The push toward inter-faith dialogue on campus is set to reach new heights this quarter with the publication of the inaugural issue of Encounter: Stanford’s Inter-faith Journal for Spiritual Expression.

Co-founders Alex Martin ‘09 and Michael Petrin ‘09 hope to launch the student-run publication in December. Independent of the Office of Religious Life (ORL), the journal aims both to increase communication among faiths and to increase student participation in religious life and conversation on campus.

“We want to move spirituality into the daylight,” Petrin said. “We want to take it from something hidden to something that’s out there.”

Through “anything from poetry to personal reflections to photography to critical commentary to short stories,” students will make the publication their own, the founders said.

“There are people who aren’t comfortable with the ORL, or institutionalized religion in general,” Petrin said. “We’re aware of that, and we don’t want that tentativeness. Let’s get them in.”

Though both Martin and Petrin are Christians, they felt their efforts were better suited to the interests of the extended religious community on campus.

“Some students from Harvard came here and tried to get me interested in founding a Christian journal,” Martin said. “I explained that I personally felt called more to what we’re doing now. We want a diversity of contributions and a diversity of readership.”

Petrin emphasized, however, that he and Martin “don’t want advertisements for specific faiths.” Instead, he said the magazine will encourage open sharing and expression of religious ideas.

“We have this big church in the middle of the Quad, and there are a lot of Christians,” Petrin said. “When you’re Baha’i, or Buddhist or Sikh, this can be intimidating, and that raises tensions. We’re trying to get this to be a journal that includes them [and] includes diverse views.”

The Office for Religious Life, while not involved in the publication, supports the students’ initiative.

“We’re thrilled that this is generated by students, and not a University program,” said Rev. Joanne Sanders, associate dean for religious life. “Their energy will give it greater impact, and we have a mutual interest in promoting these kinds of conversations on campus.”

The founders said they have shared the idea with numerous religious groups, and many students have given positive feedback.

“This is something that could start up a conversation,” said Ricky Villarreal ‘09, who is active in Catholic life on campus. “Religion often gets overlooked as part of the variety and diversity on campus.”

Zaid Adhami ‘10, a member of the Muslim Student Awareness Network, agreed that the journal could bring together a variety of religious traditions.

“It’s recognizing the common element,” he said. “Hopefully it will build bridges between communities.”

Submissions are due Nov. 28, and the staff hopes to release an issue by the end of the quarter. According to Petrin, however, the end goal lies beyond a number of printed copies.

“We want to hear that the conversations have left the paper,” he said.