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Interfaith Relations

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New research highlights how much religion matters in the world

A survey conducted in 24 countries in April 2011 reveals differences in the role and importance of religion that may be surprising to U.S. Christians. The research was conducted by the British research company, Ipsos MORI, via its Ipsos Online Panel system. It shows that 94% of Muslims (in three countries) say their religion is important in their lives while 86% of Hindus in India say this and only 66% of Christians (in 19 countries) give this view. Those in Muslim-majority countries are more likely than those in Christian-majority countries to believe that their faith / religion is the only path to salvation, liberation or paradise, 61% compared to 19% respectively. Hindus were most likely to say that their religion is the "only source of ultimate truth" but that others might be saved / find liberation / reach paradise. In Muslim-majority countries 61% say their religion is a key motivator in giving time and money to people in need versus 33% of Hindus in India or 24% of persons in primarily Christian societies. View the presentation slides detailing the findings and note carefully the limitations inherent in the technical information on the survey.

Hindu American document sees gap between caste and Hindu precepts

The title of a Hindu American Foundation (HAF) document, "Hinduism: Not Cast in Caste," literally summarizes its message. HAF argues that "even as Hindu precepts are ascendant in contemporary discourse, Indian citizens, Hindus in the diaspora, and many Western seekers eager to immerse themselves in the Hindu way of life, see a glaring dichotomy in the vast gap between the religious teaching of divinity inherent in each being and the continued social reality of discrimination and inequality in parts of Indian society predicated on the 'caste' of one’s birth." Christian organizations that have helped fund assistance to Dalits, i.e., so-called 'untouchables,' are recognized, but anti-Hindu propaganda that may accompany the aid is morally reprehensible, the HAF says. Recent attempts to pass resolutions and legislation on the issue of caste-based discrimination in international fora or the U.S. Congress are often lobbied by the very organizations that carry out "aggressive conversion campaigns." See the executive summary. See also the HAF policy brief on proselytism and the recently released guidelines on witness prepared by a broad spectrum of Christians. Suhag Shukla (pictured), the managing director of HAF, presents a second-generation Hindu American perspective on issues.

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Hindus can be seen as less exotic, more integrated into society

"Hinduism is not expected to remain under the radar [in the U.S.] too much longer," a Huffington Post article says, yet the average American knows little about Hindus and Hinduism. As a step toward providing information, the New City Patch has posted an article about a ten-day festival honoring Vishnu that is occurring in the New York village of Pomona from July 29 to August 7. The temple in Pomona promotes a philosophy of giving to others; there is no charge for admission to the festival and food is provided to visitors at no charge.

Hindus are becoming one of the largest religious minorities in the U.S. The largest numerical expansion has come through Indian-American communities, which grew 60% in the last decade according to U.S. census figures. A Pew study reported by the New York Times lists Hindus as having the highest percentage of college graduates among U.S. religions and a high degree of comparative affluence. The Institute for the Study of American Religion has discovered some 1600 Hindu temples in the U.S. There are 19 in the greater Houston, Texas, area alone.

First generation U.S.-born Indian-American Hindus are eager now to integrate their religion into U.S. society. They are not interested in proselytizing, says CNN.com's religion editor, but they want Americans to see Hinduism as less exotic and as a way of life. One high schooler in Houston called it "a philosophy that’s not too different from what a lot of others believe." Hindus are gaining political sophistication through groups such as the Hindu American Foundation.

"[C]hange is coming by way of the tremendous pressure exerted on religion from the flattening of the earth. As the world shrinks, young people are exposed to -- and are easily able to interact with -- others who hold very different worldviews. Kids now have access to a wealth of information about religions other than the one in which they were raised. Brand loyalty no longer is a given when it comes to religion and that's creating a massive shift in what people accept as true about their particular faith and about faith in general."

— Paul Pardi, professor at Seattle Pacific University

*See Pew research on Faith in Flux

"Dharmic Faiths" describes the monistic religions associated with India

Christians who are accustomed to being known as being part of the Abrahamic faiths family may be at a loss to know how to describe comparably another family of religions, those often associated particularly with India. A vocabulary has emerged publicly in the U.K. with the establishment, for the first time, of a Council of Dharmic Faiths. The "Dharmic faith family" describes the monistic religions known as Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism. In the U.K., questions arose in the House of Commons concerning Zoroastrianism, which is dualistic but also has an ancient link to the Vedic people. It has been included as an associate member of the council.

