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He believes that it is part of our discipleship to enter into these relationships
not “in judgment, but in awareness of God’s limitless
love and grace” (20.065). “Because our witness is
relational and dialogical, we ask others to teach us who they
are” (23.061), and we seek to equip ourselves “to
articulate our faith in ways that can be understood by others”
(23.060). We are called, as well, “to minister to human
needs in our common public life” (23.064).”
Our challenge, he notes, is not simply to develop our understanding
and to extend our hospitality to men and women of other faiths.
As ambassadors of reconciliation, we are also to join with them
to work toward, and lift up God’s demand for, a just, peaceful
and renewed world.
Jay brings the experience of many years of relations with
people of other faiths in the United States, particularly in
relation to community leaders in the Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist
communities. He is glad to teach, and to lead workshops on religious
pluralism in the United States, on other faiths, and on skills
and resources for building interfaith relationships. He has
published a variety of articles, and led specific seminars on
topics such as “Reconciliation in a World of Religious
Diversity,” and “Is Interfaith Worship Possible?”
He is particularly interested in helping Christians explore
the theological issues that arise out of interfaith relations,
and reclaim the bases in Christian faith for entering into interfaith
relationships with integrity and respect. He enjoys finding
creative ways to address conflict in inter-religious situations,
and working with approaches to building community among people
of differing religious traditions centered in story-telling
and in person-to-person sharing.
Prior to his work in Interfaith Relations, Jay was Program
Assistant, then Director, of the Western Area Support Office
of Church World Service in San Francisco, Calif. He was consultant
for Christian-Jewish Relations and Middle East issues for the
Northern California Ecumenical Council. Jay has also served
as interim pastor at Ygnacio Valley Presbyterian Church, Concord,
Calif., and First Presbyterian Church, Sausalito, Calif., and
as assistant pastor at Lincoln Presbyterian Church, Stockton,
Calif. Jay is a clergy member of San Francisco Presbytery. Rock
received his Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Duke
University, Durham, N.C., in 1968. He completed a Master of
Arts degree in Christian Theological Studies, and the Master
of Divinity at San Francisco Theological Seminary, San Anslemo,
Calif. He earned his Ph.D. in the History and Phenomenology
of Religion from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley,
Calif.
Jay is married to Judith Rock, who founded Body and Soul Dance
Company, and spent many years as a dancer and choreographer
in professional dance and church-related settings. She is now
a writer, teacher and workshop leader. She holds a Ph.D. in
Theology and Art from the Graduate Theological Union.
Ms. Karen Hood serves as Senior Administrative Assistant. |
