The Interfaith Observer

December 20, 2019

Journal 2019

November 2019 - Tools for Interfaith

The Interfaith Observer

December 20, 2019

Journal 2019

Exploring Interreligious Relations and Interfaith Culture

November 15, 2019

Featured

The Gifts of Interfaith

by Tarunjit Singh Butalia

On August 20-23, 2019 I was on a weeklong, exciting and inspirational visit to Lindau, Germany to participate in the 10th World Assembly of Religions for Peace. I was one of a five-member delegation from…

Rejuvenating the North American Interfaith Network

A TIO Report

Last month 28 interfaith leaders from across North America gathered in Boulder City, Nevada to talk about rejuvenating the 31-year-old network. Newcomers who thrive on grassroots…

Tools for Interfaith

Featured

Look Well to the Growing Edge

by Parker Palmer and Carrie Newcomer

All around us worlds are dying and new worlds are being born; all around us life is dying and life is being born. The fruit ripens on the tree, the roots are silently…

Starting with Kids

by Vicki Garlock

Our children are growing up in the most globalized world humans have ever known. While a globalized society might feel new to many of us, it’s important to…

“Play” as a Tool for Community Formation

by jem Jebbia

I catch the hissing cat and quickly toss it to the person next to me. “Hiss!” Someone gently underhands the cranky baby across the room. “Wahhh!” “Woosh!” The sound of a…

Religious Literacy at Work

by Anneke Kat

When I interviewed for my current position with Interfaith Philadelphia, the search committee was curious to know how interfaith works fit into my professional path. Until that point…

A Goldmine of Possibilities

A TIO Interview

Dr. Wilson is director of St Philip’s Centre in Leicester, UK, providing training and consultancy on interfaith issues for a wide range of local and national bodies.

The Lean Interfaith Nonprofit

by Frank Fredericks

It’s pay day. The bills are due. The fundraiser flopped, the ask unanswered. Donations are diminishing and expected grants taken for granted. Program associates are…

Skillsets to Overcome Religious Bigotry

by Ariella Amit

As I was scrolling through my Facebook feed a few years ago, I came across a post encouraging Los Angeles youth to apply for membership on an Interfaith Council.

Being Christian in Interfaith Relationships

by Chris Alexander

I am a Christian pastor participating in an interfaith conversation with Muslims and Jews; I represent a Christian partner congregation within the Tri-Faith Initiative, located in Omaha, Nebraska.

Spontaneous Interfaith Support: Using Social Media

by Sherry Fohr

One of the most powerful demonstrations of interfaith solidarity through social media in recent years came during the Standing Rock protests in 2016. This protest was part of the interfaith indigenous…

Being Able to Empower Each Other

by Paul Chaffee

The digital tools that began raining down back in the eighties have been an enormous boon to religion and multifaith organizations and how we communicate.

A Prayer Beyond Borders

What is the SINE BHAG?

Header Photo: Unsplash

Featured

Skillsets for Interfaith Relationships

What does it take to create and nurture healthy interfaith culture? Good intentions and an open heart are surely necessary.

Featured

Interfaith News Roundup - November 2019

News from Around the World – Christians in the United States – For the Sake of the Family – Great Good News – In Memoriam

OPPORTUNITIES & RESOURCES

February 1-7, 2020: A Grand Adventure of Spirit and Harmony in the Holy Land

Faiths Together for the Future by Marcus Braybrooke

TIO'S SUPPORTING PARTNERS

CONVERGENCE ON CAMPUS

“Let’s Get Lifted”: A Mindset for Building Critical Interfaith Sisterhood in Higher Education and the “Desire to Reflect Humility”

INTERFAITH CENTER AT THE PRESIDIO

Events and Programs

INTERFAITH CENTER OF NEW YORK

ICNY's Interfaith Matters Blog

ICNY's Interfaith Matters Podcast

We are not all the same, and in our difference, we are divine

PARLIAMENT OF THE WORLD'S RELIGIONS

Parliament Joins Dialogue on Ecological Civilization, Urgent Ecological Crises, and Tangible Steps Forward

RELIGICA

Religica Podcast

Religica Spotlight: We All Have Special Needs - Are You Ready?

How do we Live Well Together?

RELIGIONS FOR PEACE – USA

10th World Assembly of Religions for Peace

SPIRIT MATTERS

Interview with Sarah Taylor

SPIRITUALITY & PRACTICE

Advent and Holiday E-Courses

Living Your Legacy: Seeds, Blossoms, Fruits - 2019

UNITED RELIGIONS INITIATIVE

URI News from Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, DRC, and South Sudan

Notes From a Working Visit to Brazil

USC OFFICE OF RELIGIOUS LIFE

Mindfulness at USC

Secular Students Are Determined to Be “Better Together”

The Interfaith Observer

November 15, 2019

Journal 2019

October 2019 - Rediscovering Spirituality

The Interfaith Observer

November 15, 2019

Journal 2019

Exploring Interreligious Relations and Interfaith Culture

October 15, 2019

Rediscovering Spirituality

Featured

Love in a Time of War

by Mirabai Starr

Here in the mountains of northern New Mexico where I have spent most of life, the winter solstice season is marked by fire. During Advent, families and businesses fill small paper bags with…

Stumbling into a Spiritual Strategy to Combat Nuclear Weapons

by William E. Swing

Starting in 1983, I have done what I could to respond to the existence and threat of nuclear weapons. Read books and relevant news, watched movies and TV documentaries, written articles…

Bhakti – The Path of Devotion in India and the West

by Philip Goldberg

As growing numbers of Americans know, the Hindu tradition delineates four basic pathways to spiritual liberation, expressed as four types of yoga: jnana yoga, the path of mental discernment; karma yoga, the…

Doctrine, Ritual, and Spiritual Development

by Rachael Watcher

Doctrine – the codification of beliefs, teachings, and practices – is an important element for established institutional religions. It clarifies what a religion expects of its followers, how to behave…

When Your Path Finds You

by Adeola Fearon

Spirituality, a sense of something more, its magnetic. You’re drawn to every sensation before there is consciousness of what it is, what to call it, or how to explain it.

