Download PDF - Abrahamic Faiths Peacemaking Initiative

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Acknowledgements
This curriculum is a project of the Abrahamic Faiths Peacemaking Initiative
(AFPI), an interfaith collaborative based in Los Angeles, California. This
collaborative has been meeting for over 10 years to discuss, pray, support,
mourn, march, and now, publish. Made up of religious leaders from the
Jewish, Christian, and Muslim communities, AFPI has commissioned this
work from three learned practitioners of their own religious traditions. Spe-
cial thanks go to All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, the California-
Pacific Annual Conference Peace with Justice Committee of the United
Methodist Church, and New Vision Partners for their efforts in funding this
project. This work could not have come to fruition without the coordina-
tion and work of Dr. Sheryl Kujawa-Holbrook of the Claremont School of
Theology, Rev. Paige Eaves of the United Methodist Church, Franci-Levine
Grater, Rabbi Neil Comess-Daniels of Temple Beth Shir Shalom, and Dr.
Steve Wiebe of New Vision Partners.
To a more peaceful future!
Prepared for publication by Lorynne Young
Contents
1 Introduction & Leader Guidelines...............................5
2 Sharing Stories.............................................................7
Lesson..........................................................................8
3 Interfaith Hospitality .................................................10
Lesson........................................................................11
4 Judaism and Peacemaking
Lesson I......................................................................18
Lesson II ....................................................................23
Lesson III...................................................................31
5 Christianity and Peacemaking
Lesson I......................................................................38
Lesson II ....................................................................45
Lesson III...................................................................47
6 Islam and Peacemaking
Lesson I......................................................................52
Lesson II ....................................................................55
Lesson III...................................................................58
7 Interfaith Peacemaking and Collaborative Action.....63
Lesson........................................................................63
8 Appendix
Transforming Religious Conflicts .............................67
Additional Resources.................................................69
About the Authors......................................................74
AFPI Study Guide 3
4 AFPI Study Guide
Introduction
Part I. Introduction & Leader Guidelines
Sheryl A. Kujawa-Holbrook
As an introduction to the Abrahamic Faiths as fears and failures along the way. We share a
Peacemaking Initiative and these study materi- vision of the human community free of religious
als, participants are invited to go to the AFPI oppression and we pray for peace. Consider this
website to hear the stories of members of the or- study guide an invitation to explore the interfaith
ganization as they share their commitment to in- relationships of your own religious experience
terfaith dialogue and peacemaking, and faith community. These curriculum materi-
http://abrahamicfaithspeacemaking.com. als help participants:
We live in a world where examples of religious (cid:6) Reflect on what it means to be faithful to
pluralism abound in local communities every- a religious tradition, to affirm the dignity
where. Porous world boundaries due to global- of all people, and to promote peace in
ization, immigration, technology, and human relationships.
transportation have produced a climate where re- (cid:6) Develop an understanding of the relation-
ligious understanding-and misunderstanding-lies ship between peacemaking and the Abra-
at the heart of local, national, and global issues. hamic faith traditions.
Increasingly, we find ourselves having to learn (cid:6) Acquire basic skills in interfaith dialogue
about the differences among religious traditions and for building bridges across religious
in order to articulate the nature of current events. and cultural differences to create a deeper
Few remain unaware of the realities of individ- sense of community.
ual and communal religious violence in our soci- (cid:6) Understand that people of all religious tra-
ety. Discussions about the current American
ditions can make a difference and con-
religious landscape often ignore one salient fact:
tribute to peacemaking in their home
that the Abrahamic religions and cultures have
communities and beyond.
been deeply intertwined and intricately related
(cid:6) To act for peace and justice and to de-
from their inception. After the 1965 Immigration
velop specific and attainable action plans
Act, other religions, such as those with origins in
for faith communities.
