College. Having lost most of his hair, he is struggling to make meaning from the experience of being a middle-aged male embarking upon a relatively new career in higher education. His soon-to-be-defended doctoral dissertation is on the topic of interreligious literacy. His foundational thesis argues that if it ever was, it is now no longer acceptable--or wise--for religious institutions to teach about their religion alone. Believers must be formed by and informed of their own religious tradition, to be sure, but the effort to sponsor and support a particular religious identity is best accomplished within a context of interreligious dialogue marked by authentic and preemptive acts of hospitality.