Introducing InterSpiritual Meditation

by Ed Bastian

For fifteen years I have worked closely with more than 50 meditation teachers from Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and Native American traditions. This began for me by participating…

Mastering the Delicate Art of Rebuke

by Ruth Broyde Sharone

I am writing these words during the Ten Days of Awe, the period between Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. As Jews, we are called upon to undertake a most…

Spiritual Practice in Apocalyptic Times

by Theodore Richards

Amid the rising seas, burning forests, and superstorms, with inequality and fascism threatening just and democratic societies, ours is an age of denial, fear, and, above all else, loneliness. In a word, it is an age that…

Spirituality Is Resistance

by Mimi Tohill

In times of fear and violence such as these and those we fear ahead, some use “thoughts and prayers” as a scapegoat, others as an escape from worldly obligations. Yet spirituality, grounded in…

Dwelling Within the Sacred

by Sam Allen

There are some things that are sacred in every person’s life. Agnostic or Apostolic, we all maintain and create containers in which each of us dives deep or soars beyond reach. No matter what our beliefs, as human beings…

Spiritual Activism: A Conversation with Ruby Sales

Sunni Patterson: "Wild Women"

Header Photo: Unsplash

Featured

Paying Attention to Spirit

by Paul Chaffee, Editor

Hundreds of thousands of pages have been written detailing the history and doctrines of our particular religious traditions, most of them demonstrating how different we are from each other.

Featured

Interfaith News Roundup - October 2019

Of the Earth – Evolution of the Roman Catholic Church – As the World Turns – Great Good News – In Memoriam

OPPORTUNITIES & RESOURCES

Interfaith Bridges Research Project: Invitation to Participate

Religica Delves Deep into the Climate Crisis

Golden Rule Day 2020: Call for Video Submissions

TIO'S SUPPORTING PARTNERS

CONVERGENCE ON CAMPUS

Decolonizing Religious Diversity

INTERFAITH CENTER AT THE PRESIDIO

Events and Programs

INTERFAITH CENTER OF NEW YORK

ICNY's Interfaith Matters Blog

ICNY's Interfaith Matters Podcast

We Are Not All The Same and in Our Difference We Are Divine

PARLIAMENT OF THE WORLD'S RELIGIONS

A Powerful Vision for Interfaith Cooperation: The Interfaith Rainforest Initiative

RELIGICA

Religica Podcast

Religica Spotlight: We All Have Special Needs - Are You Ready?

Wild Souls: Why Humans and Wilderness Need Each Other

RELIGIONS FOR PEACE – USA

10th World Assembly of Religions for Peace

SPIRIT MATTERS

Interview with Dani Antman

SPIRITUALITY & PRACTICE

Promises of the Heart

UNITED RELIGIONS INITIATIVE

URI North India & Afghanistan - Celebrating Peace

Our Diversity Matters: Our Ongoing Peace Project in Cameroon

USC OFFICE OF RELIGIOUS LIFE

Mindfulness at USC

Secular Students Are Determined to Be “Better Together”

The Interfaith Observer

October 29, 2019

Journal 2019

September 2019 - Redefining Interfaith Hospitality

The Interfaith Observer

October 29, 2019

Journal 2019

Exploring Interreligious Relations and Interfaith Culture

September 15, 2019

Redefining interfaith hospitality

Featured

Religions for Peace Looks to its Future

by Katherine Marshall

The 10th World Assembly of Religions for Peace was held last month at in Lindau, Germany on Lake Constance. This was a large and diverse gathering, 900 participants from 125 countries…

A New Day for Interfaith Relations

by Paul Chaffee

August 2019 should go down in interfaith annals as a milestone, a month when a quiet, mostly unnoticed development emerged that could exponentially magnify…

An Excerpt from "The Hundred-Year Walk – An Armenian Odyssey"

by Dawn Anahid MacKeen

The following is a chapter from MacKeen’s book recounting how she finally meets the descendants of Sheikh Hammud al-Aekleh, whose family welcomed in her grandfather, saving his life. Some members of the family that greeted her in 2007 today are Syrian refugees themselves.

The Fine Art of Interfaith Dialogue for World Peace

by Thomas Bonacci

Several years ago I joined a small group of concerned people responding to a growing interest in appreciating and respecting the faith traditions of humankind.

Embracing the Space Between Stories

by Paul Andrews

Why did I go? Well, to begin with, I didn’t go to Temple Emmanuel to change religions. I went there to pray to You, to talk to You. Not my image or even my religion’s image of You, but You.

On Atheists and Theists Together at the Interfaith Table

by Chris Stedman

As an interfaith activist, I’ve worked to bring an end to religious division. In recent years, this has increasingly meant speaking out against the rise in anti-Muslim rhetoric and violence sweeping America.