Asia, have been steadily growing in their num-
Leader Guidelines
ber of adherents in the United States. Places of
worship for Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Hindu,
The success of these curriculum materials de-
Buddhist and other religious traditions are part
pends on the skills of the leaders. Skilled and ex-
of the religious landscape of nearly all commu-
perienced leaders and co-leaders who have
nities across the United States. Los Angeles is
knowledge of group process and have facilitated
considered the most diverse Buddhist city in the
discussions based in sensitive materials from a
world. In states like California, there is no ma-
religious perspective are ideal. As is the case
jority race, ethnicity, or religion. Similar demo-
with most interfaith encounters, leaders comfort-
graphic shifts, while uneven across the United
able and knowledgeable of their own religious
States, will occur often in the next fifty years,
identity add to the effectiveness of the process.
and are no longer confined to the coastal cities
When available, co-leadership provides signifi-
more often associated with religious diversity.
cant benefits for leaders and participants. Co-
Although the materials in this study guide are leaders can provide participants with more
geared toward members of Abrahamic faith diverse perspectives and leadership styles, as
communities, it is the hope of AFPI that others well as share the workload. While there is no
will read them and make a commitment to inter- recipe for the success of any curriculum, those
faith dialogue and peacemaking. The members leaders with skills in creating respectful and sup-
of AFPI that have contributed to this resource port environments, and who are willing to exam-
have participated in long standing interfaith rela- ine their own attitudes and judgments contribute
tionships, experiencing deep satisfaction, as well to a positive ethos. Although program designs
AFPI Study Guide 5
Introduction
vary according to context, some helpful guide- stories and basic models of interfaith encounter,
lines for leaders include: three lessons on each of three Abrahamic tradi-
(cid:6) Provide appropriate and comfortable tions and peacemaking, Judaism, Christianity
and Islam, and a closing lesson. Sessions are de-
meeting space for the group.
signed to be one to three hours in length, de-
(cid:6) Arrange space to allow for democratic
pending on local custom. Lessons may be used
participation; be aware of an access
individually or together and offer a choice of ac-
needs and dietary restrictions of group
tivities. Each lesson is designed to be selfcon-
members.
tained and leaders have a choice to utilize the
(cid:6) Arrive in advance of participants so hos-
whole curriculum or sections thereof. Although
pitality is ready and available when par-
the materials are written with adult education au-
ticipants begin to arrive.
diences in mind, sections may be adapted for
(cid:6) Have sufficient supplies and copies of older youth when appropriate.
materials available for participants in
The stories of the Abrahamic Faiths Peacemak-
advance.
ing Initiative (AFPI) are based in hope. As im-
(cid:6) Allow adequate time for introductions
perfect as the relationships between faith
and use nametags until members are
communities may be at times, we are confident
known to the leaders and each other.
that we have the capacity to grow together and
(cid:6) Commit to beginning and ending ses- to make deeper interfaith relationships possible.
sions on time. Lasting peace is possible only when all of God’s
(cid:6) Build the community. Include opening people are able to live in peace. The point has
and closing exercises that help partici- been made that building interfaith understanding
pants get to know the other members of will contribute to our local communities and our
the group. world. A point should also be made that encoun-
(cid:6) Create a climate that supports prayer ters with other faiths give us a better apprecia-
and reflection. Use the prayers and ritu- tion of what life is like for members of other
als of your tradition to support learning. religious and cultural groups, as well as transfer-
Allow time and space for silence as well able skills that are applicable to a wide variety of
as speaking. situations and social contexts. The ability to lis-
ten and work and share compassionately with
(cid:6) Remind participants that dialogue is as
people who hold different views than ourselves
much (perhaps more) about listening as
is a valuable skill gained through interfaith dia-
it is about speaking. Practice listening
logue that are also helpful when working
skills with the group if necessary. Insist
through theological differences in intra-religious
that put-downs of people or their feel-
dialogue with members of our own faith tradi-
ings are unacceptable.
tions. Interfaith peacemaking cannot be limited
(cid:6) Plan for a diversity of learning styles
to a religious “program.” Rather, it is integral to
using a variety of media, print, visuals,
the well-being of all humankind. This vision en-
discussion, etc.
compasses both ethical practice as well as public
(cid:6) Seek a balance in participation. What for
policy-making in our local communities. It chal-
individuals or groups who dominate, as
lenges faith communities to develop spiritual
well as those who are silent. Encourage
grounding for people that enables them to hold
all, but also give all the right to pass in
their own religious truths, while at the same time
any discussion.
respecting the religious truths of their neighbors.
(cid:6) Make it clear that no members of the Indeed, many faith communities already have
group will be forced to share more than more religious diversity in their midst than they
they feel comfortable to reveal. recognize or celebrate. Through interfaith fami-
(cid:6) Enlist the whole group in taking respon- lies, and through networks related to work and
sibility for making the experience work. school, many people are already involved in in-
The Curriculum terfaith dialogue on a daily basis.
