Beyond faiths and values: a Catholic institution in a Muslim society

This work aims at ‘crossing borders’ focusing on the challenges and criticalities of an inter-religious institution. It also crosses boundaries of disciplines and research models, by addressing the topic th- rough the complexity paradigm (Morin, 2014) ‘Complex thought’ refers to the integration of diverse forms of research and theories (Ceruti, 1996). It also refers to the intertwined relation between ob- ject and subject of study: a crucial characteristic of complex thought is the inclusion of stakeholders in defining research objectives and strategies. Specifically, this study presents a short research pro- gram run at the Bethlehem University in Palestine, on how inter-religious dialogue is carried out wi- thin a Catholic educational institution that operates in a widely Muslim society. The aim of the study was to investigate on and reflect upon the institutional mission of “perseverance and courage in the face of adversity and injustice”, together with some specific stakeholders of the university, namely students and faculty. The research team conducted three focus groups of students (one representing the 23% of student Christian population, and two the Muslim students); it also carried in-depth interviews to selected faculties (esp. deans and heads of programs). Analysis of qualitative data is made through an ethnographic method of text and content analysis of the transcripts. The team put a special emphasis into the analysis of gender issues, as 62% of academics are males whereas only 22% are male students.