As part of Week of Belonging 2025, a panel came together for a meaningful session about the role of faith in the workplace and how individuals from different beliefs can better understand each other. The panel aimed at creating an open space for different religious perspectives.

Meet the Panelists:

John Wynne, Ph.D. – Associate Professor of Classics and Coordinator of the Religious Studies Major at the University of Utah. Wynn teaches ancient Greek and Roman literature, religion and philosophy with a focus on Stoicism, skepticism, Epicureanism, and Early Christianity. He is the author of Cicero On The Philosophy of Religion.

Brian Farr, J.D. – Chair of the Advisory Council for the Salt Lake Interfaith Roundtable. Farr is a retired attorney with decades in public service, he is now dedicated to working nonprofits to encourage peace, civility, and community building. He wrote Living and Linking Your Piece of Peace, a free global peacebuilding guide.

Emilie Call and Ashlie Sanders – Sisters and co-hosts of That’s Church! Podcast, a growing platform dedicated to exploring diverse belief systems, spiritual journeys, and the transformative power of interfaith dialogue. They visit churches, spiritual communities, faith leaders, engaging in conversations with individuals whose spiritual beliefs are more non-conventional.

Each panelist shared their experience navigating conversations about faith. Through their insights, they showed that understanding across different religions is possible when you lead with kindness, curiosity, and a willingness to listen.

Key Takeaways:

• Importance of Respect and Learning
  • When discussing religion, there’s a lot we can learn by listening with an open mind. The goal should never be about changing someone’s beliefs but to focus on listening and understanding.
• Creating Welcoming Spaces
  • Creating space for religion doesn’t mean removing it from public spaces, it means making room for many different beliefs. Schools and workplaces should welcome all perspectives to create environments where people feel comfortable sharing their experiences.
• Challenges in Interfaith Dialogue
  • Talking about religion isn’t easy, it takes time to build safe spaces where individuals feel heard. Breaking down stereotypes and being open to honest conversations is an important first step.

“I think the biggest takeaway for me is just to learn about other people’s differences and embrace those things, to keep the respect and dignity we have for our own religion, while also exploring other beliefs and showing that we extend that same level of respect to them.” – Ashlie Sanders

This panel reminds us that religious inclusion is a community-wide effort, it starts with listening, learning, and creating spaces where everyone feels respected. When we choose understanding over judgment, we help build a more connected Eccles community for all.

Business Student Government (BSG) is committed to creating a community of belonging where everyone feels empowered to be an impactful leader. Feel free to connect with us on instagram @ecclesbsg or our Linkedin to keep up with our events and initia

Valery Ramos