Overall, the curriculum is comprised of this in-
troduction, two introductory lessons on sharing
6 AFPI Study Guide
Sharing Stories
Part 2. Sharing Stories
Sheryl A. Kujawa-Holbrook
Introduction the Torah, Bible or Qur’an. Yet each person
owns their own unique religious experience, as
Integral to building interfaith understanding is well as what they learned from that experience.
both the learning and unlearning of our stories of Efforts to build relationships across religious
religious pluralism, our “histories” and the histo- differences are empowered by storytelling be-
ries of our faith communities. What does the his- cause they convey lived religious experiences.
torical record have to say about the relationships Rather than beginning interfaith dialogue with
between our own religious tradition and other re- doctrinal debates, storytelling enables people to
ligious groups? What are the resources within first appreciate the human experience of another.
religious traditions to work for peace with jus- Our personal experience is at the root of how we
tice? How have we participated in the persecu- experience religious differences, as well as how
tion of persons of other religious groups, and we experience God. Stories are a means to en-
when have we acted in solidarity with those who able people with different religious identities to
are oppressed? What events in our shared histo- engage each other on a human level. “Once we
ries have helped shape our vision of religious have heard another’s story, once we know them
pluralism? How is God speaking to our faith as a person, it becomes much more difficult to
communities now, and how has God formed us, objectify them or to consider them evil,” says
challenged us, nurtured us, and facilitated Najeeb Syeed-Miller, a Muslim interfaith educa-
change through us over time? tor. “The process of hearing another’s story and
telling them own is one of the first steps toward
One of the first steps in building interfaith rela-
greater understanding between people of differ-
tionships is the telling of stories, which unmask
ent religious groups.”iii
the various levels of history within families and
faith communities, and show how religious ex- The Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC), an organiza-
periences differ when told from varying perspec- tion founded in 1998 by Eboo Patel, organizes
tives. Austrian-born Jewish philosopher Martin young people and their allies to promote reli-
Buber believed that the telling of stories has the gious pluralism and to peacefully create under-
capacity to bring healing, and is in itself sacred standing and collaboration. One of the
action. Buber tells a story about a grandfather foundations of the group’s interfaith organizing
who was once the student of a holy rabbi, Baal strategy is the belief that being a good storyteller
Shem Tov. The good rabbi used to jump and and a good listener are essential skills to being a
dance as he prayed. The story of the rabbi at good interfaith leader. According to the IFYC,
prayer was so powerful that the act of telling it telling a story helps us frame our thoughts, em-
brought healing to the grandfather. “My grandfa- powers ourselves and others, and shapes our so-
ther stood up while he was telling the story and cial identities. The IFYC advises young people -
the story carried him away so much that he had advice applicable to members of faith communi-
to jump and dance to show how he [holy Baal ties everywhere - that to be a religious pluralist
Shem Tov] had done it. From that moment, [my is an identity that we must actively choose, not
grandfather] was healed. This is how stories in place of our own religious identities, but
ought to be told.”i alongside them. “A personal story of religious
pluralism is a story from your own experience
The poet Maya Angelou writes, “History, despite
that illustrates why you care about religious plu-
its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if
faced with courage, need not be lived again.”ii ralism,” states IFYC. “You may have many dif-
ferent moments - even disparate moments, or
Stories have the ability to be transformative to
moments when you failed to act for religious
both the storyteller and listener. Each person is
pluralism - that inform why you are an interfaith
the authority of their own personal story of reli-
leader today.”iv
gious pluralism. Some persons may have formal
religious training, while others have not studied Christian ethicist Stanley Hauerwas writes that,
AFPI Study Guide 7
Sharing Stories
“Stories are not substitute explanations we can ticipants to share how their names evolved over
someday hope to supplant with more straightfor- the course of their lives. Why were they given
ward accounts. Precisely to the contrary, narra- particular names at birth? Did they receive their
tives are necessary to our understanding of those names from birthparents? What is the cultural
aspects of our experience which admit no further origin of their names? What names did they add
explanation.”vHence our stories not only help us or change during the course of their lives? Did
to connect to our past, but also help us to inform they gain names or nicknames? Did they change
our current actions and envision the future. any of their names? Lastly, what do they want to
be called now? As each participant tells the story
Conducting the Lesson
of their name, ask them to write and post it for
My Story of Religious Pluralism
the group to see. Ask for reflections on the
process.
