Rev. Breidenthal named Dean of Religious Life

On Thanksgiving Day of Rev. Thomas Breidenthal's second year as senior chaplain of Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, one of his students was killed in a car accident on the way to a wedding. The boy's family was Christian, and Breidenthal went to their house that evening to minister to them as best he could. The house was packed with mourners of many denominations, including Christians, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists, united by their common ethnic heritage.

Breidenthal felt called upon to minister to the community as a whole, though their culture was unfamiliar to him.

"We formed a large circle. I prayed and invited prayer. From every tradition — in English and in languages I did not understand — the prayers came," Breidenthal said.

Recently appointed Dean of Religious Life for the University, Breidenthal credits this experience with opening his eyes to the fact that "cultural and religious differences count for little in the face of shared grief."

He said he also now believes the Christian ministry is accountable to the community as a whole, rather than just the church. That Thanksgiving instilled in him a firm belief that a Christian ministry is "not about creating separation, but about doing away with it."

He said he realized that he could minister to non-Christians without undermining his own faith or theirs by proselytizing.

As Dean of Religious Life, Breidenthal will be responsible for strengthening the forms and traditions of religious life at the University. He will oversee religious activities on campus and the three University interfaith services, while also serving as the leader of his own congregation.

In addition to providing spiritual leadership in an increasingly secularized environment, Breidenthal said his goal is to encourage interfaith dialogue about ethical and moral issues that leads to greater respect for cultural, intellectual and religious diversity. He said he feels this is more important than ever before, in the wake of the Sept. 11 tragedy and that it can be done without diluting any individual's religious beliefs.

"Our theological disagreements will continue. Indeed, I hope they flourish, for when they are framed by real communion, the disagreements themselves can become a medium of spiritual exchange and fruitful cooperation," he said.

Ordained as an Episcopal deacon in 1981 and priest in 1982, Breidenthal said he has always felt a calling to the priesthood. He has, however, been torn at times between pastoral work and scholarly research. The chance to draw upon both of these dimensions of his interests attracted him to the University. Breidenthal said he plans both to teach and to continue his research in the field of moral theology while at the University.

Long interested in how Christianity meets the world, Breidenthal said he believes all people are connected, and that "our task is not to bridge the gap, but to realize that there is no gap separating us."

He has written extensively on this topic in his book 'Christian Households: The Sanctification of Nearness.' He also is currently exploring some early Christian texts that are without the later Christian view of the church as a privileged "inside."

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Breidenthal was selected from a pool of candidates from around the world because he is viewed as an "intellectual heavyweight, comfortable in any situation. He is easily accessible to students and unruffled by their tough questions," said Vice President for Campus Life Janet Dickerson, who led the search.

Breidenthal will assume the position on January 1, 2002.