Twenty-six people spent a week together at the Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research in Collegeville, Minnesota, in each of two summers (1999 and 2000), exploring living faithfully in the United States today. They were women and men of six religious traditions — Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Native American — Americans of diverse ethnic backgrounds — African, European, Japanese, Mexican, Native, Palestinian, South and Southeast Asian. Many issues were discussed, and ideas for working together were developed.
Finding ourselves in faithful company
How have you become interested in interfaith relations? What drew your attention to the many religions of your neighbors?
There are many ways by which we become more engaged with our neighbors who follow religious traditions other than our own. Perhaps you have a new co-worker who is a Hindu. You may live in a dormitory with people of many different religious beliefs and practices. Perhaps, after several years of living on the same street, you have just learned that your neighbors are Muslims. You may have been invited to celebrate an occasion …
What is the relationship which God intends between Christians and Jews, between Christianity and Judaism? A theological understanding of this relationship is the subject which this paper addresses.