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General

New leadership selected by Jewish organizations

Richard Jacobs (pictured left) has been unanimously elected to be president of the Union of Reform Judaism (URJ), the largest Jewish movement in North America, beginning in 2012. He believes "vibrant synagogues are the key to the Jewish future” and says it is his mission to make sure there are synagogues where people who are non-Jewish seekers can encounter Judaism. Jacobs signed a position paper of the Rabbinic Vision Initiative calling for rethinking the vision and basic structure of the Reform movement. He has been a board member of the "left-leaning" New Israel Fund and J Street.

The new president of the Rabbinical Council of America (RCA), the largest Orthodox rabbinic association, is Shmuel Goldin (pictured). A prominent centrist, his aim is to hold the community together in the midst of tensions from the left and from the right. One of the issues is women in the rabbinate. There are also concerns about rabbis ordained by an "open Orthodoxy" seminary. Goldin is senior rabbi of Congregation Ahavath Torah, in Englewood, N.J.

Allan Jacobs (pictured near right) is the incoming president of B'nai B'rith. He will "continue to work to advance [its] mission advocating for the global Jewish community and the state of Israel, providing humanitarian aid and promoting human rights and senior advocacy initiatives." Dan Diker (pictured far right) was recently elected to be the new secretary general of the World Jewish Congress (WJC). x

United Methodists plan a healing act of repentance

The United Methodist Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns is planning an "Act of Repentance to Indigenous Persons" at the UMC General Conference in 2012, remembering the role of a Methodist minister in an 1864 massacre of Native Americans. To prepare, said the commission's executive, Stephen Sidorak Jr., it will be necessary to listen. The commission has visited the historic site of the massacre and been present as Native Americans have followed their traditions to purify the site, which is considered sacred. It has contributed funds toward the development of the Sand Creek Massacre Learning Center. The World Council of Churches has given attention, as well, to concerns of indigenous peoples.

Alliance of Civilizations has new programming

The Alliance of Civilizations' (UNAOC) very name suggests the opposite of the "clash of civilizations," a popular catch phrase used with reference to writings by Samuel Huntington that are seen to predict negative interactions between Western and Islamic civilizations, among others. The UNAOC initiative began in 2005 through the auspices of the UN, with the cooperation of government figures from Spain and Turkey, one a nation with a majority Christian population and the other with a majority of Muslims. In 2010, to the dismay of some, the U.S. became a member of the Group of Friends nations and organizations that are actively involved in UNAOC. Now new programming is occurring. May 21 marked the beginning of a campaign to "Do ONE Thing for Diversity and Inclusion," with a Facebook component for people to share their experiences. There is also a Global Experts web site established in 2010 to share quality analysis and diverse opinions on public and media debates that is now featuring a twice-weekly series on "Religion, Politics & the Public Square."

Initiative for a UN Decade on Interreligious/ Intercultural Dialogue meets

In November 2008 the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to consider “the possibility of proclaiming a United Nations decade for interrreligious and intercultural dialogue, understanding and cooperation for peace.” As it recognized important new developments within the UN itself, a coalition supporting the Initiative for a UN Decade of Interreligious Cooperation for Peace had its third meeting on March 7-9, 2011, at the Maryknoll retreat center in New York. Stein Villumstad (pictured) of WCRP (and formerly of Norwegian Church Aid) was named chair of a steering committee in 2009; vice-chairs named were Joan Kirby of the Temple of Understanding and John Taylor of the International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF). Supporters include the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Council for the Parliament of the World's Religions (CPWR) , the United Religions Initiative (URI), the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC), the World Conference on Religions for Peace (WCRP). Individual expressions of support for the Decade Initiative can be registered online.

NGOs at the UN work toward interreligious cooperation on peace

At the UN, civil society organizations seek to cooperate in working toward peace and understanding. Religious non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have found themselves in a common space with governments and UN system agencies as part of what is known as the Tripartite Forum on Interfaith Cooperation toward Peace. In June about 90 persons participated in an Informal Discussion on Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue Initiatives and Ideas co-sponsored by the Philippine Mission to the UN, the UNESCO New York Office, and the Committee on Religious NGOs at the UN. The URI (the United Religions Initiative) representative, Monica Willard, is the president of the Committee on Religious NGOs. United Methodist minister Kathleen Stone is currently a vice-president together with Judith Hertz of the Union of Reform Judaism. Mark Koenig (pictured) heads the PC(USA) office at the UN, which also represents the World Communion of Reformed Churches.

