Principles and Guidelines for Interfaith Dialogue

Support interfaith dialogue with "The Golden Rule" poster, which shows the golden rule in the sacred writings of 13 faiths. See a bigger version or Order Now! 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. Dialogue Decalogue Three Goals of Interreligious Dialogue Principles towards Better Interfaith Relations Four Levels of Interreligious Dialogue Five Types of Interreligious Dialogue Assisi Decalogue for Peace The Seven Stages of Deep-Dialogue Dialogue is not debate Nine Guidelines for Listening to Others Interfaith Lessons I Have Learned Guidelines for Interreligious Understanding Purpose and Principles of the United Religions Initiative (URI) The Language of Interfaith Conversation Rights, Responsibilities and Skills of Dialogue A Safe Place to Address Prejudice, Stereotypes and Fears One Muslim's Interfaith Resolutions Nine Key Principles of Religious Pluralism A Declaration of Interdependence Why Interfaith dialogue Doesn't Work - and What We can Do About It

Dialogue Decalogue
Ground Rules for Inter-religious, Inter-ideological Dialogue These principles of dialogue were formulated by Professor Leonard Swidler of Temple University. The text is printed in the Journal of Ecumenical Studies 20:1 (1984). FIRST COMMANDMENT The primary purpose of dialogue is to learn; that is, to change and grow in the perception and understanding of reality, and then to act accordingly. SECOND COMMANDMENT Inter-religious, inter-ideological dialogue must be a two-sided project within each religious or ideological community and between religious or ideological communities. THIRD COMMANDMENT Each participant must come to the dialogue with complete honesty and sincerity. FOURTH COMMANDMENT In inter-religious, inter-ideological dialogue we must not compare our ideals with our partner's practice, but rather our ideals with our partner's ideals, our practice with our partner's practice. FIFTH COMMANDMENT Each participant must define himself... Conversely, the interpreted must be able to recognize herself in the interpretation. SIXTH COMMANDMENT Each participant must come to the dialogue with no hard-anl-fast assumptions as to where the points of disagreement are.

SEVENTH COMMANDMENT Dialogue can take place only between equals... Both must come to learn from each other. EIGHTH COMMANDMENT Dialogue can take place only on the basis of mutual trust. NINTH COMMANDMENT Persons entering into inter-religious, inter-ideological dialogue must be at least minimally self-critical of both themselves and their own religious or ideological traditions. TENTH COMMANDMENT Each participant eventually must attempt to experience the partner's religion or ideology 'from within'; for a religion or ideology is not merely something of the head, but also of the spirit, heart, and 'whole being,' individual and communal.

Three Goals of Interreligious Dialogue

1. 2. 3. To know oneself ever more profoundly and enrich and round out one's appreciation of one's own faith tradition To know the other ever more authentically and gain a friendly understanding of others as they are and not in caricature To live ever more fully accordingly and to establish a more solid foundation for community of life and action among persons of various traditions

(Leonard Swidler, Toward a Unlversal Theology of Religion, p. 26)

Principles towards Better Interfaith Relations

1. We confess our failures and lack of love, respect and sensitivity to people of other faiths in the past. We intend to forgive one another, seek the forgiveness of others and commit ourselves to a new beginning. 2. We affirm that good interfaith relations can open the way to better interethnic relations and peace throughout the world. 3. We recognise building true community (koinonia) , both among persons and various ethnic and religious communities, as our primary objective. We need to develop a global theology that will be appropriate for the unfolding sense of a globalised world. 4. We affirm the importance of promoting a culture of dialogue within and among all religious communities and indigenous traditions. 5. We condemn violence and terrorism as being against the spirit of all true religion and we pledge ourselves to removing their causes. 6. We shall respect the integrity of all religions and ensure that they have the freedom to follow their own beliefs and practices. 7. We believe that the different religions are enriched by identifying agendas in which they can collaborate, such as making peace, protecting the environment, eradicating poverty and ensuring the human dignity of all. 8. We affirm that it is important for us all to listen to and learn from other religions so that we can value religious plurality as a factor that enriches our communities. 9. We endeavour to live out and explain the truths of our own religion in a manner that is intelligible and friendly to people of other faiths. 10. Cultural diversity as well as religious diversity in our communities will be affirmed as a source of enrichment and challenge. Prepared by the Rt Rev. Kenneth Fernando for the Network of Interfaith Concerns of the Anglican Communion

