April 10, 2026
[Adapted from the Dialogue Institute and the Foundation for Religious Diplomacy websites.]
Leonard J. Swidler (January 6, 1929 - March 23, 2026) was Professor Emeritus at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he taught from 1966 - 2022.
At Temple, he was Professor of Catholic Thought and Interreligious Dialogue. He was the co-founder (in 1964, with Arlene Swidler) and editor of the Journal of Ecumenical Studies. His work was an important influence on the Foundation for Religious Diplomacy. Swidler was well known for his “Dialogue Decalogue: Ground Rules for Interreligious, Interideological Dialogue.”
At Temple and as a visiting professor at universities around the world – including Graz, Austria; Tübingen, Germany; Fudan University, Shanghai; and the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur – he has mentored a generation of U.S. and international scholars in interreligious dialogue.
He held a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the University of Tübingen and a Ph.D. in History from the University of Wisconsin; he also holds honorary doctorates from St. Norbert’s College and LaSalle University.
Leonard published/edited more than 200 articles and 75 books, including: Jewish‑Christian‑Muslim Dialogue (1978); Religious Liberty and Human Rights (1986); After the Absolute: The Dialogical Future of Religious Reflection (1990); A Bridge to Buddhist-Christian Dialogue (1990); Muslims in Dialogue: The Evolution of a Dialogue over a Generation (1992); Jesus Was a Feminist (2007).
He has lectured on Catholicism, Ecumenism, Interreligious Dialogue, and Global Ethics all over the world, including Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bosnia, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, England, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Lebanon, Malaysia, Morocco, Myanmar, North Macedonia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Poland, Republic of Congo, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tunisia, and, of course, the United States. As recently as 2025, Dr. Swidler was teaching in retirement at the University of Sulaimani in Iraqi Kurdistan. His legacy lives on.