Pope's new book says Jews as a whole not responsible for Jesus' death

David Rosen, the head of interreligious affairs for the American Jewish Committee (AJC), thinks a new book by Pope Benedict XVI may make a bigger mark on Jewish-Catholic Christian relations than the Vatican II declaration, Nostra Aetate. The faithful are more likely to read scripture and commentaries, he believers. And the pontiff, in Jesus of Nazareth—Part II (ISBN # 978-1586175009), makes his argument that Jews were not collectively responsible for Jesus' death in biblical and theological terms. He says of the passage, "His blood be on us and on our children," that Jesus' death is not about punishment but salvation that brings reconciliation.

The International Catholic-Jewish Liaison Committee has met in Paris to discuss the future of its forty year old dialogue. See a time line of the ups and downs in Catholic-Jewish relations over those years. Read one synagogue rabbi's reflection on changes in relations of Jews and "the church." The chair of International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultation (IJCIC) has noted that demographic changes will affect the relationship; Catholics are growing in Asia, Latin America, and Africa while Christian-Jewish dialogue has traditionally been oriented toward the global north and west. In the U.S. Wilton D. Gregory, archbishop of Atlanta (pictured), is moderator of Jewish affairs for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

Catholic-Muslim dialogue produces book on marriage

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has engaged in dialogue with Muslims in the U.S. on a regional basis, enabling somewhat more local, less centralized conversation. The Mid-Atlantic Dialogue, through the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) and USCCB, has published a result of its dialogue in "Marriage: Roman Catholic and Sunni Muslim Perspectives." The report includes a chapter on challenges of an interreligious marriage between a Muslim and a Catholic Christian; an appendix provides the Catholic liturgy for celebrating marriage between a Catholic and an unbaptized person.

New White House Faith-based Partnership advisory council being formed

The White House selects members of the President's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships yearly. Obama's current appointees include Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, Mark Hanson, presiding bishop of the Lutheran Church in America, and Archbp. Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox archdiocese of America. The group is chaired by Susan Stern (pictured left), special advisor on government affairs for the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. Others appointed include National Association of Evangelicals president Leith Anderson (pictured right) and Nancy Wilson of the Metropolitan Community Church. The initial advisory council completed its work and issued a report which included recommendations that Obama accepted for implementation.

The Obama White House faith-based program is intended to provide a means for the government to "connect with real change agents in communities, people who are bringing change by engaging in real grass roots work, recognizing that interfaith service builds houses and meets needs, and can also prohibit conflict." Joshua DuBois, who heads the office, says it isn't just about money.

Religion in foreign policy is the subject of a Chicago report

A Chicago Council on Global Affairs task force has issued a report on "Engaging Religious Communities Abroad: A New Imperative for U.S. Foreign Policy." In issuing the report, it says, "Religious communities are central players in the counterinsurgency war in Afghanistan, development assistance, the promotion of human rights, stewardship of the environment, and the pursuit of peace in troubled parts of the world. The success of American diplomacy in the next decade will be measured in no small part by its ability to connect with the hundreds of millions of people throughout the world whose identity is defined by religion." Task force co-chairs are Scott Appleby of the University of Notre Dame and Richard Cizik, (pictured) formerly of the National Association of Evangelicals and now president of the New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good. See the full report and the executive summary.

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Pew survey shows Evangelicals' attitudes toward other faiths

The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life conducted a survey of Evangelicals in late 2010 among attendees from many countries who were at the Lausanne Congress. It found that 94% said working to lead others to Christ is essential for being a good Evangelical Christian and 95% said it is incompatible with Evangelicalism to believe Jesus is not the only way to salvation. Yet 73% gave top priority to evangelizing non-religious people versus only 59% selecting evangelizing Muslims a top priority; evangelizing Hindus and Buddhists measured as a top priority to only 39%. This ranking was particularly strong among Europeans and North Americans. Evangelicals from Muslim-majority countries were much more likely than others to see Islam as a threat. See the entire report online.