Four Levels of Interreligious Dialogue

1. 2. 3. 4. The dialogue of llfe, where people strive to live in an open and neighborly spirit, sharing their joy and sorrows, their human problems and preoccupations. The dialogue of action, in which persons of all religions collaborate for the integral development and liberation of people. The dialogue of theological exchange, where specialists seek to deepen their understanding of their respective religious heritages, and to appreciate each other's spiritual values. The dialogue of religious experience, where persons, rooted in their own religious traditions, share their spiritual riches, for instance with regard to prayer and contemplation, faith and ways of searching for God or the Absolute.

(M. Thomas Thangaraj, The Common Task: A Theology of Christian Mission, Abingdon Press, Nashville, 1999, pp. 95, 96.)

Five Types of Interreligious Dialogue

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Informational: Acquiring of knowledge of the faith partner's religious history, founding, basic beliefs, scriptures, etc. Confessional: Allowing the faith partners to speak for and define themselves in terms of what it means to live as an adherent. Experiential: Dialogue with faith partners from within the partner's tradition, worship and ritual - entering into the feelings of one's partner and permitting that person's symbols and stories to guide. Relational: Develop friendships with individual persons beyond the "business" of dialogue. Practical: Collaborate to promote peace and justice.

Assisi Decalogue for Peace

During the interfaith prayer service at Assisi, ten of the 200 faith representatives each read one of the following ten commitments in their own language. In March, Pope John Paul II sent a copy of the Decalogue for Peace to all heads of state. In an accompanying letter, the Pope stated that the participants at the Assisi gathering were inspired more than ever by one common conviction humanity must choose between love and hatred. 1. We commit ourselves to proclaiming our firm conviction that violence and terrorism are opposed to all true religious spirit and we condemn all recourse to violence and war in the name of God or religion. We undertake to do everything possible to eradicate the causes of terrorism. 2. We commit ourselves to educate people about respect and mutual esteem in order to achieve peaceful coexistence and solidarity among members of different ethnic groups, cultures and religions. 3. We commit ourselves to promote the culture of dialogue so that understanding and trust may develop among individuals and peoples as these are the conditions of authentic peace. 4. We commit ourselves to defend the right of all human beings to lead a dignified life, in accordance with their cultural identity. 5. We commit ourselves to engage in dialogue with sincerity and patience, without considering what separates us as an insurmountable wall, on the contrary, recognizing that facing our differences can become an occasion for greater reciprocal understanding. 6. We commit ourselves to pardon each other's errors and prejudices of the past and present, and to support one another in the common struggle against egoism and abuses, hatred and violence, and in order to learn from the past that peace without justice is not true peace. 7. We commit ourselves to stand at the side of those who suffer poverty and abandonment, speaking out for those who have no voice and taking concrete action to overcome such situations, in the conviction that no one can be happy alone. 8. We commit ourselves to make our own the cry of those who do not surrender to violence and evil, and we wish to contribute with all our strength to give a real hope of justice and peace to the humanity of our time. 9. We commit ourselves to encourage all initiatives that promote friendship between peoples, in the conviction that, if a solid understanding between peoples is lacking, technological progress exposes the world to increasing dangers of destruction and death. 10. We commit ourselves to ask the leaders of nations to make every possible effort so as to build, at both national and international levels, a world of solidarity and peace founded on justice.

The Seven Stages of Deep-Dialogue

By Paul Mojzes and Leonard Swidler Outlined below are seven stages that many people experience in the process of dialogue with other religions and cultures. Stage One Radical Encountering of Difference

Early encounters with those of other religions are inherently challenging and even threatening as I face a new worldview, a new way of interpreting reality, and new ways of responding that are clearly other. I am tempted to appropriate the other to my own worldview. I soon realize that this disruption to my worldview and ways of responding wont go away, nor will it accommodate my own worldview and ways of responding. I may be tempted to withdraw from the situation, only to discover that my place in society may not allow for such withdrawal. The decision to proceed moves me on into the second stage. Stage Two Crossing Over Letting Go and Entering the World of the Other