When Wiccans & Evangelical Christians Become Friends

by Don Frew

A year into my public information work, I saw notice of a conference called “Deception & Discernment: Exposing the Dangers of the Occult.” I thought I should attend and see what ‘the other side’ was up to.

For Evangelicals and Muslims, the Best is Yet to Come

by Catherine Orsborn & Kevin Singer

We sat at a picnic table in a backyard in Raleigh, North Carolina last month and listened to Teddy, a young evangelical Christian, share his story of how…

Guru Ka Langar: The Sikh Ethos of Sharing Hospitality

by Tarunjit Singh Butalia

Many who have had the opportunity to attend a Langar (a Sikh word for “open kitchen) surely have fond memories of the incredible hospitality we experienced.

You Don't Like Pasta?

by Ruth Broyde Sharone

Many years ago, when I was a young journalist in my 20s, traveling solo in Latin America, I spent eighteen months in nineteen countries and visited 54 cities.

"Who Isn't at the Table?"

by Bettina Gray and Paul Andrews

Periodically TIO profiles seasoned leaders who have made critical contributions to a developing interfaith culture but are unknown to most people. Rev. P. Gerard O’Rourke is one such pioneer.

SOUFRA Official Trailer

Interview: Azza Karam, President of Religions for Peace

Header Photo: Unsplash

Featured

Past Gifts for Tough Times

by Paul Chaffee, Editor

Eight years ago, on September 15, 2011, TIO was launched. That makes this the 89th monthly issue. (We skip August.) Since then this publication has featured more than 1,000 interfaith stories along with…

Featured

Interfaith News Roundup - September 2019

The Big Picture – Religion, Politics, and the Law – Interfaith Digs Deeper – New Role for an Interfaith Veteran

OPPORTUNITIES & RESOURCES

October 6, 2019: Film Explores the Spiritual Journeys of American Millennials

March 17-21, 2020: Religion Communication Congress on Communicating Faith in the Public Square

Tools for Supporting Asylum Seekers and Refugees

TIO'S SUPPORTING PARTNERS

CONVERGENCE ON CAMPUS

(W)holly identity

INTERFAITH CENTER AT THE PRESIDIO

Events and Programs

INTERFAITH CENTER OF NEW YORK

ICNY's Interfaith Matters Blog

ICNY's Interfaith Matters Podcast

The Three Pillars of the Activist Theology Project

PARLIAMENT OF THE WORLD'S RELIGIONS

A Powerful Vision for Interfaith Cooperation: The Interfaith Rainforest Initiative

RELIGICA

Religica Podcast

Religica Spotlight: We All Have Special Needs - Are You Ready?

Teaching Children to Cope in Angry Times

RELIGIONS FOR PEACE – USA

10th World Assembly of Religions for Peace

SPIRIT MATTERS

Interview with Eiman Al Zaabi

SPIRITUALITY & PRACTICE

The Spirituality of St. Francis

UNITED RELIGIONS INITIATIVE

Russia Today - Building Bridges - Blog Series

Interfaith Youth Camp Brings Together Teenagers from Bulgaria and the Netherlands

USC OFFICE OF RELIGIOUS LIFE

Mindfulness at USC

Secular Students Are Determined to Be “Better Together”

The Interfaith Observer

September 18, 2019

Journal 2019

July 2019 - Interfaith Disaster Response – Part 2

The Interfaith Observer

September 18, 2019

Journal 2019

Exploring Interreligious Relations and Interfaith Culture

July 15, 2019

Interfaith Disaster Response - Part 2

Featured

Religion, Risk, Resilience, and Disaster Response

by Katherine Marshall

Increased extreme weather disasters are an expected long-term effect of climate change. Already, changes occurring globally have increased the intensity and duration of heat waves, risks of drought, flooding….

Collaborative Interfaith Disaster Response

by Paul Chaffee

Starting August 6, 1969, Hurricane Camille whipped across Cuba, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and the East Coast of the United States for eight days with winds up to 174 miles per hour.

What Makes a Community Resilient?

by Martin J. Smith

The most critical relief efforts after a disastrous hurricane or earthquake involve getting food, water, and power to those in need. But a recent study by a Stanford Graduate School of Business professor suggests that…

We Can Do More Together

by Silvana Faillace

When the ground shook on that September afternoon in 2018, it was only the beginning. After a few hours of small quakes, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck Central Sulawesi in the early evening.

Khalsa Aid – Sikhs Offering Balm

by Tarunjit Singh Butalia

Long before the formation of the Red Cross, there was Bhai Kanhaiya – an ardent Sikh follower of the Tenth Sikh Guru, Siri Guru Gobind Singh Sahib. He took it upon himself to roam battlefields carrying a goat skin pouch…

Attack Response

by Susan L. Lipson

Since the shooting at Chabad of Poway, people of all faiths, from across the county, have rallied together for vigils and services to support their Jewish neighbors. Over 4,000 people showed up Monday night at Poway High School for…

An End to Vigils

by Uroosa Jawed

Crisis response is typically not the primary work of interfaith organizations. Their more usual focus is creating meaningful connections between people of diverse faiths. Tri-Faith Initiative in Omaha, Nebraska, where…

Protecting Habitats for Our Souls

by Philip Goldberg

I was hit surprisingly hard by the images of Notre-Dame cathedral burning. I got so emotional watching the spire collapse and the red flames engulf the roof; it was as if something dear to me was being destroyed.

How Do I Get Involved?

