Spiritual adviser: Dean of Religious Life Thomas Breidenthal

"I'm terrible at small talk," Thomas Breidenthal confessed when asked to talk about himself. "At a party, I'll be the one standing in the corner because I wouldn't want to interrupt any of the conversations." But Breidenthal's tranquil manner belies his intense passions, which spring from a life of reflection and spiritual exploration.

Instead of small talk, Breidenthal lunged into a "real conversation " about his passions — Edmund Spenser's lyric poem the "Faerie Queene", "King Lear", French theologians, religious ethics and the Broadway musical "Hair."

Just as Breidenthal has reconciled his varied interests throughout his life, his role as the leader of interfaith dialogue on campus centers on uniting people from a variety of spiritual backgrounds.

"The Dean of Religious Life needs to see links between academic inquiry and ethical reflection and service to the wider community," Breidenthal said.

Born to Columbia University graduate students then living in Jersey City, N.J., Breidenthal was exposed to different cultures from an early age. Italian was Breidenthal's first language, as his father was a Fulbright Scholar studying voice in Italy. Breidenthal grew up writing poetry and pursuing his love of theatre and improv comedy. Breidenthal also studied at the elite Interlochen Arts Academy. He fondly recalls his risque numbers from "Hair" and his roles in "The Lion in Winter" and "Our Town" as a teenager.

"I've always had a tension between scholarship and performance," Breidenthal said of his decision to write poetry and study English literature at Victoria University. "It's just something I've had to accept."

In 1969, as the nation was convulsed by anti-Vietnam sentiments, Breidenthal caught wind of the anti-war movement. During this time, he entered a period of "intense searching."

He adopted Buddhism "in rebellion" to his staunch Christian upbringing. He also helped found an experimental school in Portland, Ore., where he taught Russian and joined a commune. Outside of the U.S., Breidenthal hitchhiked across Mexico and parts of Europe.

"We have to go outside of our own privilege to discover who we are," he said.

While at Portland State University earning his B.A. in Russian, Breidenthal devoted his creative energy to performing with the Portland Shakespeare Company, writing poetry and serving as the chair of a committee that invited famous artists to speak on campus.

After graduating from Portland State, Breidenthal faced another life-changing decision — whether to pursue writing poetry at the Iowa State Writers' Workshop or to study Spenser at Victoria University. Breidenthal ultimately chose Victoria and while there, underwent a profound religious transformation. After becoming involved in the church, Breidenthal was once again drawn to his Anglican roots. "I realized that the kind of hunger I was seeking was to be satisfied right there in my own tradition," he said.

A renewal in his childhood faith made it clear that Breidenthal could fulfill his desire for political engagement, social justice and social change through interfaith work and Christianity.

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"Religion helps develop just policies," Breidenthal explained, drawing upon Martin Luther King, Jr. and the civil rights movement as an example. "The movement picked up because of the strong collaboration between the African-American church communities and Jewish communities," he said. "There was a strong collaboration across all religious fronts."

Today, Breidenthal reflects on the role of Christianity during the clamorous 1960s. He admitted that, as a teenager, he was less aware of the decade's religious dimensions. He did participate in marches and demonstrations, though. "I admired the people who were willing to lose everything, including their citizenship, for their convictions," he said.

Breidenthal has always worshipped according to his conscience, but at 21 years of age, his convictions intensified because of a spiritual feeling he experienced. "I was called by Jesus to worship," he said. "I had dreams about it [becoming a priest]," he said.

During his tenure at the University, in addition to his spiritual duties, Breidenthal hopes to serve undergraduates by teaching a freshman seminar on Spenser.

"I want to use the resources of this office to find creative ways to find common values and concerns of the administration, faculty and students. Religion is not only about institutional religions, it's about asking the critical, existential questions," he said.

And even if he is no good at small talk, Breidenthal hopes to use his spiritual voice on campus to aid the University community.