Religious Understanding

Faith Resources

• Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, Dialogue and Proclamation, 1991. Can be found on the Vatican Web site.
• The Spirituality of Interreligious Dialogue: A Letter to the Presidents of Bishops' Conferences. Can be found on the Vatican Web site.
• Guidelines on Dialogue with People of Living Faiths and Ideologies from the World Council of Churches, 1998. These guidelines serve as the basis of interreligious dialogue sponsored by the WCC and many churches around the world. They can be found online here.
• Declaration on the Relation of the church to Non-Christian Religions, Nostra Aetate. Can be found on the Vatican Web site.

Organizations Working on Interreligious Dialogue

• InterAct Cleveland

Books

• InterAct Cleveland Daring to Cross the Threshold: Francis of Assisi Encounters Sultan Malek al-Kamel by Sr. Kathy Warren, OSF is a book that looks at the interaction between St. Francis and the Sultan and how that connects with Muslim Christian interactions today through peacemaking and interreligious dialogue.
• The Mystic Heart: Discovering a Universal Spirituality in the World's Religions by Wayne Teasdale who is a trusted resource for those persons beginning on an intentional spiritual journey as well as those well along the way. The book examines the world's religions and highlights the underlying beliefs and yearnings that will ultimately link humankind.
• A History of God is a best-selling book by Karen Armstrong. It details the history of the three major monotheistic traditions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Also included in the book are Buddhism and Hinduism. The evolution of the idea of God is traced from its ancient roots in the Middle East up to the present day.
• The World's Religions by Huston Smith, this book looks at seven major religions of the world today for the purpose of enlightening people of different cultures and beliefs about each other.
• Christian Identity and Religious Pluralism: Religions in Conversation by Michael Barnes, 1989.
• Francis and Islam, by J. Hoeberichts. In this study, Hoeberichts argues convincingly that the attitude of Francis of Assisi toward the Saracens provides a model for Christian-Muslim relations and for interreligious dialogue in general that is relevant today.

DVDs

• Beyond Our Differences is a documentary film that explores the positive role of faith in the world today and the fundamental unity of the worlds religions. www.beyondourdifferences.com