A TIO Report

Another natural disaster. Another shooting. Another hate crime. Another humanitarian crisis. These disasters are all too common. We see them daily – on social media, in the news, on the web.

Building Resilient Communities: A Moral Responsibility

Weather History: Hurricane Camille 1969

Header Photo: Unsplash

Featured

Disaster and the Task Ahead

by Paul Chaffee, Editor

The most important shift in the world of disaster response today relates to our communication capabilities.

Featured

Interfaith News Roundup - July 2019

Startling International Developments – Discouraging Religious Numbers in the West – Encouraging News – From Rome – Training to Become a Religious/Spiritual Leader – Concerning the Earth – URI Returns to Stanford

OPPORTUNITIES & RESOURCES

One Planet, ONe Family: Gathering on Climate Change in Juneau, Alaska, September 12-15

Addressing the Pressing Issues of Our Time: Global Week for Peace, Climate Protection, SDG's, Nuclear Abolition, September 21-26

TIO'S SUPPORTING PARTNERS

CONVERGENCE ON CAMPUS

What Do Your Stones Say About You?

INTERFAITH CENTER AT THE PRESIDIO

Events and Programs

INTERFAITH CENTER OF NEW YORK

ICNY's Interfaith Matters Blog

ICNY's Interfaith Matters Podcast

Women and the Criminal Justice System

PARLIAMENT OF THE WORLD'S RELIGIONS

Peace, People, and Planet: Interfaith Commitments from the G20 Interfaith Forum

RELIGICA

Religica Podcast

Religica Spotlight: Women in Leadership

What it Means to Live for the Future

RELIGIONS FOR PEACE – USA

Religious violence is on the rise. What can faith-based communities do about it?

SPIRIT MATTERS

Interview with Radhanath Swami

SPIRITUALITY & PRACTICE

Contemplative Photographers Practice Group - Year 5

UNITED RELIGIONS INITIATIVE

The Accelerate Peace Conference

Call for Entries: Smartphone Short Film Festival

USC OFFICE OF RELIGIOUS LIFE

Mindfulness at USC

The Religion of Sports: Birth of a Religion

The Interfaith Observer

July 15, 2019

Journal 2019

June 2019 - Interfaith Disaster Response

The Interfaith Observer

July 15, 2019

Journal 2019

Exploring Interreligious Relations and Interfaith Culture

June 15, 2019

Featured

On Developing Holy Envy

by Nancy Fuchs Kreimer

A friend of mine took a course in fiction writing and was advised that a good novel needed a plot with a tension at its heart: a problem that would keep the reader engaged until its resolution at the book’s end.

Interfaith Disaster Response

Featured

Who is to Blame for Disasters?

by Katherine Marshall

Blaming God’s righteous judgment when people suffer disaster goes back at least to Noah. God causes the flood, the story-teller notes, because “the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence” (Gen. 6:11).

How Do I Get Involved?

A TIO Report

Another natural disaster. Another shooting. Another hate crime. Another humanitarian crisis. These disasters are all too common. We see them daily – on social media, in the news, on the web.

Engaging Faith Communities in Disasters

by Peter B. Gudaitis and Brie Loskota

People of faith, congregations and faith-based organization provide essential relief and recovery functions after disasters. It is essential for government personnel and institutions, therefore, to understand the potential…

Creating Sacred and Safe Spaces

by Lawrence Lerner

On March 15th, 2019 a shooter used the Facebook social media platform to broadcast the massacre of 50 Muslim worshippers in Christchurch, New Zealand. How do I write about hate without honoring it?

Can Interfaith Activities Make Difference?

by Adrian Bird

Interfaith Partners of South Carolina (IPSC) was one of 57 recipients of the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award for 2018. At the award ceremony in Washington D.C., Director Christopher Wary stated:

The Power of Interfaith Relationships

by Syed M. Hassan

Since its founding more than 25 years ago, Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA) has made a concerted effort to develop productive relationships with other faith-based groups and non-governmental organizations.

When Dialogue is Not Enough

by Cody Nielsen

Last month, I sat alone in the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center at Pennsylvania State College. I sat and cried for all the senseless acts of violence against Muslim, Christian, and Jewish communities across the nation and world…

Preparing for Religiously Motivated Disaster

by Ruth Broyde Sharone

On Sunday, September 10, 2006, a day before the fifth-and-still-painful anniversary of 9/11, a group of some 75 angry demonstrators showed up – with a city permit – outside the King Fahad Mosque of Culver City…

Protecting the Earth Through Interfaith Education and Activism

by Yonatan Neril

The Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison tells the following story: A young girl with a bird in her hands went to a wise person. The child asked the wise person, “Is the bird in my hands alive or dead?”

3 Lessons of Revolutionary Love in a Time of Rage

One Home

Header Photo: Unsplash

Featured

Doing Better at Caring for Each Other

by Paul Chaffee

Safety is already on the agenda of most of the hundreds of interfaith nonprofits across the US and globally.

Featured

Interfaith News Roundup - June 2019

All About Religious Freedom and Violence – Catholic Problems Pile Up – Good Things Happening

OPPORTUNITIES & RESOURCES

Religious Accommodations and Policies on Campus

TIO'S SUPPORTING PARTNERS

CONVERGENCE ON CAMPUS

Putting Plural in Pluralism

INTERFAITH CENTER AT THE PRESIDIO

BAIC — Bay Area Interfaith Connect

INTERFAITH CENTER OF NEW YORK

ICNY's Interfaith Matters Blog

ICNY's Interfaith Matters Podcast

ICNY's Hanadi Doleh speaks at Post Eid ul-Fitr Celebration

PARLIAMENT OF THE WORLD'S RELIGIONS

The Faith and Climate Webinar Series

Accelerating Peace for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons

RELIGICA

Religica Podcast

Religica Spotlight: Women in Leadership

The Violent Past is the Violent Present

RELIGIONS FOR PEACE – USA

Religious violence is on the rise. What can faith-based communities do about it?