The purpose of this lesson is to allow partici-
II. My Story of Religious Pluralism
pants to hear the stories of other members of the
group, to share their own story, and to make con- The leader explains the connections between in-
nections between our personal stories of reli- terfaith dialogue and sharing our stories of reli-
gious pluralism and the larger movement for gious pluralism. Tied into this story is the belief
interfaith peacemaking. This lesson may be used that dialogue is about listening and speaking. In
with other lessons in the curriculum as a way to listening to and taking in the story of another we
begin the program. This activity in this session are participating in an act of compassion. Re-
can be adjusted to fit a 1-3 hour time block. mind participants of the following guidelines for
Planners are encouraged to utilize the other les- compassionate listening:
sons and activities in this curriculum, including Compassionate Listening:
the stories of the members of the AFPI on the Some Assumptions
website, as well as the additional resources of-
A First Step Toward Interfaith Dialogue
fered there.
1. Compassionate Listening assumes that be-
Materials Needed:
fore authentic dialogue can occur, con-
Chairs arranged in a circle. Depending on the
flicting parties must first listen to each
time allotted, groups larger than 10-12 partici-
other. We cannot assume that we really
pants may choose to divide into smaller groups.
know how it is to be another.
In the case of multiple groups, it is important to
2. Compassionate Listening does not seek to
allow adequate space for sharing without groups
change the other, but to love them. The
hearing each other. If you choose to do the op-
more a person is loved, the more they are
tional activity, you will also need markers,
free to respond to inner truth.
newsprint, or a board to write on.
3. Compassionate Listening assumes that to
I. Opening Exercise - Getting Acquainted
build peace we need to acknowledge the
Leaders welcome everyone, introduce them- humanity and the suffering of the other.
selves, and share logistical information with the That misunderstanding, conflicts, and vio-
group. Give a brief overview of the program. In- lence are the result of unhealed wounds.
vite participants to introduce themselves by
4. Compassionate Listening trusts that when
sharing their names, what motivated them to join
people truly feel heard, they will be more
the program, and what they hope to gain from
open to hearing the stories of those with
the experience. Members of some religious tra-
whom they disagree.
ditions may choose to begin the lesson with a
5. Compassionate Listening as a practice of
prayer or song or opt to light a candle during pe-
reconciliation, and is thus based in the be-
riods of sharing.
lief that mutual understanding and respect
Optional Activity: are the foundations for building commu-
As a means of introduction, ask participants to nities across the borders of difference.vi
share the “story of their name.” First, ask mem-
After reviewing the guidelines for compassion-
bers of the group to write their full name, as they
ate listening, ask participants to take a few mo-
wish to share it, in the language it was given, on
ments for reflection, and then share their won
the board or a sheet of newsprint. Then ask par-
story of religious pluralism. It is often helpful
8 AFPI Study Guide
Sharing Stories
for a leader to model this exercise by telling III. Closure
their own story first, briefly, yet with depth and
With the group gathered, ask participants to
clarity. Groups may ask a co-leader or a member
share their hopes for future sessions. Leaders
of the group to act as a gentle time keeper, al-
may also choose to end in prayer or song.
lowing up to ten minutes per person for their
iMartin Buber, Werke III (Munick: Kosel,
story. Participants may be helped by offering
1973), 71. This story is also told in the Interfaith
them the following questions as a way to guide
Youth Core, Interfaith Leaders Toolkit (Chicago:
their stories, though no participant need answer
Interfaith Youth Core, 2009), 14-‐ 15.
every question in order:
iiMaya Angelou, On the Pulse of the Morning
Reflect on your own “story” or religious plural-
(New York: Random House, 1993), n.p.
ism:
iiiNajeeba Syeed-‐ Miller, Claremont School of
1. What is your religious heritage? What is
Theology, March 14, 2011. iv IFYC, Interfaith
the most beautiful aspect of that heritage?
