by Nicholas Porter and Jack Karn
Across the world millions of Christians, Jews, and Muslims pray for the peace of Jerusalem each night. It is an ancient prayer with modern aspirations…
URI in Jerusalem
Are LinkedIn Groups What We Need Today?
by Robyn Lebron
As a member of the “older generation,” I often wonder if we’ve lost the art of true connection. My own accomplishments have all been based on people skills.
Review: Learning to Live Well Together (Wilson and Ravat)
by Paul Chaffee
Like so much else in this contemporary culture, the ‘interfaith movement’ is at a watershed moment. For the past quarter-century, spontaneously, globally, thousands of groups have gathered to promote interfaith harmony.
On Dinner Parties and Self-worth
by Noorjehan Asim
The moment I sat down at the dinner table, a little voice in my head began to scream. My instincts told me to run, but my body ignored them. I remained glued to the posh furniture that lined the hallway. Dining with Mr. Richard Olson, the U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan, was bound to be harrowing for any 15-year-old looking to make a lasting impression.
Review: The INTRAfaith Conversation (2016) by Susan Strouse
by Kay Lindahl
As a Christian who has been engaged in the interfaith movement for over 25 years, I found myself intrigued by The INTRAfaith Conversation: How Do Christians Talk Among Ourselves About INTERfaith Matters? (2016). Susan Strouse’s book explores the importance of intrafaith conversations as a path to deeper and more meaningful interfaith conversations.
Len Swidler– the Quest for a Deeper Dialogue
The indefatigable Leonard Swidler, now in his 87th year and best known for founding the Journal of Ecumenical Studies, is renewing two of his Interreligious Dialogue (IRD) initiatives. This good news coincides with the publication of a lively biography, There Must Be You (2014) by River Adams, and Swidler’s own Dialogue for Interreligious Understanding (2014), which summarises much of his thinking.
Religion Inside Out: The Story of One Person Collaborating
“Religion Inside Out” – that was the tag line the Rev. Dr. Gwynne Guibord, an Episcopal priest, attached to The Guibord Center (TGC), a unique non-profit organization. Less than four years old, it is making its mark on the interfaith landscape in Southern California and beyond.
Celebrating Thanksgiving in Jerusalem
Thanksgiving comes to Jerusalem, and I am beside myself with preparations for the feast. Onions sizzle, garlic roasts, chickens brine, and cranberries boil. The windows steam with contented warmth, and aromas crowd around the doorframes. A pan sizzles with crisping chicken skin, a soup bubbles slowly as vegetables melt into the broth. I am in heaven.
This Unlimited Energy of Joy that Will Be Our Power
These lyrics from an old time romantic favorite, “You Mean the World to Me,” express the joy experienced in the interfaith movement. Starting as the movement did: acknowledging people from different religions with curiosity and respect, being fascinated by different practices and customs, meeting, speaking, listening, and learning together, the interfaith movement grew.
The Dalai Lama’s Call for Compassion
“West’s war with Islam to last 100 years” was the banner headline of a recent Australian newspaper. Admittedly, the text referred to ‘extreme Islam,’ but the headline reinforces a very dangerous over-simplification sadly too often voiced both by Christians and Muslims on the social media.
What We Can Learn from Religious Education in the UK
What the Young Can Teach Us – If Given the Chance
Multimedia Interfaith Efforts Expand at RFP USA
Global Dialogue: Probing the Possibilities
The Secret Power of Interfaith Encounters
Singapore’s Students Get Proactive about Interfaith Peace
The United Church of Christ
Interfaith Millennials Organize in Washington D.C.
This year is going to be a big one for interfaith collaboration in our nation’s capital. And Millennials are going to be at the forefront.
The IEA – Peacemaking One Relationship at a Time
Twenty years ago I came across an interfaith dialogue group for Jewish students and Christian theology students. For me it was a brand new experience: never before had I had conversation with anyone except Jews, nor did I ever think about such a possibility.
The Story Behind the Foundation for Religious Diplomacy
The Foundation for Religious Diplomacy is a nonprofit in Utah organized to promote and facilitate communication among people experiencing conflicts inspired by religious differences. It seeks to enroll and train religiously bi-lingual “interreligious diplomats” who can engage in deep dialogue encounters to decrease ill will and build trust, even in the midst of difficult conflicts. The Foundation has been particularly successful in providing ‘conservative’ communities from a variety of religions a safe multi-religious haven and platform to build enriching friendships through honest contestation and collaborative efforts. Ed.