The Interfaith Alternative

There is no them — there is only us, celebrating our common humanity Whatever your spiritual path, chances are that the primary tenets of your faith include universal love, acceptance, and compassion. Yet three thousand years after Moses, twenty-five hundred years after the Buddha, two thousand years after Jesus, and fifteen hundred years after Muhammad, we are still divided by our differences. Religious intolerance, discrimination, even persecution and violence make up the not-so-golden rule. The Interfaith Alternative shows us how we can celebrate each other without fear of losing our own identity. It illuminates the path to creating a nurturing spiritual community that honors and includes all religious languages—an alternative to Jews worshiping only with Jews, Christians with Christians, and Muslims with Muslims. In doing so, it demonstrates that through coming together in a mutually supportive environment we can concentrate on our shared desire to remake the world into a compassionate, loving place. At its core, Interfaith is about community and justice. Once we truly embrace diversity, we embrace our common humanity. A powerful antidote to the current climate of fear and mistrust, The Interfaith Alternative argues that it is not how we encounter the sacred, but what we do about it that counts—there are positive alternatives to religious lines in the sand. Steven Greenebaum is an Interfaith minister whose experiences directing choirs of different faiths and denominations have helped him to understand the profound wisdom of many spiritual traditions. Steven has dedicated his life to working for social and environmental justice. He is the founder of the Living Interfaith Church in Lynnwood, Washington.

Interfaith as a Faith—A Way to Move Past Preaching about Love and Compassion to Actually Practicing Them “A commitment to Interfaith is no small commitment. Nor is it an easy commitment. But I do believe it can be a rewarding and healing one. Interfaith widens our world. And, if we let it, Interfaith frees us from the imprisoning shackles of one of the most debilitating of all human emotions—fear of the ‘other.’” —from Chapter 6 The interfaith movement is taking root. More and more of us are exploring it. At the same time interfaith finds itself at a crossroads. Where do we go now? Rev. Steven Greenebaum not only suggests the faith of Interfaith as a positive way forward but also offers a practical, down-to-earth approach to a more spiritually fulfilling life. In this accessible how-to guide, Greenebaum addresses: What it means to practice Interfaith as a faith and why you might want to embrace it.Why you can choose Interfaith as a faith and still keep your own spiritual tradition.How to establish the necessary foundations to start an Interfaith spiritual community.How to choose the right minister for your Interfaith community.What you can expect as your community forms and grows.And much, much more. Along with offering resources such as Interfaith liturgy and guides to Interfaith church governance, he includes the voices of members of the Living Interfaith Church, the community he founded, to share their whys and hows of participating in an Interfaith church.

A Heart for the World claims that there is an alternative, based on the moral and spiritual values shared by all the world religions. The mystic tradition, in every faith, affirms that all life is sacred. It follows that all people of faith should help to create a culture of non-violence and peace. They should plead for compassionate economic policies which ensure life and dignity for all people. They should also cultivate a reverence for the Earth. Examples are given from many parts of the world of people who are living and working to give a heart to our global society. They show that interfaith partnership and a new spiritual awareness has the potential to transform the world. The book examines the teaching of the religions on war and peace, on the production and use of wealth, and their attitude to the natural world.

Interfaith as a Faith―A Way to Move Past Preaching about Love and Compassion to Actually Practicing Them "A commitment to Interfaith is no small commitment. Nor is it an easy commitment. But I do believe it can be a rewarding and healing one. Interfaith widens our world. And, if we let it, Interfaith frees us from the imprisoning shackles of one of the most debilitating of all human emotions―fear of the 'other.'" ―from Chapter 6 The interfaith movement is taking root. More and more of us are exploring it. At the same time interfaith finds itself at a crossroads. Where do we go now? Rev. Steven Greenebaum not only suggests the faith of Interfaith as a positive way forward but also offers a practical, down-to-earth approach to a more spiritually fulfilling life. In this accessible how-to guide, Greenebaum addresses: What it means to practice Interfaith as a faith and why you might want to embrace it. Why you can choose Interfaith as a faith and still keep your own spiritual tradition. How to establish the necessary foundations to start an Interfaith spiritual community. How to choose the right minister for your Interfaith community. What you can expect as your community forms and grows. And much, much more. Along with offering resources such as Interfaith liturgy and guides to Interfaith church governance, he includes the voices of members of the Living Interfaith Church, the community he founded, to share their whys and hows of participating in an Interfaith church.

Globally we seem torn between local, exclusive forms of religion, which can cause immense spiritual and physical damage to people, and a bland secularism that confines the religions to safe havens, each offering its own private options for "spirituality" within a secularized global politic. In this context the religions tolerate one another but cannot engage in mutually challenging and transforming dialogue. Thompson argues that it is only through dialogue that the distinctive truths of the faiths emerge. Moving beyond the threefold paradigm that has limited dialogue, and challenging modern secularism and postmodern relativism alike, he argues for a dialogue-based realism that is rooted in the Christian doctrines of creation and Trinity. Turning to recent theological approaches, Thompson both affirms and criticizes narrative and postliberal theologies, liberation theology, and the revival of negative theology. The transfiguration of Jesus provides a model for the way theology proceeds in dialogue, from an initial naivety, through metaphysical construction and deconstruction, to a new metaphorical "interillumination." Thompson sets forth a utopian hope for "the interreligious city of God, shining with the divine, interilluminative rainbow light reflected from the many faiths, including the secular faith."

The pew edition of the prayer book of the Anglican Church of Canada. Includes: the Divine Office; Baptism and Reconciliation; the Holy Eucharist; the Proper of the Church Year; Pastoral Offices; Episcopal Offices; Parish Thanksgiving and Prayers; the Psalter; and Music. (ABC).

This is a personal, searching and positive book. It is rooted in five perceptions of Christianity from people of different faiths and responses from five Christians. Richard Tetlow sees mutual, loving relationships as priority for human well-being in our British multifaith society. He shows how Christians can listen to and learn from others about themselves for common benefit. He analyses perceptions themselves, including perceptions of God, their whys and wherefores. He challenges traditional Christian theology, structures and worship. Throughout, he asks questions in search of meaning, sincere faith and honest personal experience, both religious and non-religious and seeks recognition of the unity and diversity of all Life. Finally, he suggests ways forward.

A fascinating collection of essays by leading scholars in the field engage with the idea of religious pluralism mooted by John Hick to offer incisive insights on religious pluralism and related themes and to address practical aspects such as interreligious spirituality and worship in a multi-faith context.