Why faith still matters

Martin Forward didn't grow up in a religious family.

But a book he read as a 5-year-old, "A Children's Life of Christ" by Enid Blyton, set him on a lifelong quest for faith.

That quest took to him to seminary and ordination in the British Methodist Church; to India to work for the Henry Martyn Institute of Islamic Studies; to Cambridge University where he founded the Centre for Jewish Christian Relations; and to Aurora University, where he is executive director of the Wackerlin Center for Faith and Action and chairman of the religion department.

His views on the meaning and significance of religion are expressed in his latest book, "The Nature and the Name of Love: Religion for the Contemporary World."

The book, published by British Methodist Church's Epworth Press, gave him the opportunity to say what he believes is and isn't important about religion.

"I think religion is still important because I think God is still important," he said. "I think God is actually one of the good guys."

Finding perspective

Religion should be about coming to better understand God and what he wants us to be, Forward said.

In that light, he examines the claims of secularism, free-standing spirituality and the New Age movements as substitute homes for the human spirit, but finds them wanting.

"The trouble with spirituality is it becomes highly individualized," he said. "It can very often be little more than affirming what you want to believe is true and what makes you feel good."

But while Forward pokes fun at the modern-day stand-ins for religion, he said he agrees with them to a degree.

"Religion is not an end to itself. It's a means to an end," he said. "I think religion is really important, but I think faith is more important."

While Forward identifies himself as a committed Christian, he said he's seen an inner radiance among people of other faiths as well and believes there's room to learn from one another.

University religion

His own inner joy, knowledge and humor have brought an increased interest in religion on the campus of Aurora University.

When he came to the university seven years ago, it had no religion major. As the interest of students grew, the university established a religion minor and, last fall, a religion major.

Drew Taylor, a senior from DeKalb, will be the first student to graduate this spring with a major in religion as well as history.

"I would not be a religion major right now if it were not for him," he said of Forward.

Taylor first met Forward in a values discussion group and was intrigued enough to take one of his classes.

This semester, he's taking two independent studies with Forward, who has shown himself willing to go beyond his job description to help students progress, Taylor said.

"I didn't grow up religious," Taylor said. "What I appreciated in him was the critical thinking that goes into the major and the discipline as a whole."

Forward said while the religion department is small, he finds a greater receptiveness to matters of faith here than in many parts of Europe.

Still, he sometimes has to assure concerned parents that religious studies can have practical applications. He recalled meeting a businessman a couple years ago who told him he sometimes preferred to hire religion and history majors because they knew how to write, could examine evidence in a critical way, and projected a certain flair and confidence.

"With religion, students can often do more jobs than some parents think they can," he said.

Forward said he also likes to encourage students to meet people of different backgrounds. He led students on a trip to Turkey a couple years ago and plans another trip abroad this spring.

"Things like faith and hope and love and justice are things people want everywhere," he said. "They struggle for them in different ways."

Different cultures

Forward's own exposure to different cultures came early. His father was in the British air force, and the family lived for several years in Singapore and later in Aiden, now a part of Yemen. The religious practices he observed in other countries added to the curiosity ignited by the childhood book about Jesus.

"I grew up being a nosy kind of kid about religion," he said.

After his graduation from seminary, he spent two years in India where he lived with two native families.

"I just found it a transforming experience," he said. "It was the sheer hospitality of people that overwhelmed me. People were so good to me as a stranger in their land."

Forward, who has written short biographies of both Muhammad and Jesus, said the lack of personal relationships between many Christians and Muslims have fed the present-day fears some have of Islam.

With his background in Islamic studies, he is heading up a project to create a dictionary of Christian-Muslim relations. The project, which received a $30,000 grant from the Henry Luce Foundation in New York City, will include 50 to 60 contributors and take the next four years to complete.

"We hope it will be truthful in the sense that it will show that the relationship has often been very difficult, sometimes to the point of violence," Forward said. "But it will also enable us to say often it has been quite friendly, to the point of working together for the common good."

Forward had previous experience in working with a Jewish friend to create a dictionary of Jewish-Christian relations while he was working at Cambridge University. The dictionary was well-received, he said.

A serendipitous discovering brought him to Aurora, Forward said. He was on a Web site looking up something else when he saw the position advertised.

Becoming the first executive director of the Center for Faith and Action has enabled him to shape its mission, he said.

The center brings in speakers from different parts of the United States and the world, sends out mailings, and runs a student group that is a dialogue about religion and values.

Finding his place

Joe Dunham, an instructor at Aurora University since 1964 and now a senior fellow at the Wackerlin Center, said Forward's personable demeanor has won him a place in the college community.

"He has that rare combination of being a well-informed scholar without being pompous or over-bearing. It's quite delightful," Dunham said. "He's extraordinarily bright and funny."

Forward, who lives in Aurora with his wife and daughter, said he hopes to remain at the university for some time to come.

"I really enjoy what I'm doing. I think I would quite like to stay here," he said.

Forward's book can be purchased through amazon.com.