Thomas Michel, S.J., the director of the Jesuit Secretariat for Interreligious Dialogue in Rome, Italy, and currently a Woodstock International Fellow at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., has given a lecture on “The Contribution of Interreligious Dialogue to Peace Building” on April 28, 2008 at ASU. Although he is known for his numerous scholarly articles on Christian-Muslim Relations, his talk was more into the practical side of the subject. Michel opened his lecture by telling his personal stories in various Muslim lands and his close interactions with Muslims emphasizing those experiences to be much worthier than a Ph. D degree in their depth. Michel’s personal level interfaith dialogue was encouraging for the listeners, whose questions and comments include those among many: “how do you think we can foster interfaith activities on personal level?”, “how is it possible to present a better Muslim image when the mass media is working for the opposite and when it is much more powerful?” When Michel was questioned how he feels about his own Christian faith was influenced after many years spent in Muslim cultures, Michel’s answer was an eye-opening mark as well as surprising for the audience: “I believe I am a better priest now.” The lecture was both informative and spiritually motivating and it was hardly closed due to the number of questions raised. Thomas Michel was presented a certificate by FID at the end of the lecture. Thomas Michel was born in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A., in 1941. After completing studies in philosophy and theology, he was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Louis in 1967. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1969. After Arabic and Islamic studies in Egypt and Lebanon, he completed a doctoral dissertation on the thought of the Muslim scholar Ibn Taymiyya and received a Ph.D. in Islamic thought from the University of Chicago in 1978. In 1981, he was appointed to the Asia Desk of the Vatican Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and in 1988, he became Head of the Office for Islam in the same Vatican department. Since 1994, he has served as Executive Secretary of the Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences in Bangkok, Thailand. Since 1996, he is Director of the Jesuit Secretariat for Interreligious Dialogue in Rome, Italy, and Ecumenical Secretary for the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences. At present, he is a Woodstock International Fellow at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.