SPIRIT MATTERS

Interview with Gurvinder Singh

SPIRITUALITY & PRACTICE

The Power of Reflectiont

UNITED RELIGIONS INITIATIVE

URI Member Action on Disaster Flood Relief in Kerala

USC OFFICE OF RELIGIOUS LIFE

Mindfulness at USC

The Religion of Sports: Birth of a Religion

The Interfaith Observer

June 15, 2019

Journal 2019

May 2019 - Unpacking the URI Story

The Interfaith Observer

June 15, 2019

Journal 2019

Exploring Interreligious Relations and Interfaith Culture

May 15, 2018

Unpacking the URI Story

Featured

URI – Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

by Victor Kazanjian

Imagine watching the news or viewing your Facebook feed each day and seeing thousands of positive stories of people from different religions, spiritual practices, and indigenous traditions working together…

Appreciative Inquiry and the United Religions Initiative

by Sally Mahé

At the birth of the United Religious Initiative (URI) 20 years ago, Appreciative Inquiry (AI), a transformational philosophy and methodology for positive change, served as midwife.

URI in the World

by Azza Karam

URI envisions a world at peace, sustained by engaged and interconnected communities committed to respect for diversity, nonviolent resolution of conflict, and social, political, economic, and environmental justice.

URI in Jerusalem

by Nicholas Porter and Jack Karn

Across the world millions of Christians, Jews, and Muslims pray for the peace of Jerusalem each night. It is an ancient prayer with modern aspirations…

URI's Impact in Asia

by Abraham Karickam

Those of us in South Asia came to know about the birthing of a new international interfaith organization destined to change the world during the voyage of Bishop William Swing around the world in 1996.

From the Field

from URI CC’s

Becoming a URI Cooperation Circle (CC) entails being a group of at least seven people, representing at least three religious traditions, and committed to a Charter whose purpose is…

Voices of Hope

by URI Members

The United Religions Initiative enjoys a kind of latitude and scope that invites the whole world in, but does so while honoring each of us and where we come from. That approach makes it a very personal

What Makes URI Unique?

by Paul Chaffee

In The Coming United Religions (1998), William Swing wrote “I began a long and inward journey in February 1993. During a 24-hour period in my life, I moved from…

Voices of URI

Joining the United Religions Initiative: Connecting Local Interfaith to a Global Network

Header Photo: Unsplash

Featured

For One Organization?

by Paul Chaffee, Editor

I’ve been asked why TIO would devote an entire issue to one organization – the United Religions Initiative (URI). That’s a fair question.

Featured

Interfaith News Roundup - May 2019

It’s a Tough World Out There – Funding, Fasting, and Interfaith Protocols

OPPORTUNITIES & RESOURCES

Tips for Engaging Young Adults in Your Work

Convergence on Campus Spring Webinar Series

TIO'S SUPPORTING PARTNERS

CONVERGENCE ON CAMPUS

A Word Does Not a Field Make: Changing the Language of “Interfaith” to “Religious, Secular, and Spiritual”

INTERFAITH CENTER AT THE PRESIDIO

BAIC — Bay Area Interfaith Connect

INTERFAITH CENTER OF NEW YORK

ICNY's Interfaith Matters Blog

ICNY's Interfaith Matters Podcast

“Building the Beloved Community” in the Fight for Fair Housing

PARLIAMENT OF THE WORLD'S RELIGIONS

Coming Soon...The Faith and Climate Webinar Series and WebForum

RELIGICA

Religica Podcast

Religica Spotlight: Women in Leadership

Making a Place for the ‘Nones’ Around the Multi-Faith and Belief Table

RELIGIONS FOR PEACE – USA

Religious violence is on the rise. What can faith-based communities do about it?

SPIRIT MATTERS

Interview with Seane Corn

SPIRITUALITY & PRACTICE

One Love: Navigating Life by Heart

UNITED RELIGIONS INITIATIVE

Toolkit & Video: Strategies to Support Youth Engagement and Leadership in Interfaith Work

URI Groups Accept World Interfaith Harmony Awards

USC OFFICE OF RELIGIOUS LIFE

Mindfulness at USC

The Religion of Sports: Birth of a Religion

The Interfaith Observer

May 15, 2019

Journal 2019

April 2019 - Interfaith Influence on Nuclear Disarmament

The Interfaith Observer

May 15, 2019

Journal 2019

Exploring Interreligious Relations and Interfaith Culture

April 15, 2019

Interfaith influence on nuclear disarmament

Featured

Nukes and the Bigger Picture

by Kehkashan Basu

Kutupalong – a beautiful, lyrical name. It could possibly describe a flower, a river, or an exotic bird. In fact, it is none of these three. Its claim to fame or rather infamy comes from the fact that it is the world’s largest refugee camp.

The Interfaith Community and Nuclear Weapons

by William Swing

What do the following tragedies have in common? 1 - The Columbine High School shooting of April 1999. 2 - The Virginia Tech mass killings of April 2007. 3 - The Boston Marathon bombing of April 2013. 4 - The Jewish Community Center murders of April 2014?

