Arlene Anderson Swidler, an early pioneer in interfaith relations , died this spring. Arlene was not only one of the leaders in the interfaith movement, she also was an important voice for feminism and for homosexual rights in the Catholic Church and beyond. Arlene wrote or edited ten books, including Woman in a man’s Church (1972), Sister Celebrations (1974), Human Rights in Religious Traditions (1982), Mainstreaming (1985), A New Phoebe (1990), Homosexuality and World Religions (1993). She also published 75 articles.
In 196o, Arlene and her husband Leonard, a professor of Religion, returned from three years in Germany where she had collaborated with Leonard's research on the "Una Sancta Movement," the only ecumenical effort then to include Catholics. Arlene conceived of the revolutionary idea of an American scholarly periodical devoted to ecumenism with Catholic participation (no comparable publication existed at the time) and recruited Leonard, who in turn recruited Elwyn A. Smith, Professor at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Together they founded the JOURNAL OF ECUMENICAL STUDIES.
When Leonard became a professor at Temple University Religion Department, the journal moved with them. To this day, the journal continues to publish regularly and serves as an important resource for those concerned with a mutifaith world.astro.temple.edu/~dialogue/jesindex.htm - 13k
Arlene suffered from Alzheimers disease for the last seventeen years of her life. Thanks to the unceasing efforts of her husband Len, she remained at home all those years, including the last five when she was completely bedridden. On October 3, friends and colleagues will gather at Rosemont College where Arlene taught to pay tribute to the memory of a remarkable woman and to the courage and dedication of a remarkable couple.
Articles by Arlene and Len are being collected at a website: astro.temple.edu/
May Arlene's memory be for a blessing.
