Join us in celebrating the launch of Charles W. Powell's book Southern Baptists and Muslims: A Path to Dialogue through Narrative Empathy with a brief reading from Charles himself as well as opening remarks from Ansari Faculty Fellow, Daniel Philpott.
About the BookSince the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the largest Protestant religious group in the United States—the Southern Baptist denomination—has been criticized for using and fostering anti-Islamic rhetoric. The use of anti-Islamic speech, specifically by Southern Baptist leaders, has become an alarming trend within the denomination. The effects of Southern Baptists' antipathy towards Muslims are indeed dire. Charles W. Powell has observed that the Southern Baptist denomination is underprepared and at times reluctant to engage with Muslims in the United States. His formal interviews with Southern Baptist pastors reveal that most pastors as well as their congregants have had no personal encounter with Muslims. As a result, this lack of encounter has created a deficiency of narrative empathy. Southern Baptists and Muslims empirically investigates the dynamics of these patterns. Powell proposes that this lack of narrative empathy is the primary reason why leaders within the Southern Baptist denomination have negative perceptions of Islam and Muslims. Moreover, it is primarily the lack of narrative empathy that allows for anti-Islamic rhetoric to flourish. The purpose of this book is to shape an improved, if not new, perception of Islam and Muslims--a perception that can foster neighborliness via narrative empathy.
About Charles W. Powell. Charles W. Powell, serves as the associate director for Mission Engagement and Church Affairs (OMECA) at the University of Notre Dame. Powell joined OMECA in the fall of 2024. Prior to joining the team, he worked with the Ansari Institute where he headed multifaith engagement initiatives and taught the course “Evangelicals and Global Affairs.” Simultaneously, he was adjunct teaching faculty at Holy Cross College at Notre Dame; he taught courses in Christian-Muslim relations. Additionally, through Notre Dame Global he co-led the course “International Law and the Holocaust” in Poland for five years. He has traveled extensively into the Levant and Gulf States with a focus on building understanding, trust, and collaboration between Christians and Muslims.
Powell is an academic visiting fellow alumnus of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, Oxford, UK. He earned his Doctor of Ministry degree from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago; his concentration was spirituality. He is married to Emilia Justyna Powell, professor of Political Science at Notre Dame. He and his wife have two daughters and a Brussels Griffon.

Charles Powell will be introduced by Daniel Phillpott, an Ansari Institute faculty fellow who is a professor of poltical science at Notre Dame who specializes in religion and global politics.
Food and refreshments will be available following the formal portion of the event program. This is a free event and advanced registration is not required.
Originally published at ansari.nd.edu.