Pew Study says many Americans mix multiple faiths

In a study that has implications for Americans' views about "interfaith relations," the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life documents that the religious beliefs and practices of Americans "do not fit neatly into conventional categories." Even a sizable proportion of those who attend religious services weekly also go to services outside their own faith. A significant number profess Eastern or New Age beliefs. The picture for persons in religiously mixed marriages is complex, with a high percentage religiously less committed. Other reports illuminate the general picture. A Pew study released in mid-February finds that the Millennial generation is considerably less religious than older generations, with one in four notaffiliated with any particular faith. An earlier Pew study had produced a view of diverse, fluid religious affiliation in which Americans are both devoted and tolerant. See survey-related materials. A survey donein follow-up charted more specific views of American Christians. A separate study on Religious Switching Among American Jews documented patterns within the Jewish community.

Boston University professor of religion Stephen Prothero (pictured above) has commented on the Pew surveys. He sees more commercialization than education happening in the "spiritual marketplace" and worries about melting at the "sharp edges of the world's religions."

Charter for Compassion members make commitments

The Charter for Compassion was originally written through an interactive process and is now available on a participatory web site where readers are invited to add their names to the statement, contribute their stories and make commitments in the spirit of the charter. The charter is based on an assumption that compassion can build common ground. Using input from around the globe, it was crafted by a council that included Joan Brown Campbell, Joan Chittester, and Desmond Tutu. Partners in the project included the National Council of Churches, the United Religions Initiative, the North American Interfaith Network, Union Theological Seminary, and Religions for Peace. The impetus for the charter came from Karen Armstrong (pictured). Now the Compassionate Action Network (CAN), a network of self-organizing groups who share a common vision for a compassionate world, invites cities around the world to participate in the Campaign for Compassionate Cities. The process for cities begins by their affirming the Charter of Compassion.

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New Assisi gathering will avoid blurring lines between religions

Twenty-five years ago Pope John Paul II (pictured near right) invited an interfaith group to Assisi for prayer. Now Benedict XVI (pictured far right) will commemorate the occasion by inviting religious leaders from around the world to another interfaith gathering at Assisi on October 27, the Vatican has announced. The pontifical councils for interreligious dialogue, Christian unity, and culture are distributing the invitations. The Vatican says this will be a pilgrimage in which there will be silence for personal meditation; this will symbolize the journey of every human being who seeks the truth and shares responsibility for building justice and peace. There will not be corporate prayer together although the Pope will preside over a prayer vigil at St. Peter's on the previous evening. The event 25 years ago was criticized for seemingly promoting united prayer which blurred the lines between religions.

Archbishop of Canterbury speaks about finality of Christ

In a recent speech the Archbishop of Canterbury attempted to reconcile the claims of the Bible about Jesus and Christianity with the multifaith societies in which Christians around the world must live. Speaking at Guildford Cathedral in England, he urged confidence in one's beliefs and the importance of the belief in the finality of Jesus Christ. But he spoke as well against a bullying insensitivity to other faiths. Read the entire speech.

Anglican Network for Inter Faith Concerns offers Generous Love document

The Anglican Communion's Network for Inter Faith Concerns (NIFCON) has made available an Anglican theology of interfaith relations, Generous Love: the truth of the gospel and the call to dialogue, for study and reflection. The document asks, If we proclaim and serve a generous God can we be any less generous in our dealings with neighbors of other faiths? How do we affirm dialogue without compromising our own allegiance? Also now available is Generous Love: The Truth of the
Gospel and the Call to Dialogue: An Anglican Theology of Inter Faith Relations ( ISBN #978-0-9558261-0-86), which can be accessed digitally. .Lucinda Mosher has been the NIFCON North America representative.

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Academic institutions

The University of California-Santa Barbara is in the midst of a State Department-funded program, "Religion in the United States: Pluralism and Public Presence," that runs from mid-June through July and is being attended by scholars from 18 countries. The co-director is the well-known UCSB professor, Wade Clark Roof. The broad program gives scholars a view of the breadth of pluralism in the U.S. and enables them to study the dynamics of pluralism in their own countries. UCSB has done this for 10 years.

