Interreligious Engagement and Interfaith Dialogue: Home

Peter Phan, who is both Vietanmese and American, knows the stresses of intercultural and interreligious living. Phan reflects on cultural diversity in spiritual life. Above all, he reflects on the question, how much uniformity will people in a postmodern world tolerate in life, liturgy, and denominational self-definition?

Judaism, Christianity and Islam are known to privilege words over images. This book shows, however, that the reality is more complex. Figurations and Sensations of the Unseen explores the complex procedures used to render the invisible as visible and the elusive as tangible in these three traditions. Working from different disciplinary angles, contributors reflect on figuration and sensation in biblical culture, medieval Jewish culture, the imagination of the unseen in Islamic settings, Christian assaults on 'idolatry' in Africa, baroque and modern Church art, contemporary Eastern Orthodox tradition, photography on the East African coast, European opera and literature, and more.

From its most cosmopolitan urban centers to the rural Midwest, the United States is experiencing a rising tide of religious interest. While terrorist attacks keep Americans fixed on an abhorrent vision of militant Islam, popular films such as The Passion of the Christ and The Da Vinci Code make blockbuster material of the origins of Christianity. Beneath the superficial banter of the media and popular culture, however, are quieter conversations about what it means to be religious in America today. Interfaith Encounters in America takes a compelling look at these seldom acknowledged exchanges.

How do we love people who we are afraid of? The political climate of the US in recent years has revealed significant divisions in our nation and our neighborhoods, divisions often fueled by fear. For those who follow a call and commitment to love our neighbors, how do we love in the midst of this fear? In this book, Cassie Trentaz looks that question in the eyes and asks her friends and neighbors in four communities currently facing pressure and often viewed with suspicion--immigrants, Muslim Americans, LGBTQ+ people, and young African American men--what feels like love to them and, alternatively, what does not. Trentaz brings their honest, heartfelt responses in their own words, helping us to know people we might not know and bringing us powerful stories of offerings of love that were received as love as well as stories of good intentions that missed their mark. She then offers us tools to help us act on what we hear. This book is both an invitation and a toolbox for listening. It takes love from a good idea to a concrete force that can speak to our fears, reach across divisions, and just might heal our world.

A critical evaluation of Zionism from various traditions and perspectives.

Religion can play a dual role with regard to conflict. It can promote either violence or peace. Religion and Conflict Attribution seeks to clarify the causes of religious conflict as perceived by Christian, Muslim and Hindu college students in Tamil Nadu, India. These students in varying degrees attribute conflict to force-driven causes, namely to coercive power as a means of achieving the economic, political or socio-cultural goals of religious groups. The study reveals how force-driven religious conflict is influenced by prescriptive beliefs like religious practice and mystical experience, and descriptive beliefs such as the interpretation of religious plurality and religiocentrism. It also elaborates on the practical consequences of the salient findings for the educational process.

Suicide killings both in America and Israel have focused world attention on international terrorism. The involvement of people claiming that their Islamic faith justified murderous suicide action has intensified the demonisation of Islam in the West, and in turn highlighted the need to understand and relate to Muslims in all their diversity. Rabbi Jonathan Magonet has long been engaged in interfaith dialogue, and in this book he explores the issues that arise with such an encounter and challenges the Jewish community to broaden its commitment to interfaith dialogue in a complex and rapidly changing world.

From sacred texts of the world's religions, scholars find resources for interreligious dialogue. In this book a diverse group of religious scholars representing many faith traditions propose a text that they have found valuable in their work as interreligious bridge-builders and share reflections about its context, its message, and how it inspires or informs their own work in the field.

Douglas Pratt's new work is a brief history, astutue analysis, and trustworthy guide for Christian encounter in this pluralistic environment. A central argument of this perceptive work is that interreligious dialogue has moved so far as to fundamentally change the attitudes and openness of world religious traditions to each other, promising a future more open and less hostile than one might otherwise think.

