Staff

Stephanie Varnon-Hughes is a Founding Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue™ and a graduate of Union Theological Seminary, where she earned her Master's in Church History in 2008 and her STM in 2009.  A schoolteacher, Stephanie received the Most Promising New Teacher of the Year Award of 2005 in St. Louis, Missouri and has taught English and Performing Arts in public schools in St. Louis and the Bronx.  She studies at Claremont Lincoln University, focusing on building and piloting a multi-religious curriculum for public secondary school students. She is an accomplished playwright with two plays produced at the St. Louis Repertory Theatre. Follow her on Twitter.

Joshua Stantonis a Founding Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue™ and a Schusterman Rabbinical Fellow at Hebrew Union College. He is also a founding co-Director of Lessons of a Lifetime™, a nursing home-based project designed to improve intergenerational relations. A graduate of Amherst College, he is the recipient of numerous leadership awards, including the Bridge-Builders Leadership Award from the Interfaith Youth Core. You can follow him on the Tikkun Daily,Huffington Post, and Twitter.

 

Aimee Upjohn Lightis the Executive Editor of the Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue™ and Assistant Professor of Theology at Duquesne University. She holds a PhD from Yale University in the philosophy of religion and an MA from Notre Dame in systematic theology. With quite a list of publications and two forthcoming books, one might imagine that she would solely engaged in editing! But because of her experience as a leader, she will be chairing the Journal's Department of Outreach and Development.

Matthew Dougherty is Director of Publishing for the Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue™. He graduated magna cum laude from Amherst College and went on to earn a Master of Theological Studies degree with a concentration in Religions of the Americas from Harvard Divinity School. He is currently a Ph.D. student in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research interests include missions in the Americas and the expression of masculinity in American Christianity. He lives in Durham, North Carolina.

Sophia Khan serves as Publishing Editor of the Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue, contributing blogger at Huffington Post Religion, teaching assistant at Harvard University, tutor at Veritas Tutors, and volunteer research and program assistant at Harvard Kennedy School’s Program on Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery. After graduating from Dartmouth College with honors in classics and theater, Miss Khan went on to receive master’s degrees from Yale and Harvard in comparative religious ethics, human rights, and international security. Her graduate thesis examined cosmopolitanism and humanitarian intervention through the lens of Just War Theory and featured a case study on Darfur. She has worked with the International Center for Religion & Diplomacy, Harvard University Press, Asia Catalyst, and Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services. Sophia published her first cookbook, Students Go Gourmet: Simple Gourmet for Every Day in October, 2011. You can follow her on Twitter here and here.

 

Marinus Iwuchukwu is International Outreach Consultant for the Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue™ and Assistant Professor of Theology at Duquesne University. Former Chairman of the Communications Commission of the Diocese of Kano, he brings with him remarkable experience in media relations and outreach. Marinus served as Founding Editor of The Northern Star Newspaper and has taught at the Federal College of Education and St. Thomas Seminary in Kano, as well as Marquette University in Wisconsin.

 

The Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue is also proud to employ the staff of State of Formation, a forum for nearly 150 emerging religious and ethical leaders from across the country and beyond. Founded by the Journal, it is an initiative run in partnership with Hebrew College and Andover Newton and in collaboration with the Parliament of the World’s Religions.

The Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue is pleased to be a program of the Center for Inter-Religious and Communal Leadership Education (CIRCLE). CIRCLE's co-Directors, Rabbi Or N. Rose and Dr. Jennifer H. Peace, serve as the publishers of the Journal.