Religious Diversity
That the divers communions of the earth, and the manifold systems of religious belief, should never be allowed to foster the feelings of animosity among men, is, in this Day, of the essence of the Faith of God and His Religion.
Bahá’u’lláh
Letter to the World’s Religious Leaders
In April 2002, the Universal House of Justice invited the leaders of the world’s religious communities to reexamine the issues lying at the heart of interfaith activity.
https://www.bahai.org/documents/the-universal-house-of-justice/letter-worlds-religious-leaders
One Common Faith
Prepared in 2005 under the supervision of the Universal House of Justice, this commentary reviews relevant passages from both the writings of Bahá’u’lláh and the scriptures of other faiths against the background of the contemporary religious crisis.
https://www.bahai.org/library/other-literature/official-statements-commentaries/one-common-faith/
A Common Word
A landmark in Muslim-Christian relations
…despite their differences, Islam and Christianity not only share the same Divine Origin and the same Abrahamic heritage, but the same two greatest commandments.
https://www.acommonword.com/introduction-to-a-common-word-between-us-and-you/
Parliament of the World’s Religions
The Parliament of the World’s Religions was created to cultivate harmony among the world’s religious and spiritual communities and foster their engagement with the world and its guiding institutions in order to achieve a just, peaceful and sustainable world.
https://parliamentofreligions.org/
The Challenges of Interfaith Dialogue
- The first challenge is a lack of focus.
- The second challenge is when people feel that they need to “water down” or compromise their religious identity in order to fit in.
- The third challenge is proselytizing, or attempting to convert others.
The Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs
Principles and Guidelines for Interfaith Dialogue
- Ten inter-religious principles identified by Dr Leonard Swidler (Professor of Catholic Thought and Interreligious Dialogue) https://www.scarboromissions.ca/interfaith-dialogue/principles-and-guidelines-for-interfaith-dialogue/2
- Interreligious Dialogue: Myths and Reality This interview with Prof. Leonard Swidler is conducted by Dr. Mikhail Sergeev, co-chair of the Department of Religion, Theology, and Philosophy at the Wilmette Institute. https://wilmetteinstitute.org/interreligious-dialogue-myths-and-reality-interview-with-professor-leonard-swidler/
- The Elijah Interfaith Institute (Offices in Israel and the USA) “Elijah’s mission is to foster unity in diversity, creating a harmonious world. Elijah’s message: The world’s great religions radiate wisdom that can heal the world. Deep level spiritual conversation across interreligious lines enriches our inner lives, enhances our prayer and opens our hearts. Discover unity and embrace diversity. We are many and we are one.” https://elijah-interfaith.org/
- Emir-Stein Center is an initiative committed to the promotion of empathy and understanding through cultural and religious literacy. https://www.youtube.com/@EmirSteinCenter
- Make Friends (facilitated by the Elijah Institute) “On June 14, 2017 many of the world’s most prominent religious leaders made a joint statement encouraging people everywhere to make friends across religions. Friendship and getting to know one another are the antidotes to negativity and divisions in society, enhancing understanding and unity.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGMQsJ0VzAk
- The Abraham Institute (South Australia) An educational organization which promotes interfaith and intercultural dialogue and understanding. https://www.abrahaminstitute.net/
- Weekly Online Interfaith meeting (Sydney, Australia) Vasantha & Siva Peri host an Interfaith Prayer meeting & discussion series, which takes place every Thursday evening, at 7 pm Sydney time by Zoom. This weekly event is to foster devotional character of society and to bring understanding among friends, about the unifying nature of religions and their common foundation. Many of the talks have been uploaded to YouTube. The topics, speaker information, and (where available) YouTube links may be found here: https://colindibdin.com/weekly-zoom-interfaith/
- Sacred Conversations (Tasmania) A space for respectful dialogue. The site also has this useful resource: The Language of Interfaith Conversation https://www.sacredconversations.online/interfaith-resources.
Contributing to Social Transformation
No matter the setting, Baha’is are learning to contribute insights and experiences that are relevant to the profound challenges facing humanity today. In so doing, they strive to adopt a posture of humility, engage in genuine conversation, generously contribute relevant Baha’i principles, and learn with and from other like-minded individuals and groups.
https://news.bahai.org/story/1298/
- Contributing to social transformation—reflections on Baha’i participation in discourses
- Why religion is in the spotlight again
- The evolving Baha’i perspective on interfaith dialogue
Agreement
Miscellaneous Resources
Some Spiritual Principles for Interfaith dialogue (compilation by Colin Dibdin) https://colindibdin.com/spiritual-principles-for-interfaith-dialogue/
Interfaith Topics – Some subjects for a local interfaith discussion group (Colin Dibdin)
Eight Magical Teaching Properties of Dialogue – To help us listen and learn when we really just want to teach (Colin Dibdin)
Prerequisites for successful Baha’i-Christian dialogue (Colin Dibdin)
Structure of the document “One Common Faith” (Colin Dibdin)
When Aliens Meet: Tips for Interfaith Dialogue – presentation by Colin Dibdin 19 August 2021
Extraordinary Initiatives in Interfaith Dialogue
The Interfaith Amigos — Breaking the taboos of interfaith dialogue.
Rabbi Ted Falcon, Pastor Don Mackenzie, and Imam Jamal Rahman – collectively known as The Interfaith Amigos. In a time when religion appears to be at the heart of fragmentation, suspicion and conflict, their friendship is a beacon to a wiser, more compassionate, and hopeful path.
Jafar ibn Abi Talib: Exemplary Interfaith Leader
Interfaith dialogue with the the Christian emperor of Abyssinia: https://www.whyislam.org/common-ground/jafar-ibn-abi-talib-exemplary-interfaith-leader/
