Charles W. Powell, a practical theologian, earned his Ecumenical Doctor of Ministry degree at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. He specializes in interreligious dialogue between Christians and Muslims. Powell travels extensively throughout the Middle East and Europe engaging in conversations with Muslim scholars and practitioners of Islam in order to have a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Islamic milieu. He is a Visiting Fellow at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, University of Oxford, UK. Additionally, Powell engages in multi-faith dialogue and is an adjunct assistant teaching professor at the Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion in the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame. Furthermore, Powell serves as an adjunct professor of Muslim-Christian Dialogue at Holy Cross College.
Prior to joining the Notre Dame community, Powell pastored churches in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi for nearly two decades. In his early years of ministry, he was a radio announcer and preacher for Southern Gospel radio out of Dothan, Alabama. He is an experienced speaker, administrator, and church planter. Powell holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theology from the Florida Baptist Theological College in Graceville, Florida and a Master of Divinity degree from Luther Rice Seminary in Lithonia, Georgia. He completed most of his Masters at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, prior to relocating to Georgia to plant a new church.
His recent book project, The Power of Narrative Empathy: A Path to Muslim-Christian Dialogue for Southern Baptists, tackles the issues of religious literacy and narrative empathy for Islam and Muslim that are often lacking in the Southern Baptist denomination.
This interview took place in January 2022.
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