Breakthroughs in Spiritual Literacy: Promoting Interfaith Dialogue at Christ-Centered Institutions

1. Breakthroughs in Spiritual Literacy: Promoting Interfaith Dialogue at Christ-Centered Institutions Marion H. Larson Sara L. H. Shady Anne Taylor Anna Wilson Bethel University (St. Paul, MN)

2. Session Overview • Why interfaith dialogue? • Theological pluralism vs. civic pluralism • Cultivating virtues through and for dialogue • Practical concerns

3. Complicated Questions • Should the presenter have censored his views out of respect for those in attendance—even if they were truly what he believed? • Is it possible to talk about something such as contextual missions without incurring deep offenses? • How do we genuinely listen to & respect those who have different religious beliefs while retaining commitment to our own? • How would I feel if a Muslim told me that anyone who loves God actually is, in her heart, a Muslim?

4. Why interfaith dialogue? • “The faith line” and religious violence

5. Why study this topic? “One hundred years ago, the great African-American scholar W.E.B. Du Bois warned that the problem of the 20th century would be what he called “the problem of the color line.” The 21st century might well be dominated by a different line, no less divisive and no less violent: the faith line.” – Eboo Patel (Founder and Director of Interfaith Youth Core), Acts of Faith

6. Why study this topic? • “My work in the World Council of Churches has enabled me to meet a wide range of Christians. . . Among those with whom I have worked are some of the most vigorous proponents of interreligious dialogue—church people from Asia, Africa, and the Middle East for whom dialogue is an urgent life and death matter. As a rabbi friend in Britain once put it, ‘It is dialogue or die.’” –Diana Eck, Director of Harvard’s Pluralism Project

7. Why interfaith dialogue? • “The faith line” and religious violence • Civic participation • Build constructive relationships with “others” • Develop personal and spiritual maturity • Responsible belief

8. Theological vs. civic pluralism • Theological Questions • Is there only one God? Are all religions true? Can there be more than one “right” path? • Civic Questions • What sorts of reasons should be allowed in the public sphere? Should the state be neutral with regards to religion? Does neutrality imply secularity? • How do we best navigate peace (locally, nationally, and internationally) in the midst of religious difference?

9. Theological Pluralism vs. Civic Pluralism • “Distinguishing between the rhetorical and social contexts of our theological and civic language, between the spheres in which ‘we’ engage questions of concern, either as citizens or as people of faith, is essential. It is not that religious discourse is private, whereas civic discourse is public. Rather, both religious and civic speech can be very public, but they are different. They are directed to different audiences; they employ a different rhetoric of persuasion; they are substantiated with different ‘footnotes’ and appeals to authority” – Diana Eck

10. Theological vs. civic pluralism • Theological Pluralism and Civic Pluralism do not have to be linked • I can advocate civic pluralism without advocating theological pluralism • Seeking and attaining understanding of another religious tradition does not require agreement with that tradition

11. Dialogue and virtues Humility Interconnection Commitment Empathy Hospitality

12. Humility • “Epistemic or doctrinal humility” • “Cognitive vigilance” • Awareness of own flaws and limitations • Acknowledge harm done by other believers

13. Commitment • “Point of departure” and “place of return” • Conviction vs. intolerance • “Responsible believing” (McCormick) • “Holy envy” (Graef)

14. Interconnectedness • “Commonality or solidarity among religions” • Interfaith and intra-faith issues

15. Empathy • Affective and cognitive • Humanizing the other • “From here” and “from there” (Volf) • Doesn’t preclude evaluation (Dickens)

16. Hospitality • Toward similarity • Toward difference • Challenge of boundaries (Westerhoff) • “Reflective pluralism” (Wuthnow)

17. Practical concerns • Preparation • Facilitation • Debriefing

18. Concluding Reflections • Students’ Perspectives • What interfaith dialogue initiatives could you support on your campus? What would this look like?