MIT Math Major Builds Bridges Through Faith Conversations

Every week at MIT, students from wildly different backgrounds gather in small circles to discuss the questions that keep them up at night.

Angeline Peng, a fourth-year math major, leads these conversations through the Addir Fellows Interfaith Dialogue Program. The name "Addir" comes from the Sumerian word for "bridge," and that's exactly what's happening in these rooms.

Peng grew up in an atheist family. After moving from multicultural Singapore to homogeneous Utah at age 10, she found herself curious about the faith that surrounded her. College became her chance to explore.

"I realized it's important to know myself better, to understand and have my own principles," Peng says. Now she helps other students do the same.

The program brings together groups of five to eight students each week. They start by sharing their "spiritual autobiographies," then dive into topics like regret, guilt, purpose, and what it means to be a good person.

The conversations attract everyone from devout believers to agnostics. Graduate students sit with undergrads. People who rarely leave their academic bubbles meet classmates they'd never otherwise encounter.

Peng doesn't let anyone hide in comfortable silence. She plays devil's advocate, pushes at ideas, and makes sure quieter voices get heard.

The Ripple Effect

The program has been building these bridges since 2005, originally funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and now supported by MIT's Office of Religious, Spiritual, and Ethical Life. MIT Chaplain Thea Keith-Lucas explains the focus: "sharing spiritual values and experiences, not just opinions."

For Peng, her math training enhances the discussions. "Mathematics teaches you how to abstract and understand which details are just details, and what are the core ideas," she explains. That skill helps her stay objective while exploring subjective questions.

She sees beauty in both disciplines. "Part of why I do math is spiritual," Peng says. "There's a lot of beauty in the truth."

The students aren't trying to represent their entire faith traditions. Instead, they share personal interpretations, bringing in texts and teachings when helpful. Nobody's looking for converts or defending doctrine.

They're just trying to understand themselves and each other better. In a world that often feels divided, these small circles of honest conversation might be the most important work happening on campus.

One bridge at a time, they're proving that people from anywhere can find common ground in life's biggest questions.