Claremont School of Theology in California has announced a donation to enable establishment of Claremont Lincoln University, a cooperative effort with the Academy for Jewish Religion, California and the Islamic Center of Southern California. The university will have a consortium of professional graduate schools for religious education. Students pursuing ordination will be able to take courses with students of other faiths in addition to the courses in their home institution. Planners would like to add schools of other traditions. At one point in planning, the United Methodist Church put the school on public warning but has now unfrozen church money for the school.

In Chicago, the Lutheran School of Theology (LSTC), now including a Center of Christian-Muslim Engagement for Peace and Justice, has become one of the top theological schools in the U.S. for interfaith studies. Also in Chicago, the American Islamic College (AIC) reopened last fall after a period of having lost accreditation. The two cooperated in early April in an effort that drew in people of their neighborhoods and civic leaders as well as people from the academic community. They held a hands-on "Interfaith Community Garden," intended to "benefit food pantries as well as bringing a sign of beauty and hope to two communities." Mark Swanson (pictured) is LSTC professor of Christian-Muslim studies.

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Interfaith relations and councils of churches

The World Council of Churches

A significant international consultation, "Transforming Communities: Christians and Muslims Building a Common Future," was held in Geneva in November 2010, with about 60 persons present. One of the results was a "call for the formation of a joint working group which can be mobilized whenever a crisis threatens to arise in which Christians and Muslims find themselves in conflict." See more information and the documents from the meeting.

Interreligious relations in the WCC focuses on:

• Accompanying churches in conflict situations. The WCC attempts to express solidarity with Christians while being concerned about how situations affect other faith groups. Recognizing that many conflicts today have some basis in religion, the project brings together advocacy and interreligious dialogue. When requested, the program will prepare churches in two countries to deal with conflict. An aide memoire lays out some of the issues.

• Deepening mutual trust through interreligious dialogue and cooperation. In addition to its regular sponsorship and participation in direct dialogue experiences, the WCC issued a commentary on the Muslim letter, A Common Word Between Us and You, in March 2008 that it hoped would be a helpful to churches in their dialogue with the Muslim community.

• Engaging in Christian theological explorations built upon experiences gained in dialogue. This concern examines how interreligious dialogue challenges Christian theology and self-understanding. The WCC organized a consultation in October 2008 together with a number of Christian world communions, the World Evangelical Alliance, and the Roman Catholic Church with the goal of providing space to share initiatives and theological resources for engaging with Muslims and of identifying substantial issues in Christian theology in relation to Christian-Muslim dialogue.

See a Minute on mutual respect, responsibility and dialogue with people of other faiths adopted by the Ninth Assembly of the WCC.

The staff position of program director for interreligious dialogue and cooperation is vacant, announced for being filled by June 2011.

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The National Council of Churches

Interfaith work in the NCC is based upon a policy statement adopted in 1999 and is focused on:

articulation of a theology of interfaith relations
resources for the churches
interfaith formation of Christian leadership
creation of ecumenical opportunities for engagement with communities of other faiths

It has provided a series of brochures for guidance, "Interfaith Relations and the Church." A new message, "Honoring the Sacredness of Religious Others: Reaffirming Our Commitment to Positive Interfaith Relations," was presented for adoption at the November 2010 Gathering meeting of the NCC.

With the NCC as a key Christian convenor, a Jewish-Christian Leaders' Dialogue Table expects to bring together staff persons (or others with comparable functions) two or three times a year. A National Muslim-Christian Initiative in North America, composed of representatives of Islamic organizations and Christian churches, is co-convened by members of the NCC commission, and of major Islamic organizations in the U.S.

The NCC's Interfaith Relations Commission is presently chaired by Diana Eck, with Peter Makari as its vice-chair. Its PC(USA) members are Damayanthi Niles (pictured), Nanette Sawyer, and David Leslie. Antonios Kireopoulos is the NCC senior program director responsible for interfaith work. See the brochure, "Getting to Know Neighbors of Other Faiths," and the commission's internal handbook..

Listen to a short segment of a conversation between NCC general secretary Michael Kinnamon and Steve Gutow, president/CEO of the Jewish Council of Public Affairs concerning organizational interfaith relations.

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On this web site:

A Model Statement of Interfaith Commitment: a locally-prepared statement

What's Happening Where We Live: local and regional news

Religious Conversion: a shared code of conduct

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Ecumenical & Interfaith News Network - PCUSA

Interfaith relations and councils of churches

The World Council of Churches

Ecumenical & Interfaith
News Network - PCUSA