1. Interfaith Dialogue Overview of principles

2. What is interfaith dialogue? A particular kind of conversation  With its own rules Between different religions  “ecumenical dialogue”=between Christian groups With the goal of gaining a greater understanding of each other  Often, goal is to reduce conflict  “Conversation” can include actions

3. How is interfaith dialogue practiced? High-level: official representatives (clergy and lay theologians) appointed by their religious bodies Community: councils devoted to a particular goal for their civic well-being, often focused on social service  1980: 24 interfaith councils in US  2006: 500+ Grassroots: local lay persons and clergy respond to needs, often to reduce conflict

4. Activities Discussions of beliefs  What goals might be at work here? Social service  How is this a religious act? (102) Worship  Why is this the most difficult? (101)

5. Basic “rules” for interfaith dialogue From David Novak, “What to seek and avoid in Jewish-Christian dialogue”  Each side must be willing to see the other in the best possible light and understand that religion as its own members do  Yet this attempt must not distort what each religion teaches as truth

6. Things to avoid in dialogue (Novak) Disputation/debate: aims for a winner and loser Attempts to convert others Syncretism: combining different religions to create a new one Relativism: all beliefs are basically the same Triumphalism: the final truth has been given to one community alone

7. Dr. Kloos’s simplified rules Try to understand the religion from an insider’s perspective Believe that you have something to learn from the others  Example: what can Muslims teach me about pursuing justice?  What can Buddhists teach me about self-reflection? Your beliefs should not be compromised

8. Examples of dialogue Why did some forms of dialogue work for Dave (30 Days) and others didn’t?  Which rules did they follow, and which did they break? Discuss Larry Lane (95-97)  what are his objections to dialogue?  What merit do these objections have? How might they help the Chico interfaith council?