Faith Communities Stand Together Regarding Nuclear Weapons

Religion News Service Press Release

On October 16, Faith Communities Concerned about Nuclear Weapons, a group of diverse faith-based organizations and individuals committed to a nuclear-weapon-free world

Responding to the Unique Challenge of Nuclear Weapons

by Jonathan Granoff

The destructive capacity of nuclear weapons is beyond imagination, poisoning the Earth forever. These horrific devices place before us every day the decision whether we will be the last human generation.

Thomas Merton, Seeking Peace, and Nuclear Realities

by Michael Ramos

The Trappist monk, Thomas Merton, who passed away fifty years ago last year, is remembered largely for his prolific spiritual writing from the cloistered monastery. Yet his writing on nuclear weapons and peace still…

Getting Involved with the Major Anti-nuclear Players

by Paul Chaffee

Jesus warned about those who have eyes but cannot see. His injunction resonates today when considering the general ignorance of the dangers of nuclear weapons, a risk of even greater consequence than climate change.

Working to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons

by Jerald Ross

The very first resolution passed by the United Nations, in January 1946, called for the elimination of atomic weapons. The bedrock treaty for the control and eventual elimination of nuclear weapons…

The Patriotism of Hate Between Nuclear Rivals

by Tarunjit Singh Butalia

I’d just returned from a visit to South Asia. Right before my visit, the tensions between nuclear rivals India and Pakistan were at an all-time high, with each side portraying the other as evil and the enemy of its people.

“There Are No Winners in Nuclear War”

by Lidiia Batig

Our post-modern world is full of challenges, innovations, and opportunities. One of the most important is nuclear disarmament. I interviewed Rabbi Jack Bemporad…

Peace in Nuclear Times: Resources for Kids

by Vicki Garlock

Thanks to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the world now possesses “only” about 14,500 nuclear weapons, down from over 70,000 weapons, the estimated peak in the mid-1980’s.

Need-to-Know Resources for Nuclear Disarmament

by Megan Anderson

Nuclear disarmament is a nebulous concept for most of us. The threat of nuclear destruction is ever-present, but not something we think or talk about much. Part of the reason, perhaps, is that we feel helpless to do anything about it.

The Garden

by Dorianne Laux

We were talking about poetry. We were talking about nuclear war. She said she couldn’t write about it because she couldn’t imagine it.

Jonathan Granoff on the Threat of a Nuclear Catastrophe

Bomb Factor Citizenship GCSE Lesson

Header Photo: Unsplash

Featured

The Journey Beyond Mutually Assured Destruction

by Paul Chaffee, Editor

Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) is a military term referring to opposing nations each having nuclear weapons. The argument for maintaining nuclear weapons is…

Featured

Interfaith News Roundup - April 2019

Bad News! – Interfaith Friendly News

OPPORTUNITIES & RESOURCES

Convergence on Campus Spring Webinar Series

Interfaith Renewal Retreat

TIO'S SUPPORTING PARTNERS

CONVERGENCE ON CAMPUS

When is the Right Time to Write about Jewish Holidays?

INTERFAITH CENTER AT THE PRESIDIO

BAIC — Bay Area Interfaith Connect

INTERFAITH CENTER OF NEW YORK

ICNY's Interfaith Matters Blog

ICNY's Interfaith Matters Podcast

“Building the Beloved Community” in the Fight for Fair Housing

PARLIAMENT OF THE WORLD'S RELIGIONS

Strength in Numbers: The Million Tree Project

RELIGICA

Religica Podcast

Religica Spotlight: Women in Leadership

The Beauty and Power of Hospitality

RELIGIONS FOR PEACE – USA

Religious violence is on the rise. What can faith-based communities do about it?

SPIRIT MATTERS

Interview with Maurizio and Zaya Benazzo

SPIRITUALITY & PRACTICE

Fairy Tales

UNITED RELIGIONS INITIATIVE

Call to Conscience: A Ban on Nuclear Weapons

Nuclear Weapons and the Moral and Spiritual Compass

USC OFFICE OF RELIGIOUS LIFE

Mindfulness at USC

The Religion of Sports: Birth of a Religion

The Interfaith Observer

April 15, 2019

Journal 2019

March 2019 - The Art(s) of Creating Interfaith Community

The Interfaith Observer

April 15, 2019

Journal 2019

Exploring Interreligious Relations and Interfaith Culture

March 15, 2018

The Art(s) of Creating Interfaith Community

Featured

The Art of Prayer Meets the Prayer of Art

by Cynthia Lindner

This autumn, visitors to the Art Institute’s Bucksbaum Gallery for Photography on the ground floor of the museum’s Modern Wing are met by empty white walls: there’s not a single photograph hanging in this gallery dedicated to their display.

Art and Interfaith Conversation

by Andrew Smith

I learn best by listening to people’s ideas over a good cup of coffee. One such conversation sparked ideas that inspired a whole series of interfaith dialogues that have taken place over the past few years.

How We See Each Other

by Libby Byrne

The gift of art helps us to see more clearly what is really there in our human experience. With this in mind, is there a relationship between the way we see art and the way we imagine religious communities might be inclusive for people with disabilities?

