Leonard Swidler, an American academic, died on March 22, 2026.
He was professor of Catholic Thought and Interreligious Dialogue at Temple University in Philadelphia, where he taught from 1966 to 2022. Swidler co-founded the Journal of Ecumenical Studies with Arlene Swidler in 1964 and served as its editor.
He also founded and led the Dialogue Institute, served as senior advisor to iPub Global Connection, and founded the Association for the Rights of Catholics in the Church.
Leonard Joseph Swidler (January 6, 1929 – March 23, 2026) was an American academic who was Professor of Catholic Thought and Interreligious Dialogue at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he taught from 1966 to 2022. He was the co-founder (in 1964, with Arlene Swidler) and editor of the Journal of Ecumenical Studies (quarterly). He was also the founder/president of the Dialogue Institute (founded 1978), the senior advisor for iPub Global Connection a book publisher, and the founder and past president of the Association for the Rights of Catholics in the Church (1980–).