As I make the decision to engage the world of the other sincerely, I find myself called to explore, to learn anew, and to reassess my norms regarding adequate and appropriate expressions of values, and to critique my traditional attitudes. I find that I need to approach the new worldview with openness and a bracketing of my stereotypes and prejudices. As I do this, I find myself moving into stage three. Stage Three Inhabiting and Experiencing the World of the Other

The experience of empathy and interest then expands into a sense of freedom that opens doors to learn many things from this other world: what is of greatest importance, modalities of interaction, what causes suffering to those in this world. As I experiment with integrating ways of thinking and acting in light of my discoveries, I sense an excitement and a deepening relationship with those of this world. At a certain point, after I have gained some competence in negotiating this environment, I discover that this is not my true home. This moves me into the fourth stage. Stage Four Crossing Back with an Expanded Vision

The new knowledge I have gained in alternative ways of thinking and acting is now part of my repertoire as I regain my sense of belonging in my own world. I am able to think and act from both perspectives as the context may require. My own sense of identity has deepened, has changed, and no matter what choices I freely make to believe and to act, I can no longer assume that my former unilateral way of being in the world is the only way. My attitudes and concerns are irrevocably reshaped to hold the other in view, in relationship. This moves me into stage five. Stage Five The Dialogic Awakening A Radical Paradigm Shift

I experience a profound shift in my worldview as well as expanded consciousness of concerns and needs and causes of dysfunction in world realities and viable ways of human response. I can no longer return to my former worldview that did not have a place for this other. Further, I am irrevocably shaped to the possibility that there is a plurality of viable worldviews, concerns, and human responses. This changes my sense of myself. I become aware of the interconnectedness of myself and many/all others, including Earth and all her needs and potentials. This awakening is what moves me into the sixth stage. Stage Six Global Awakening The Paradigm Shift Matures

This stage of Deep-Dialogue opens me to the common ground that underlies the multiple worlds with which I am surrounded. I can perceive that the unique differences essential to these worlds are contained in a field of unity. My own inner world is now apparent as a range of perspectives and unique to myself. I am increasingly open to dialogue with others in my various communities of life, to a transformed relationship with them and an embrace of the context in which these communities are situated. There is for me an expanding world of communities of life with greater potential for ongoing dialogue, new learning, and deepened relationships. This moves me to stage seven. Stage Seven Personal and Global Transforming of Life and Behaviour

One of the most significant transformations that has taken place on this journey is a greater and more encompassing moral consciousness and ensuing practice. The communion that I experience with all self, others, and the Earth is profound. I sense that my care for myself, instead of being in competition with concerns for the welfare of other realities, is integral to the care of the whole. As I come to deeper self-realization and greater self-fulfillment, I experience deeper meaning in relationships and in my whole life. Paul Mojzes is an American professor of religious studies. Leonard Swidler is an American professor of ecumenical and interfaith studies.

Dialogue is not Debate

Debate is oppositional: two or more sides oppose each other and attempt to prove each other wrong. Dialogue is collaborative: two or more sides work together toward a common understanding. In debate one searches for the other positions flaws and weaknesses. In dialogue one searches for strengths in the other position. Debate creates a closed-minded attitude, a determition to be right. Dialogue creates an open-minded attitude, an openness to being wrong and an openness to change. In debate winning is the goal. In dialogue finding commonground is the goal. Debate defends one's position as the best solution and excludes other positions. Dialogue opens up the possibility of reaching a better solutions than any of the original solutions. Debate assumes there is a right answer and that someone has it. Dialogue assumes many people have pieces of the answer and that together they can put them into a workable solution. Debate implies conclusion. Dialogue remains open-ended.

Nine Guidelines for Listening to Others

These guidelines were developed by Kay Lindahl, the founder of the Listening Center in Laguan Niguel, California. Kay is also the chairperson of the North American Interfaith Network (NAIN). We include these guidelines here because listening is so vital to any form of dialogue, including interfaith dialogue. These guidelines are designed to facilitate healthy dialogue and deep listening and to create a safe space for meaningful conversation on all levels: 1. WHEN YOU ARE LISTENING, SUSPEND ASSUMPTIONS - What we assume is often invisible to us. We assume that others have had the same experiences that we have, and that is how we listen to them. Learn to recognize assumptions by noticing when you get upset or annoyed by something someone else is saying. You may be making an assumption. Let it be - suspend it - and resume listening for understanding of the other. WHEN YOU ARE SPEAKING, EXPRESS YOUR PERSONAL RESPONSE - informed by your tradition, beliefs and practices as you have interpreted them in your life. Speak for yourself. Use "I' language. Take ownership of what you say. Speak from your heart. Notice how often the phrases "We all", "of course", "everyone says", "you know", come into your conversation. The only person you can truly speak for is yourself. LISTEN WITHOUT JUDGMENT - The purpose of dialogue is to come to an understanding of the other, not to determine whether they are good, bad, right or wrong. If you are sitting there thinking: 'That's good", 'That's bad", "I like that" "I don't like that", then you are having a conversation in your own mind, rather than listening to the speaker. Simply notice when you do this, and return to being present with the speaker.

