Aug. 11, 2020 – The Institute for Global Engagement (IGE) is pleased to announce a new partnership with Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) to develop a certificate program in “Global Engagement and Religious Literacy.” This program will be available to undergraduates at IWU’s Marion, Indiana campus. The certificate will consist of four courses and a supervised practicum that seek to equip students to:

  • Assess the world’s major religious traditions and their impact on local, national, and global issues;
  • Analyze the political, economic, social, cultural and spiritual dimensions of globalization and their manifestations in different regions of the world;
  • Articulate the theory, ethics and practice of Christian global engagement, in general, as well as in a local context; and,
  • Apply the character, knowledge & skills necessary for effective cross-cultural religious literacy and global engagement.

The program will be taught by IWU professors and IGE experts who will share lessons learned from their experience engaging complex global contexts. Students will also have the opportunity to perform their practicum at IGE in support of its mission to catalyze freedom of faith worldwide.

About IWU: Indiana Wesleyan University is a Christian comprehensive university of The Wesleyan Church. The University was founded in 1920 as Marion College and is committed to liberal arts and professional education. U.S. News & World Report ranks Indiana Wesleyan University as “one of the best Master's universities in the Midwest.” IWU is the largest school in the Coalition of Christian Colleges and Universities with more than 10,000 students.

About IGE: The Institute for Global Engagement catalyzes freedom of faith worldwide so that everyone has the ability to live what they believe. Founded in 2000 by Robert and Margaret Ann Seiple, IGE has three main pillars to its approach:

  1. The teachings of Jesus: We believe, share and live what Jesus taught us—love, acceptance and reconciliation lived in a way that compels engagement and understanding for all.
  2. Religious Freedom: Committed to universal human dignity, we work for a future when all people, of any faith or no faith, have freedom of belief and equal citizenship. We spread the truth that religious freedom is integral to a flourishing society and a stable state.
  3. Relational Diplomacy: We overcome obstacles of culture and religion by creating and nurturing mutually beneficial relationships, inviting all viewpoints to the table, working together as partners for the common good.