interfaith

Interfaith refers to cooperative relations or dialogue among people of different religious traditions. It includes activities aimed at mutual understanding, respect, and collaboration on common concerns. The term is often used interchangeably with interreligious, though some use interfaith to emphasize cooperation across faiths and interreligious to highlight dialogue between religious communities.

The modern interfaith movement gained momentum in the 19th and 20th centuries, culminating in events such as the World Parliament of Religions in 1893 in Chicago and the subsequent growth of global networks. In many countries, national or regional interfaith councils emerged to foster dialogue, education, and community service.

Interfaith activities include dialogues, conferences, joint service projects, youth programs, shared worship experiences, and academic study of religious traditions. Notable organizations include the Parliament of the World's Religions, United Religions Initiative, Interfaith Youth Core, and regional or local interfaith councils.

Goals and impact include reducing prejudice, promoting peace and social justice, addressing common concerns such as poverty, refugees, and climate change, and building civil society. Interfaith work often seeks to create spaces where diverse communities can collaborate while maintaining their own identities.

Challenges facing interfaith work include doctrinal differences, unequal power dynamics between adherents, representation and consent of minority communities, risk of tokenism or co-optation, concerns about secularism or religious nationalism, and tensions when interfaith activities touch sensitive beliefs. Critics argue that interfaith efforts can gloss over real doctrinal differences or be used for political purposes.