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SUSPEND STATUS - Everyone is an equal partner in the inquiry. There is no seniority or hierarchy. All are colleagues with a mutual quest for insight and clarity. You are each an expert in your life. That is what you bring to the dialogue process. HONOUR CONFIDENTIALITY - Leave the names of participants in the room so if you share stories or ideas, no one's identity will be revealed. Create a safe space for self-expression. LISTEN FOR UNDERSTANDING, NOT TO AGREE WITH OR BELIEVE - You do not have to agree with or believe anything that is said. Your job is to listen for understanding. ASK CLARIFYING OR OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS to assist your understanding and to explore assumptions. HONOUR SILENCE AND TIME FOR REFLECTION - Notice what wants to be said rather than what you want to say. ONE PERSON SPEAKS AT A TIME - Pay attention to the flow of the conversation. Notice what patterns emerge from the group. Make sure that each person has an opportunity to speak, while knowing that no one is required to speak.

Interfaith Lessons I Have Learned

James Fleming is an Irish, Roman Catholic priest with extensive experience in Muslim-Christian dialogue. Listed below are some of the learnings he has aquired in his more than 20 years of interfaith work:

Relate to others as equal partners in the search for truth Recognize that listening as well as speaking is necessary for a genuine conversation. Remember the words of St. Francis of Assisi: "Preach the Gospel always, and when necessary use words." Treasure the sense of wonder that comes with encountering the new, the unusual and the surprising. Record such experiences in a journal if possible Be hungry for knowledge about the other person's culture and religion. Learn to understand what others actually believe and value. And allow them to express their beliefs and values in their own terms. This does mean that we cannot, with experience and knowledge, challenge other people's cultural values Be honest in sharing your beliefs and do not try to water them down to accommodate. Other people see through this and lose respect for you Do not mispresent or disparage other peoples' beliefs and practices Be aware of your own need for ongoing conversion to your own professed beliefs. Remember, it is not our job to convert others to our beliefs, but to be faithful to our own Respond to others as a gift, not as a threat Be sensitive to vulnerable people and do not try to exploit them Remember that it's our differences that can make a difference, so rejoice in the richness of our diversities

Guidelines for Interreligious Understanding

Fr. Thomas Keating is a Roman Catholic priest and Trappist Monk who has made a major contribution to the centering prayer movement and to Interfaith spirituality. He is convener of the Snowmass Conference and a member of the international monastic interreligious movement. He authored the following report: A report on an experience of on-going inter-religious dialogue might be helpful at this point. In 1984, I invited a group of spiritual teachers from a variety of the world religions Buddhist, Tibetan Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Islamic, Native American, Russian Orthodox, Protestant, and Roman Catholic to gather at St. Benedict's Monastery in Snowmass, Colorado, to meditate together in silence and to share our personal spiritual journeys, especially those elements in our respective traditions that have proved most helpful to us along the way. We kept no record and published no papers. As our trust and friendship grew, we felt moved to investigate various points that we seemed to agree on. The original points of agreement were worked over during the course of subsequent meetings as we continued to meet, for a week or so each year. Our most recent list consists of the following eight points: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. The world religions bear witness to the experience of Ultimate Reality to which they give various names: Brahman, Allah, Absolute, God, Great Spirit. Ultimate Reality cannot be limited by any name or concept. Ultimate Reality is the ground of infinite potentiality and actualization. Faith is opening, accepting and responding to Ultimate Reality. Faith in this sense precedes every belief system. The potential for human wholeness (or in other frames of reference) -- enlightenment, salvation, transformation, blessedness, "nirvana" -- is present in every human person. Ultimate Reality may be experienced not only through religious practices but also through nature, art, human relationships, and service of others. As long as the human condition is experienced as separate from Ultimate Reality, it is subject to ignorance and illusion, weakness and suffering. Disciplined practice is essential to the spiritual life; yet spiritual attainment is not the result of one's own efforts, but the result of the experience of oneness with Ultimate Reality.

