How can scholarship on interreligious relations move beyond the academy to shape the future of relationships between religious communities? This paper examines a developing symposium initiative designed to translate academic research on Hindu–Christian relations into publicly engaged collaboration among scholars, Hindu organizations, and Christian communities in the United States. Building on foundational works such as The Routledge Handbook of Hindu-Christian Relations and Francis X. Clooney’s The Future of Hindu-Christian Studies, the project seeks to bring scholarly insights into practical community engagement.
Using this initiative as a case study, the paper analyzes strategies for building relationships across multiple scales: individual trust between scholars and practitioners, community partnerships between Hindu and Christian organizations, and institutional collaborations that sustain engagement over time. Reflecting on my experiences working with academic institutions and religious organizations, the paper examines how publicly engaged scholarship navigates institutional power structures while cultivating relationships necessary for pluralistic coexistence.