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LA TIMES 6/9/10 Excerpts: Claremont, CA (AP)--A rabbi, a minister and an imam walk into a classroom, and it's no joke.

The venerable Claremont School of Theology has taught Methodist ministers and theologians for more than a century, but in the fall they'll try an unorthodox approach: cross-training the nation's future Muslim, Christian and Jewish religious leaders in classrooms scattered around Southern California as they work toward their respective degrees.

The experimental approach launched Wednesday is intended to create U.S. religious leaders who not only preach tolerance in an era of religious strife, but who have lived it themselves by rubbing shoulders with those in other Abrahamic faiths. The idea has already met resistance from more conservative elements...[but] its architects say that only underscores the need for such an approach.

"Christians attend school with Christians, Jewish with Jewish and Muslims with Muslim," said Rev. Jerry Campbell, president of the Claremont School of Theology. "Educating people in a segregated environment is not a way to teach them to be peacemakers...."

Conceived in 2006, the University Project will allow seminary students at Claremont to cross-enroll in programs that train future Muslim and Jewish religious leaders while working toward their own degrees in Christian theology. Claremont already has chaplaincy programs for Muslims and Jews who ultimately work as counselors in institutional settings, but they don't have rabbinical and imam certification programs. Course topics will include inter-religious conflict resolution, scripture and ethics.

The exchange will also work in the other direction. Starting this fall, rabbinical students enrolled at the Academy of Jewish Religion's California chapter will be able to study at Claremont. And by next year, the project will include an Islamic program that aims to create a standard for training American imams by working with the LA-based Islamic Center of Southern California. Classes at the Islamic institute will be taught by Claremont professors and will also be open to seminarians and rabbinical students.

The collaborative effort among the seminary, Jewish academy and Islamic center is believed to be the first to integrate the three studies. Other Christian institutions, such as Connecticut's Hartford Seminary, offer an imam training program but don't incorporate rabbinical students. "It is our responsibility as religious leaders to show that religion can be a powerful force for unity and love in the world, instead of it being captured by a spirit of divisiveness, based on fear of the other and ignorance of the other," said Rabbi Mel Gottlieb, president and dean of the Academy of Jewish Religion's California chapter.

Claremont has already used an initial $10 million gift to hire the first Muslim and second Jewish faculty members. If the project takes off, its architects hope to add Hinduism and Buddhism and house the project under one roof. "It could be a breeding ground for conflict, but it should be a place where students can develop skills for a multi-faith environment and what better place to do it than with their education?" said Najeeba Syeed-Miller, the [female] Muslim professor. "When they're in practice, they have a tool box ready to respond to the conflicts that come up. To me, that's at the core of why it's unique and exciting."

The Islamic school will be incubated by the Christian seminary, piggybacking on Claremont's accreditation. Islam has the most to gain from the project because it remains the most misunderstood faith in the U.S., said Jihad Turk, an imam and religion director for the Islamic Center of Southern California. Traditionally, Muslims interested in being imams must return to the Middle East for their education, but find the more conservative approach is not compatible with the needs of Muslims in America.Turk, 38, said the project will cater to the hallmarks of Islam in America, which is more inclusive of women in leadership roles, involved in interfaith relations and has a higher degree of civic engagement. "This is a very American approach. It's an expression of American religion and American religious attitude," said Turk, a U.S.-born Muslim who himself studied to become an imam in Iran and Saudi Arabia. "It's better that they're getting their training in America if they're planning to work in America."

Jewish organizers are excited that the project will allow future rabbis and imams to study together for the first time--something that's increasingly important in a world where Muslim-Jewish conflict makes headlines almost every day.

"God is the God of all people, and we want to get back to the notion of treating people the way you'd want to be treated," Gottlieb said. "That is the basic principle of all religions, instead of an entity that divides people and creates friction and acrimony."