Points of Agreement or Similarity At the annual Snowmass conference in May 1986, we came up with additional points of agreement of a practical nature:

A. Some examples of disciplined practice, common to us all: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Practice of compassion Service to others Practicing moral precepts and virtues Training in meditation techniques and regularity of practice Attention to diet and exercise Fasting and abstinence The use of music and chanting and sacred symbols Practice in awareness (recollection, mindfulness) and living in the present moment Pilgrimage Study of scriptural texts and scriptures And in some traditions: 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Relationship with a qualified teacher Repetition of sacred words (mantra, japa) Observance of periods of silence and solitude Movement and dance Formation of community

B. It is essential to extend our formal practice of awareness into all aspects of our life. C. Humility, gratitude, and a sense of humor are indispensable in the spiritual life. D. Prayer is communion with Ultimate Reality, whether it is regarded as personal, impersonal, or beyond them both. We were surprised and delighted to find so many points of similarity and convergence in our respective paths. Like most people of our time, we originally expected that we would find practically nothing in common. In the years that followed, we spontaneously and somewhat hesitatingly began to take a closer look at certain points of disagreement until these became our main focus of attention. We found that discussing our points of disagreement increased the bonding of the group even more than discovering our points of agreement. We became more honest in stating frankly what we believed and why, without at the same time making any effort to convince others of our own position. We simply presented our understanding as a gift to the group.

Purpose and Principles of the United Religions Initiative (URI)

The United Religions Initiative (URI) was founded in San Francisco (USA) in 1993. It is a dynamic, creative and rapidly growing global interfaith organization. To learn more about URI, check its website www.uri.org. We at Scarboro Missions are proud to feature URI's impressive listing of principles. Click here to view the principles.

The Language of Interfaith Conversation

In this article, Canadian multifaith educator, JW Windland, argues that a sensitive use of interfaith language expresses our common humanity, builds relationships of respect and trust, and pursues peace. Click here to read article...

Rights, Responsibilities and Skills of Dialogue

In this chart, American interfaith educator, Patrice Brodeur, demonstrates that for true dialogue to occur, it needs to take place within a protective environment of mutually accepted rights and responsibilities, rooted in two fundamantal values: respect for the human person and trust in the process of dialogue. Click here to view the chart.

A Safe Place to Address Prejudice, Stereotypes and Fears

In this brief article, Rev. Thomas Bonacci C.P., the founder and director of the Interfaith Peace Project in California (USA), shares ideas on how we might address our prejudices, stereoptypes and fears. Read more...

One Muslim's Interfaith Resolutions

Sohaib Saeed is a Scottish Muslim writer who is currently specializing in Quranic studies at Al-Azhar University (Egypt). I am sure you will appreciate the depths of his nine interfaith resolutions. See link below: http://theinterfaithobserver.org/journal-articles/2012/6/15/one-muslims-interfaith-resolutions.html

Nine Key Principles of Religious Pluralism

These nine principles grew out of an international conference of well-known religious scholars who gathered in Birmingham, England in 2003. The gathering was entitled The Pluralist Model: A Multireligious Exploration.Here is the link to these principles

A Declaration of Interdependence
On a planet-wide scale we are now witnessing the convergence of two international movements interfaith dialogue and social justice. People active in both movements are realizing that they can create a better world by cooperating with one another. In 1997, an extraordinary document linking social justice to interfaith dialogue was produced and signed by 22 faith communities in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Here is the link to the Declaration: https://www.scarboromissions.ca/Interfaith_dialogue/declaration.php

Why Interfaith dialogue Doesn't Work - and What We can Do About It

In this challenging article, Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, an American Reform rabbi and past-president of the Union for Reform Judaism, shares ideas on how interfaith practicioners can move beyond the superficial and into deeper levels of authentic interrelgious dialogue. Read more... Questions or Concerns? Contact the Interfaith Office: Paul McKenna | interfaith@scarboromissions.ca | 416-261-7135 ext.296