Faith and Activism: How World Religions ‘Love Thy Neighbor’
Written by Grace Baum ’25 and Abeeha Sajid ’25
Jan Term at Converse is a time when students can branch out with many exciting course options and experiences. This year, Reverend Eliza Smith DeBevoise, MDiv, MAPT, offered a thoughtful and action-packed exploration of calls to service in the Nisbet Honors Program course, Faith and Activism.
DeBevoise, who serves Converse as University Chaplain, Director of Community Engagement and Lecturer of Religious Studies, is no stranger to service. During her tenure at Converse, she has created many meaningful experiences for students – helping launch the University’s basic needs hub, Valkyrie Supply; creating the Multifaith Prayer Room; and serving countless students as they explore and grow in their spirituality.
Her Faith and Activism course this Jan term focused on how several world religions understand the concept of “love of neighbor” as a call to service. The course began with an analysis of sacred texts from the Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Hindu, and Buddhist traditions.
DeBevoise and her students then moved on to the immersion section of the course, where they visited local faith-based non-profits and places of worship to hear about how their faith inspires their daily advocacy. Class members visited Ruth’s Gleanings, as well as the local Sikh Gurdwara in Duncan, and Rev. Scott Neely visited class to share about the Faith Initiative to End Child Poverty in Spartanburg.
The class also hosted virtual guests from Rebecca’s Tent, a women’s shelter located at Congregation Shearith Israel in Atlanta, the Inner-City Muslim Action Network in Chicago, Hindus for Human Rights in Washington, DC, Beloved Community Circles for Mindful Action in Boston (Buddhist), and Catholic Charities in Greenville, SC.
Converse students Grace Baum and Abeeha Sajid agreed to document their Faith and Activism experiences to share with our Converse community, particularly noting that service does not always have to be a grand, sweeping gesture; there are endless ways to make a difference.
Check out their stories below, in their own words.
Grace Baum ’25
This Jan Term, I was fortunate enough to participate in Faith and Activism, a course taught by Reverend Eliza DeBevoise. We started the course by diving into the origins and histories of a few major religions, including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sikhism. We discussed the relativity of each tradition’s relationship to social activism and the types of service community members participate in.
“All of the religions we covered emphasize the importance of human dignity, social responsibility, and ethical living.”
Grace Baum ’25
As we further discussed their histories, beliefs, and practices, I reflected deeply on the interconnectedness of their similar teachings and messages. I was fascinated by the relationships between their faiths and their impact on history, culture, and humanity. All of the religions we covered emphasize the importance of human dignity, social responsibility, and ethical living. These units have taught me that despite differences in faith, beliefs, and culture, we can all come together for the common good of humanity and the importance of standing up for each other.
We visited several off-campus faith-based activism organizations, one of which was Ruth’s Gleanings. We were able to learn from the organization’s founder and leaders how the organization was created and what work looks like for them on a daily basis serving the Spartanburg area. Listening to the story of how Ruth’s Gleanings came about and the faith behind it was very heartwarming for me.
The boxes and cooking class that the organization provides were so fascinating to hear about and made me want to get more involved in my own community. I also found comfort in the community garden, even though the weather was so cold! I loved the idea of the garden being full of little crops and herbs in the springtime and watching a community come together to care for it.
One Sunday, we visited a gurdwara in Duncan. This experience was one of my favorite immersion activities, and I loved getting to see a community in action, as well as be a part of it for a day. The people of the gurdwara were incredibly welcoming to us and so gracious to feed us after the service. Not only was the food amazing, but I learned so much about the Sikh tradition that I did not understand before. Getting to be in the service and watch the members work in the kitchen together was so cool, and I am so happy I got to experience such a wholesome community come together to feed and care for each other under a united faith background.
I am very grateful for the opportunities to speak with such giving communities and understand the kindness that they offer to the community through faith-based activism. Moving forward after experiencing this course, I feel motivated to continue learning about different religious traditions and to engage in respectful dialogue with people of various faiths. I believe that understanding different religious perspectives is crucial for fostering empathy, appreciation, and cooperation in our global society.
Abeeha Sajid ’25 (Nisbet Honors)
I grew up going to an international school (middle and high) in Qatar, and I was surrounded by the opportunity to meet people from different cultural backgrounds, though a majority of my friend group was Muslim. I also grew up hearing the story of the India and Pakistan partition from my great-grandmother who had to move from Amritsar, India, to Lahore, Pakistan. She would recount how she grew up among people from the Sikh, Hindu, and Christian faiths.
Since then, living in the United States, first in Texas, and now in South Carolina, I can say that I am surrounded by people from all kinds of faiths and backgrounds, and I call many of them my closest friends and mentors. However, most people treat religion as a taboo and refuse to bring it up at the dinner table. It makes it hard for those who are genuinely interested to ask questions. I think these are the conversations that truly bring people together because we realize how every religion teaches peace and love for others.
“I love how interconnected everyone is at Converse, and I don’t think you will find this anywhere else!”
Abeeha Sajid ’25
Two particular experiences during this Jan term course touched me a lot and will forever hold a place in my heart. The first is our visit to Ruth’s Gleanings, a FoodShare that runs on teachings from Leviticus 23:22. Their work is based on scripture from the Old Testament of the Bible, and I enjoyed learning about it because the Quran, the holy scripture in Islam, has many similar stories and teachings. In Islam, we follow the written word of God as closely as possible and I found it touching to see how scripture was spread throughout the garden and the site of Ruth’s Gleanings.
The second experience I will cherish forever was the opportunity to attend a Sikh service in a Gurdwara. My great-grandmother passed away in April last year, and she was our last link to the Sikh friends in India that she left behind with her family. It was touching to be there with my friend Sumandeep, who is also a student at Converse and led us through the visit. I love how interconnected everyone is at Converse, and I don’t think you will find this anywhere else!
I co-led the interfaith club on campus during my sophomore and junior years at Converse, but I think finally immersing myself for three weeks into scripture, holy places, and faith-based non-profits during this Jan term is where everything truly clicked for me.