First-year doctoral student Robert Daren Erisman was thrilled to learn that he had won a $10,000 award earlier this year for an original essay on “The Saladin Solution,” which presents a model for U.S.-Iraq relations.

Erisman draws his suggestions from the life of Saladin, a twelfth-century Muslim ruler who was both a great military strategist and a generous and humane leader. Most remarkable to Erisman is the way Saladin employed the Arabic concept of hilm, which describes the virtue of one who has the power to destroy, but instead shows tolerance and generosity. Applied to the context of U.S.-Iraq relations, Erisman suggests that a spirit of hilm would catalyze the humane rebuilding of Iraq and foster hope for the Iraqi people.

As both a Lutheran pastor and a scholar of Islam, Erisman seeks to foster dialogue between the two religions that inspire him. “I hope to be a bridge between the traditions,” he says. “We care about the same God.” At the GTU, Erisman is combining his interests in Islam and Christianity with current explorations in science and theology. The scholarship, given by the GTU’s online applications provider College.Net, will enable him to focus on his studies, including coursework in German and Arabic.

At the heart of his practical goal of teaching in religious studies and theology lies a sincere appreciation for the wonder of religious faith in all its forms. For him, quite simply, “it is miraculous.”

—Jenny Veninga, GTU doctoral student

Read the complete text of Erisman’s essay here