The Dialogue Institute at Temple University

ON THIS DAY IN 1736, Thomas Paine was born. 📜
One of the most influential thinkers of the eighteenth century, Paine believed that ordinary people—not kings, churches, or elites—should decide their own future.

#America250 #history

Celebrate America's 250th anniversary by learning something new! 📖

🌟Follow our public history account on Instagram: www.instagram.com/phillyreligiousdiversity 🌟
#history #America250 #philadelphia

In our special exhibition “The Declaration’s Journey," we ask visitors to reflect on how the Declaration affects their lives today and what the Declaration means for ourselves and our future.

Share with us on your next visit: https://bit.ly/3MYjbIm

Rosa Parks' journey as a civil rights icon | Constitution Center On the occasion of Rosa Park’s birthday, Constitution Daily looks at her journey from a childhood in the segregated south to her enduring status as a civil rights icon.

#OnThisDay in 1913, civil rights activist Rosa Parks is born. #ConstitutionDaily looks back on her life, legacy, and journey from a child in the segregated South to her enduring status as a civil rights icon. #BlackHistoryMonth

https://ow.ly/tuIf50Y6A1P

These narratives are crucial to providing an accurate account of the first two presidents who lived there during the nation’s founding, and historians across Philadelphia have expressed their renewed commitment to ensuring these histories are not erased.

#america250 #history #America250PA

For years, Philadelphia tour guides used the site to tell these stories alongside those of key historical figures such as Ona Judge, who was enslaved by the Washingtons, and Absalom Jones and Richard Allen, faith leaders who worked to end slavery.

Last week, the outdoor exhibit at Philadelphia's President's House was dismantled and removed. Unveiled in 2010, the monument contained information about nine enslaved people whom George Washington brought with him to the nation’s “first White House,” and discussed his history as a slaveowner.

ON THIS DAY IN 1743, John Fitch was born. While he is mostly remembered as a pioneer of American steamboat travel, fewer people know that Fitch also helped to create space for Deist thought in Philadelphia during the Revolutionary era.

#America250 #America250PA #ReligionInPhilly #religiousfreedom

ON THIS DAY IN 1705, Benjamin Franklin was born. He spent his childhood in Boston but later moved to Philadelphia. Throughout his life, he worked with people of various faiths to pursue civic projects for the public good.

#America250 #America250PA #ReligionInPhilly

Learn more about the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas at: www.aecst.org

Learn more about Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church at: www.motherbethel.org

#America250 #America250PA #ReligionInPhilly

ON THIS DAY IN 1791, the first formal religious services were held at a meeting of the Free African Society. These services would form the foundation for the eventual organization of the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas and Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church.

#America250

All work can be completed remotely. The review editor will work closely with the senior co-editors, David Krueger, Benjamin Sax, Natana Delong-Bas & other staff.

If you are interested, please send a brief statement of interest and your CV to dk@dialogueinstitute.org.

#bookreviews #academicjournal

ON THIS DAY IN 1776 : Thomas Paine published "Common Sense," a pamphlet advocating for American independence from British rule, which had a significant influence on public opinion.

blogs.loc.gov/headlinesand...

#philadelphia #history #phillyhistory #america250 #america250pa #semiquincentennial

Stay tuned as we post throughout the year, highlighting moments, people, and places that illustrate Philadelphia's key role in the nation’s founding commitments to religious freedom.
#America250 #America250PA #philadelphia #philadelphiahistory

As we enter 2026, our nation will commemorate and celebrate many historic moments. While Philadelphia is widely known as the birthplace of American democracy, it is also the birthplace of American religious freedom.

With funding from the Philadelphia Funders Collaborative for the Semiquincentennial, we will be launching a training course for public historians/tour guides early in the new year.
Stay tuned for details!

#America250 #America250PA #religiousliteracy #pluralism

Millions of visitors are expected to come to Philadelphia for the Semiquincentennial next year, and tour guides in the city need to be prepared to facilitate difficult conversations. To kickstart training, we were grateful to work with the Association of Philadelphia Tour Guides on this training.

The group had an engaging walking conversation, discussing the anti-Catholic riots and the burning of St. Augustine's Church, Rebecca Gratz's efforts to build institutions that supported Jewish immigrants, and the role of Mother Bethel African Methodist Church in the early abolition movement.

Last weekend, our Dialogue Institute team led a training for Philadelphia tour guides on addressing the topic of religion from a pluralistic perspective.

#America250 #America250PA #religiousliteracy #pluralism

TONIGHT! Our second webinar will be tonight from 7:00 to 8:30 PM ET. This event will feature a panel discussion for K-12 educators. A certificate for 1.5 contact hours will be provided to participants upon completion of a brief survey.

Register here: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Walking Tour: Religious Freedom and the Nation’s Founding in Philadelphia This historic Philadelphia tour, hosted by Dr. David Krueger and Dr. Zain Abdullah, highlights the city's religious and cultural diversity, where the nation’s founding documents were written. This wal...

#K12 teachers local to the #Philadelphia area - join our free tour experience this Saturday from 1 - 3:30 PM!

Register here: forms.gle/RQKf1oUCNQ32...

#k12philadelphia #education #tours #philadelphia

I’ll be facilitating a free Zoom session with the Dialogue Institute on teaching about religion in K–12 classrooms.

📅 Oct 16 | 7–8:30 pm ET
🧾 Earn 1.5 contact hours + certificate of completion
💻 Free registration: bit.ly/4gS9hpV

Join us to learn how to teach about religion responsibly

**Open to all #K12 educators!** Join us today on Zoom with K-12 specialist Dr. Tim Hall! (@religionmatters.bsky.social)

Upon completing a brief survey, participants will receive a certificate for 1.5 contact hours.

Register: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

#publicschools #education #k12schools

Are you a #K12 educator looking to learn more about discussing the topic of #religion in the #classroom? Join us for a free Zoom session with Dr. Tim Hall, a specialist in religious literacy #education on October 16th at 7 PM!

Register here: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

The Dialogue Institute is honored to announce that we have been awarded a $100,000 grant from the Philadelphia Funder Collaborative for the Semiquincentennial.

View all awardees here: www.phila2026fund.org/grants-index/

Learn more about our upcoming events: dialogueinstitute.org/diablogue-bl...

Registration is open to all educators! We would love to have you join the conversation. #K12 #education #classroomtopics

Join us for a Zoom event!
Open to all #K12 educators. This 90-minute session will feature a brief lecture by Dr. David Krueger and Dr. Zain Abdullah, followed by a panel discussion to share ideas for curriculum related to the #Semiquincentennial

Register here: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

#K12 Educators - join us for this Zoom event on October 16th, 2025!

I’ll be facilitating a free Zoom session with @dialogueinst.bsky.social on teaching about religion in K–12 classrooms.
📅 Oct 16, 7–8:30 pm ET
🔗 Register: bit.ly/4gS9hpV

#ReligiousLiteracy #K12Education #SocialStudies

Explore the latest research published in the Journal of Ecumenical Studies! 📚

You can read our latest blog posts here: dialogueinstitute.org/diablogue-20

#blog #philadelphia #religion #dialogue #interreligiousdialogue