Collaborating to Build Interfaith Bridges

by Vicki Garlock

Sometimes, a story is told more easily through art. That’s certainly the case for this Bulgarian-based interfaith and cultural exchange camp – the brainchild of Angelina Vladikova and Svetlana Karadzhova…

Crossing the Evangelical-Muslim Divide with Film

by Daniel Tutt

This past year I’ve been leading a new initiative at Unity Productions Foundation (UPF), whose mission is to counter bigotry and create peace through the media. Its documentary film The Sultan and the Saint is…

Decolonizing Art

by Vy Vu

Audre Lorde once said: “The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.” This is why we constantly have to learn the process of decolonizing our body and our tools.

Spirituality and Transcendence: The White Light Festival

by Anya Dunaif

In the fall of 2010, New York City’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts launched a new annual event called the White Light Festival, focused on encouraging people to experience transcendence and spirituality through live performances.

The Art of Community, the Community of Art

by Rev. Andre van Zijl

Art is an interculturally unifying language for communicating human and spiritual experience beyond words. We all hunger for connection and community. We do well to dance, sing, write, paint, and sculpt our way…

Seeing MS - Exposing the Invisible Disease

Build Power, Shift Culture, Heal Spirits

Header Photo: Pexels

Featured

Spirituality, Creativity, and Community

by Paul Chaffee, Editor

Drums and flutes are among the oldest tools empowering human beings to explore who we are. We have historical evidence that drums go back at least 7,500 years and probably much earlier.

Featured

Interfaith News Roundup - March 2019

Glimmers of Light from the Arabian Peninsula – Good News, Bad News – Sexuality Preoccupying Christians – Warms the Heart

Featured

To New Zealanders and Muslims Everywhere

Today we grieve with those affected by the mosque shootings in New Zealand. We grieve for the 49 lives lost and the pain of those who remain. We grieve for the fear and loss of a sense of safety that live on in the aftermath. And we grieve for the hatred that seeps into hearts leading to tragedies like this one.

OPPORTUNITIES & RESOURCES

Convergence on Campus Spring Webinar Series

Interfaith Renewal Retreat

TIO'S SUPPORTING PARTNERS

CONVERGENCE ON CAMPUS

On Wholeness

INTERFAITH CENTER AT THE PRESIDIO

BAIC — Bay Area Interfaith Connect

INTERFAITH CENTER OF NEW YORK

ICNY's Interfaith Matters Blog

ICNY's Interfaith Matters Podcast

“Creating Community at the Dinner Table” – Halal and Kosher Food as an Opportunity for Social Development

PARLIAMENT OF THE WORLD'S RELIGIONS

Coming Soon: The Climate Commitments Project Web Hub

RELIGICA

Religica Podcast

Religica Spotlight: Women in Leadership

Beyond Identity Politics

RELIGIONS FOR PEACE – USA

Rainforest Initiative

SPIRIT MATTERS

Interview with Jai Uttal

SPIRITUALITY & PRACTICE

The Practice of Contemplative Photography

UNITED RELIGIONS INITIATIVE

Celebrating Women’s Day in Pakistan

USC OFFICE OF RELIGIOUS LIFE

Mindfulness at USC

The Religion of Sports: Birth of a Religion

The Interfaith Observer

March 15, 2019

Journal 2019

February - A TIO 2018 Sampler

The Interfaith Observer

March 15, 2019

Journal 2019

Exploring Interreligious Relations and Interfaith Culture

February 15, 2018

A TIO 2018 Sampler

Featured

Digital Storytelling to Advance Peace in Pakistan

by Ruth Broyde Sharone

The iconic image of a male storyteller addressing an enraptured audience pressed shoulder to shoulder around a glowing campfire may soon be replaced by hijab and sari-clad young women holding their smart phones.

Talanoa: Dialogue for Action

by Bee Moorhead

As the saying goes, “Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.” Talanoa Dialogue just might change that.

A World of Digital Possibilities

by Elizabeth Dabney Hochman

The next generation is growing up online. We have seen countless studies about the amount of time kids spend engaging with digital media and the effects it has their development.

An Artful Approach to Interfaith Chaplaincy

by Jenifer Miller

With my calligraphy pen I write the name of the tiny beloved baby boy, on the inside of a Comfort Angel, and hand it to his father, for safekeeping.

An Artist's Journey Beyond the Walls of Division

by Andre van Zijl

We enter a completely darkened room which is set up with a foot-wide border of white muslin covered by unlit candles alternating with round black river stones.

The Next Step ... We Must Pray Together

by Marcus Braybrooke

Recently a Muslim was invited to give an Oxford University sermon. The invitation attracted a number of protests. “He does not believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ!” some declared.

Reimagining Interfaith: Taking Our Lead from Kids

by Vicki Garlock

The interfaith movement is all about bringing people together. Most of the time we focus on adults, and social justice issues. Don’t get me wrong. I fully support any and all interfaith efforts. But we need to do more, and we need to do it better.

Hearing the Interfaith Voices Least Often Heard

by Don Frew

I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard someone in a group say “We even have a Witch” and point to me to emphasize how inclusive they are. So, in terms of diversity, I occupy a place at one extreme end of the interfaith spectrum.

The Day My Grandparents Left Our Ancestral Home

by Tarunjit Singh Butalia

As a kid growing up in North India, I was thrilled whenever both my parents went out since I would have the full attention of my frail and aging grandmother.

Let’s Multiply the Love

by Sister Zeph

I was lying down, dreaming of a world where there is no hate; where everyone is smiling; where people dance in the roads with joy. A world where there is respect and equality for all. Then, suddenly, my younger sister Rahat’s phone began to ring.

