Truism: Grave concern exists in our country over fear of our differences -- open hostility in our cities, deep division over the values imparted to our children, ethnic and religious antag-onisms, the polarization of political parties -- all of which threaten to unravel democracy in America. Premise: Religion has had both a positive and a negative effect. Question: Can the ICJS apply the methods, purpose, and lessons of its ongoing work regarding the historic antagonisms between Christians and Jews to the sphere of interracial conflict?

Given the reality that the ICJS is rooted in Baltimore, this issue is not confined to philosophical speculation, but finds expres-sion in daily life. Religion has actually fostered racism through contempt and indifference; but it has also, through prophetic voices, inspired the struggle toward human dignity and justice. It is not within the scope of the Institute's mandate and re-sources to unravel the political, economic, and social web that binds Religion and Race, but two projects focus attention on this relationship, a relationship that has received surprisingly little attention in the academy.

A program called "Forging Community: Three Responses to the Challenges of Ethnicity and Religious Diversity" was supported by the Maryland Humanities Council and took place at Temple Oheb Shalom on March 30^th. Dr. Christopher Leighton (the moderator) raised the questions: "What are the dangers that erupt when the stories of Christians and Jews, blacks and whites, collide? Can we locate common commitments that grow out of our distinct traditions? Can we discern shared visions that enable us to see beyond our particularities?" Three speakers, rooted in different ethnic and religious heritages, responded: Dr. Arnold Eisen of Stanford University; Dr. C. G. Newsome, Dean of Howard University Divinity School; and Gustav Niebuhr, religion writer for The New York Times. All three expressed the belief that our viewpoints are formatively shaped by the stories we tell. Speakers and audience con-curred that the search for common ground may be "the question" for the Nineties. Nevertheless, common ground lacks solidity when established at the expense of loss of tradition. Audience members joined the speakers in consideration of practical implications such as the critical role of the media and the challenges of handing on our sacred stories to the next generation.

The second project, pending funding, will come into existence via the Baltimore City Life Museum's program on pluralism in the city. As a result of input from the ICJS, their assistant director Dr. John Durel is planning to direct an inquiry into the interplay of race and religion. In a model that in many respects reflects the Maryland Interfaith Project, ICJS Board member Taylor Branch will serve as moderator of a seminar for clergy, educators, and scholars. During the first phase these partici-pants will investigate ways religious groups have defined themselves with respect to outsiders and the roles religion has played in shaping attitudes about race relations. The second phase will entail development of resources and exhibitions to enable different ethnic and religious groups to come together, forge ongoing linkages, discover the legacies we have inher-ited, and envision new possibilities for the future.