FASPE Clergy and Religious Leaders Fellowship Program

Deadline: 03-Jan-2027

The FASPE Clergy and Religious Leaders Fellowship is a fully funded, two-week international program for graduate students and recent graduates preparing for or working in religious leadership. The fellowship takes place in Berlin and Poland and focuses on professional ethics, ethical leadership, and the responsibilities of religious leaders. Organized by FASPE (Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics), the program uses historical examples from Nazi Germany to encourage fellows to critically examine ethical challenges within religious leadership. The fellowship is designed to help participants reflect on professional responsibility, moral decision-making, leadership, and ethical conduct in diverse communities. What Is the FASPE Clergy and Religious Leaders Fellowship? The FASPE Clergy & Religious Leaders Fellowship is an intensive two-week study program bringing together individuals who are preparing for or have recently entered religious leadership roles. Rather than functioning as a traditional Holocaust studies course or a genocide prevention program, FASPE uses historical experiences from Nazi Germany as a framework for examining contemporary professional ethics. The fellowship encourages participants to ask difficult questions about leadership, responsibility, institutional behavior, and the ethical choices professionals make when faced with competing pressures and loyalties. Fellowship Program in Berlin and Poland Selected fellows participate in an immersive program across Berlin and Poland, combining academic seminars with visits to significant historical sites connected to Nazi Germany and the Holocaust.

The program includes:

- Daily seminars led by specialized faculty - Visits to important sites of Nazi history in Berlin and Poland - Interdisciplinary discussions with Medical and Journalism Fellows - Ethical leadership discussions - Reflection on historical examples and contemporary professional responsibilities - Engagement with complex ethical dilemmas facing religious leaders The combination of classroom-based discussion and historical site visits is intended to encourage deep reflection rather than simply provide historical instruction. Key Ethical Topics Covered The curriculum examines a wide range of ethical issues relevant to religious leadership.

Topics include:

- The complicity of clergy in Nazi policies - Confession and reconciliation - Ethical education - Pastoral leadership in diverse communities - Interfaith dialogue - Professional responsibility - Ethical decision-making - Complex loyalties and competing obligations - Leadership in challenging social environments Through these discussions, fellows are encouraged to consider how religious leaders can recognize ethical challenges and respond responsibly. Interdisciplinary Learning and Professional Ethics An important feature of the FASPE fellowship is its interdisciplinary structure. Clergy and Religious Leaders Fellows participate alongside fellows from other professional fields, including Medicine and Journalism. This approach allows participants to examine ethical questions from different professional perspectives. Discussions can help fellows understand how issues such as institutional responsibility, professional loyalty, authority, and public trust affect different professions. The interdisciplinary environment also encourages participants to consider how ethical leadership extends beyond their own professional or religious communities. Who Can Apply? The fellowship is intended for graduate students and recent graduates preparing for or engaged in religious leadership. Applicants must meet one of the following pathways: - Be enrolled in graduate-level religious or theological training at the time of application; or - Be working as a religious leader and hold a relevant graduate degree received in May 2020 or later. Eligible graduate-level programs may include: - Seminaries - Divinity schools - Rabbinical schools - Muslim chaplaincy programs - Other related graduate religious or theological programs The fellowship is therefore designed for individuals who are either currently receiving advanced preparation for religious leadership or have recently completed relevant graduate training and are already working in leadership roles. Who Is the Fellowship Designed For? FASPE is particularly relevant to individuals who want to examine the ethical responsibilities associated with religious leadership. Potential participants may include graduate students preparing for careers in clergy, religious education, chaplaincy, pastoral leadership, or other forms of religious service, as well as recent graduates who have already entered religious leadership positions. The program is intended for participants who are willing to engage critically with difficult historical and contemporary questions about professional ethics. What Does Fully Funded Mean? The FASPE Fellowships are fully funded, meaning financial circumstances should not prevent selected fellows from participating. The fellowship covers all program costs for selected fellows. This funding structure allows fellows to focus on the academic, professional, and ethical dimensions of the program without having to bear the financial burden associated with participation. What Makes the FASPE Fellowship Different? The fellowship differs from a conventional academic course because it combines historical study with professional ethics and personal reflection. Rather than simply asking participants to study what happened in Nazi Germany, FASPE encourages fellows to consider questions such as: - What are the ethical responsibilities of professionals? - How should leaders respond when institutions or authorities make unethical demands? - How do professional loyalties affect ethical decision-making? - What happens when religious leadership encounters political or institutional pressure? - How should leaders work responsibly within diverse c