Where is the Heart in the Climate Justice Movement? Where is the Music?

by Kyle Lemle

We’ve all read the numbers and heard the forecasts: 350 ppm of carbon, three meters of sea level rise, or three degrees Celsius.

On the Future of Religion

by Ben Bowler

One of the biggest problems with discussing religion is the definition of the term. Few words have such breadth and depth of meaning and even fewer words can spark such passionate debate.

SOCH - Digital Storytelling for Peace in Pakistan

Thousands of Jews and Muslims Sing One Day in Perfect Harmony

Header Photo: Unsplash

Featured

Good News in a Bad-News Year

by Paul Chaffee, Editor

Historians looking back at 2018 will have little difficulty describing the mayhem and trauma the world was facing.

Featured

Interfaith News Roundup - February 2018

Caught My Eye! – Gratifying Stories You May Have Missed – Mussie Hailu Tapped to Direct URI’s new Office of Global Partnerships

OPPORTUNITIES & RESOURCES

Convergence on Campus Spring Webinar Series

Interfaith Renewal Retreat

TIO'S SUPPORTING PARTNERS

CONVERGENCE ON CAMPUS

What it Means to Be

INTERFAITH CENTER AT THE PRESIDIO

BAIC — Bay Area Interfaith Connect

INTERFAITH CENTER OF NEW YORK

ICNY's Interfaith Matters Blog

ICNY's Interfaith Matters Podcast

Sermons for Safe Streets – A Call to Action for Faith Leaders

PARLIAMENT OF THE WORLD'S RELIGIONS

UN Environment Accredits the Parliament of the World's Religions New CSO-Affiliate

RELIGICA

Religica Podcast

Religica – Belonging and Beginning Anew

RELIGIONS FOR PEACE – USA

Rainforest Initiative

SPIRIT MATTERS

Interview with NaRon D. Tillman

SPIRITUALITY & PRACTICE

Practicing Spirituality with Anthony de Mello

UNITED RELIGIONS INITIATIVE

Grassroots Leaders from Across U.S. Reflect on Visit to the UN

USC OFFICE OF RELIGIOUS LIFE

Mindfulness at USC

The Religion of Sports: Birth of a Religion

The Interfaith Observer

February 15, 2019

Journal 2019

January 2019 - Embracing Compassion

The Interfaith Observer

February 15, 2019

Journal 2019

Exploring Interreligious Relations and Interfaith Culture

January 15, 2019

Featured

A Fifth Directive Added to the Global Ethic

A TIO Report

Towards a Global Ethic – An Initial Declaration is a cornerstone of the modern interfaith movement. The text was drafted by German theologian Hans Küng at the request of the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions.

Higher Education is an Inclusive Key

by Cody Nielsen

Higher education may be the most important invention of the second millennium. Consider for a second that, alongside the Gutenberg press, higher education holds a value…

Embracing Compassion

Featured

Distinguishing Sympathy, Empathy, and Compassion

by Marcus Braybrooke

Sympathy, empathy, compassion; my dictionary treats them as synonyms. Contributors to the important new book Confronting Religious Violence, however, suggest there are important differences.

Matthew Fox & Lama Tsomo Explore Compassion

A TIO Interview by Megan Anderson

This month, TIO “sat” down via Zoom with Matthew Fox and Lama Tsomo to talk about compassion and the role it plays in our world today.

Dance of Compassion and Righteousness

Tarunjit Singh Butalia

A fundamental value underlying nearly every religious tradition is compassion and love for our fellow human beings. Compassion is not just about the role it plays in our traditions but…

Invoking Compassion Within

by Habīb Todd Boerger

In considering the topic of compassion, I am reminded that each of the Abrahamic faiths directs us to love and care for others – those who are poor, those who are needy, neighbors and strangers – as we love and care for ourselves.

Seeds of Interfaith Peacebuilding in Ukraine

by Lidiia Batig

In 2013 the history of Ukraine changed dramatically. Communities had been betrayed by state power, by their own politicians, and even their president.

Collaborative Compassion: A Secular Perspective

by Chris Highland

One sunny Bay Area afternoon I was walking down a sidewalk under shade trees with my class of developmentally disabled adults.

Compassion Under Extreme Duress

by Rachael Watcher

On November 8th at around 6 am a fire, allegedly started by a faulty Pacific Gas & Electric line, began at Pulga on Highway 70 in Butte County, northern California.

Growing a Generation of Compassionate Adults

by Vicki Garlock

Compassion has become quite the buzzword of late. The Dalai Lama talks about compassion, of course. That’s to be expected. But when TV stars, musicians, authors, scientists, and even politicians…

My Dad Didn’t Like Religion, but He Prepared Me for Religious Diversity

by Kevin Singer

My Dad grew up in a Jewish family. When he was a child, he was targeted with insults because of his family’s background. As a result, he was not fond of religion.

Learning to See Again: Respect in a Volatile Age

by Mark Waters

“Will I get shot if I come to Texas?” The prospective Chinese student’s query was neither melodramatic nor overstated.

Interfaith is a Verb

by Sabrina N. Jafralie

My journey with religion and interfaith started before I was born. I am the child of parents who are culturally, racially, and religiously different.

The Best of Times, The Worst of Times

by Ruth Broyde Sharone

Is the world becoming more compassionate or more hateful? This prickly question is eloquently answered in the opening paragraph of Charles Dickens’ classic tale of revolution in France, A Tale of Two Cities.