June 2002
144 pp. 6 x 9
$14.95 (paper)
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Interfaith Dialogue and Peacebuilding
David R. Smock
As the Christian, Muslim, and Jewish contributors
to this volume have discovered firsthand, religion is better at
fostering peace than at fueling war. Rarely, conclude the authors,
is religion the principal cause of international conflict, even
though some adversaries may argue differently. But religion can
often be invaluable in promoting understanding and reconciliation-and
the need to exploit that potential has never been greater.
Drawing on their extensive experience in organizing
interaction and cooperation across religious boundaries in the Middle
East, Africa, Southeast Asia, Northern Ireland, and the Balkans,
the contributors explore the formidable potential of interfaith
dialogue. The first part of the volume analyzes the concept and
its varied application; the second focuses on its practice in specific
zones of conflict; and the third assesses the experiences and approaches
of particular organizations.
When organized creatively, interfaith dialogue can
nurture deep engagement at all levels of the religious hierarchy,
including the community level. It draws strength from the peacemaking
traditions shared by many faiths and from the power of religious
ritual and symbolism. Yet, as the authors also make plain, it also
has its limitations and carries great risks.
David R. Smock is director of the Religion
and Peacemaking Initiative at the United States Institute of Peace.
Formerly director of the Institute's Grant Program, he is the author
or editor of Perspectives on Pacifism, African Conflict Resolution,
and Making War and Waging Peace: Foreign Intervention in Africa
(all USIP Press).
Contents
Introduction The Miracles
of Transformation through Interfaith Dialogue, Mohammed Abu-Nimer
The Use of the Word
and Its Limits, Marc Gopin
Building Bridges for Interfaith Dialogue, Jaco Cilliers
American Jews, Christians, and Muslims Working Together for Peace
in the Middle East, Ronald Young
Interfaith Dialogue in the Former Yugoslavia, David Steele
Mitigation in Northern
Ireland, Joseph Liechty
Religion and Interfaith Conflict, Arthur Schneier
The United Religious Initiative at Work, Charles Gibbs
World Conference on Religion and Peace, William Vendley
Conclusion
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