This resource was created in conjunction with selected Interfaith America Emerging Leaders, who are part of a growing movement of young leaders building interfaith cooperation around the country. Emerging Leader contributors are: Hannah Minks, Usra Ghazi, Chaplain Chris Stedman, Rabbi Josh Stanton, Anand Venkatkrishnan, and Rue Khalsa.
A theology or ethic of interfaith cooperation is a coherent articulation of stories, teachings, texts, scripture, history, heroes, and/or poetry from your religious or nonreligious tradition that highlight the importance of positive relationships between people who orient around religion differently. Such an articulation is a vital tool for interfaith leaders to cultivate. This resource is intended to help you begin to create and develop your own theology or ethic of interfaith cooperation.
Why “Ethic” of Interfaith Cooperation?
It is important to use language that is inclusive and welcoming to people of all faiths and perspectives, including those who are nonreligious. For example, we use the phrases “religious and nonreligious traditions” or “religious and nonreligious communities” in our work. We recognize that the term “theology” implies a belief in God, so using the term “ethic” in conjunction with theology makes space for those who identify as secular or nonreligious to also define an ethic from their tradition that supports interfaith cooperation.
Why is it important for interfaith leaders to develop their own theology or ethic of interfaith cooperation?
One of the most important skills of interfaith leadership is to be able to articulate your own religious or nonreligious identity in a way that both affirms your beliefs and builds pluralism. Essentially, people should be able to articulate their own faith or secular identity and still be in relationship with others. As interfaith leaders, sometimes people say something like “Even though I’m Christian, I’m friends with a Muslim.” In a world where interfaith cooperation is the norm, a person will say: “Because I am a Christian, I have formed a friendship with a Muslim.” To quote Interfaith America’s founder and president Eboo Patel, “In other words, ‘It is precisely the values that I derive from Christianity that attract me to a person as righteous as you.’ Here, faith and friendship are connected, mutually enriching instead of mutually exclusive.”
Other valuable reasons for interfaith leaders to develop a theology or ethic of interfaith cooperation:
- Provides justification for interfaith work. For many folks that are deeply committed to their traditions, they would not want to do something that is not explicitly called out in their tradition.
- Strengthens your own identity. One of the less talked about parts of interfaith work is how it strengthens your own identity. Many people find that when they engage in interfaith work they discover new aspects of their religious or secular tradition because they are asked to consider and discuss the questions of someone who was not raised in their tradition.
- Sharpens your mobilizing skills. Religious identity is important to many communities, so tapping into inspirational stories from different traditions that emphasize interfaith cooperation is a great tool for reaching out to different groups within your campus or community. In turn, the sharing of these stories creates a space for others to feel comfortable and welcome, thus attracting more people to a group.
How do you develop your own theology of interfaith cooperation?
The first step to develop your own theology or ethic of interfaith cooperation is to ask yourself this question: “What from my tradition or worldview inspires me to be involved in the interfaith movement?” Think about stories, texts, teachings or particular heroes from your tradition that emphasize the importance of relationship with people of different backgrounds.
Ready to get started? Here are examples of IA Emerging Leaders who have developed their own theology or ethic of interfaith cooperation:
A core text from your background that supports interfaith cooperation:
A Christian Theology of Interfaith Cooperation – Hannah Minks
Many of the most significant elements of Catholic belief—the Trinity, communion, the Kingdom of God—all point to the notion of unity. Unity is not uniformity. For a theology of interfaith cooperation from a Catholic perspective, this is a key distinction to keep in mind. Saint Paul clearly calls for a unified church in his New Testament letters, and he is quick to articulate that this does not mean we are all destined to be the same. The call to value diversity is apparent in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians where he writes: “Now there are many varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.” In my faith, this letter helps me to understand that difference is not analogous to division and thus to love and serve one another accordingly.
According to the book of Genesis, the method by which God chose to create was through making distinctions: darkness and light, earth and sky, land and water. Diversity gave birth to creation; diversity is lifegiving. In both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, the value of diversity sits as a cornerstone. As a Catholic, Scripture doesn’t simply acknowledge that the People of God manifests itself in a multitude of cultures and religions, but it teaches me that I need that varied manifestation to accomplish my mission on this earth. Diversity is the pulse of unity, not the flat line that divides.