Contemporary Muslim-Christian Encounters: Developments, Diversity and Dialogues addresses the key issues in the present day global encounter between Christians and Muslims. Divided into two parts, the first examines theoretical issues and concerns which affect dialogue between the two traditions. The second part highlights case studies from around the world. Chapters come from established scholars including Reuven Firestone, Douglas Pratt and Clinton Bennett, emerging scholars, as well as practitioner perspectives. Highlighting the diversity within the field of "Christian-Muslim" encounter, case studies cover examples from the US and globally, and include dialogue in the US post 9/11, Nigerian Muslims and Christians, and Christian responses to Islamophobia in the UK. Covering unique areas and those not explored in detail elsewhere, Contemporary Muslim-Christian Encounters: Developments, Diversity and Dialogues will be of interest to advanced students, researchers, and interfaith professionals.

Religion has played an enormous role in contemporary politics and in the discussions of war and peace, identity and tradition, authoritarianism and democracy. In the Madeleva Lecture for 2011 Kwok Pui-lan, one of the most prominent postcolonial feminist theologians, discusses the future of interfaith dialogue. She shows how globalization has impacted interreligious relationships and dialogue and argues that the future of interfaith dialogue must include those marginalized voices that have not been invited to the table, especially women. In discussing issues on gender and interfaith dialogue, she explores concerns that have been raised by women, such as the Orientialist construction of religious difference, reciprocity, and misappropriation, and multiple identities and hybridity. Finally, a central focus for interfaith dialogue is peacebuilding, and in this context Dr. Kwok explores the concept of polydoxy, which goes beyond the logic of the One to embrace multiplicity and relationality. Book jacket.

This guide urges such Christians to reflect on the theological significance of the faith and witness of their neighbours who are not Christians. The booklet is prepared in the hope that Christians will be challenged to seek new dimensions of their own faith and also to see their neighbours in a new light and learn to live with them in closer community. The following issues are treated: living in a religiously plural world; creation; scriptures; Jesus Christ - deepening our understand of Christ in a religiously plural world; the experience of salvation; witness in a religiously plural world; spirituality; community; hope and vision.

Meeting people of other faiths is an everyday experience not only for minority Christian communities in Asia and the Middle East but increasingly for Christians elsewhere. Yet although interfaith dialogue has established itself as a key concern for the churches and the ecumenical movement, it continues to raise spiritual, social, political, practical and theological concerns in many quarters. The insights in this book draw on the author's wide range of personal experiences -- as a child, student and Methodist pastor in Sri Lanka; as a participant in the controversial discussion of interfaith dialogue at the World Council of Churches' fifth assembly (Nairobi 1975); as a student of Hinduism; and especially as a longtime staff member and director of the WCC's dialogue program. Weaving together accounts from daily life, ecumenical texts and discussions, and theological reflection, this book offers a clear and challenging introduction to key issues that arise again and again when Christians and churches enter into conversation with their neighbors of other faiths -- among them interfaith prayer, interfaith marriage, religion and conflict, and dialogue and mission.

The issue of religious pluralism has become a focal point of discussion in our post-9/11 world, and in this book Old Testament scholar W. Eugene March helps us understand this pluralism in the context of current biblical scholarship. March, who was awarded a fellowship from the Henry Luce Foundation for his work in this area, hopes this book will bring research and experience together to enable "the understanding and practice of genuine tolerance founded upon a positive appreciation for God's providential gift of religious pluralism."

"This comprehensive volume brings together a distinguished editorial team, including some of the field's pioneers, to explore the aims, practice, and historical context of interfaith collaboration. Explores in full the background, history, objectives, and discourse between the leaders and practitioners of the world's major religions. Examines relations between religions from around the world, moving well beyond the common focus on Christianity, to also cover over 12 major religions and features a wealth of case studies on critical issues in contemporary interreligious dialogue, such as the role of monks and of women in dialogue, its relationship to peace-building and social action, and its expression in ritual and art"-- Provided by publisher.