Leaders Toolkit, 14-‐ 19
2. When and now did you first learn that
there were people of religious back- v Stanley Hauerwas, The Peaceable Kingdom: A
grounds other than your own? Primer in Christian Ethics (Notre Dame: Univer-
sity of Notre Dame Press, 1983), 26.
3. Growing up, what contact did you have
with people from other religious tradi- viAdapted by Sheryl Kujawa-‐ Holbrook from
tions? What guidance or models did you Gene Knudsen Hoffman, Cynthia Monroe, Leah
have for relationships with those people? Green, and edited by Dennis Rivers, ed. Com-
4. How did the important adults in your life passionate Listening: An Exploratory Source-
help you to understand religious differ- book About Conflict Transformation.
ences? www.NewConversations.net. January 2008 Edi-
tion. (Accessed June 4, 2010). See Chapter 6 in
5. What is the cruelest thing someone from a
particular.
different religion did to you? Today, what
is your greatest fear about interfaith rela-
tionships?
6. How do you feel about religious pluralism
in your own community? What are your
primary interfaith relationships today?
After all have shared their story, the leader in-
vites volunteer responses to the following evalu-
ative questions: How was that exercise for you?
Did you learn or hear anything new? What was
the most difficult question for you to answer?
Was there anything surprising? How do you
think sharing stories contributes to interfaith dia-
logue?
Optional Activity:
Reflect on your faith community a group com-
pile share your experience of that story. What
are the significant interfaith events and experi-
ences of your faith community? What have you
learned from that history? How would you char-
acterize the interfaith relationships of your faith
community? Where do you see opportunities for
growth? How might your faith community pro-
mote peace with justice?
AFPI Study Guide 9
Interfaith Hospitality
Part 3. Interfaith Hospitality
Sheryl A. Kujawa-Holbrook
Introduction way, and often feeling discomfort, at entering
our neighbor’s synagogue, church, or mosque. It
Daily encounters between people from different means offering hospitality and inviting others
religious traditions have reshaped American reli- into our midst. Interfaith hospitality includes
gion. In looking at the lives of religiously com- providing appropriate food and drink to our
mitted people in faith communities, interfaith guests, a very basic challenge for faith commu-
dialogue is both an opportunity and a challenge. nities. Interfaith hospitality in the spiritual sense
The gifts of religious diversity and the evidence means even more. Not only is the stranger to be
of religious pluralism in local communities sug- genuinely welcomed, but we are to listen to their
gest that the time has come to move interfaith di- stories along the way. Characteristic of interfaith
alogue beyond the scholarly worlds and into our hospitality is the type of welcome that integrates
houses of worship, families, schools, and work- respect with care, as well as the refusal to pre-
places. Through interfaith dialogue, as we en- judge those within our midst. Getting to know
counter our neighbors from other religions, each other and building trust across religious tra-
spiritual growth occurs and we gain a deeper un- ditions takes more than one conversation. It
derstanding of our own faith. Interfaith dialogue takes many conversations over time to develop a
also enlarges our hearts, opening new circles of shared vision for the common good. Sometimes,
friendship and bringing new depth to our rela- interfaith hospitality will mean rejection and
tionships. Through interfaith dialogue we partic- criticism from members of our own religious tra-
ipate in building more compassionate human ditions. At other times, we will be tempted to
communities. In this way, S. Asif Razvi of the pull back and focus inward. To offer genuine in-
Islamic Center of Boston affirms the value of in- terfaith hospitality to our neighbors is both re-
terfaith encounters: “Islam is a continuation of warding and costly.
the other two Abrahamic faiths and it is every
“Don’t neglect to show hospitality to strangers,
practicing Muslim’s obligation to inform others
for by doing so some people have entertained
about our faith,” he says. “We find dialogue to angels without knowing it.” (Hebrews 13:2)iii
be the best approach to inform non-Muslims and
Christian theologian Miroslav Volf uses the
to correct the widespread misconceptions about
image of the “mutual embrace” as a way to envi-
Islam.i
sion hospitality. In the act of reaching beyond
Interfaith hospitality, as a spiritual practice, is re- ourselves to connect with another, in waiting at
quired of followers of the Abrahamic traditions, the border to see if they are open to us, in hold-
as well as other religions. Through interfaith dia- ing them close to ourselves, and in finally, in let-
logue we provide hospitality and care to our ting go, both are transformed.ivMahatma
neighbors. Interestingly, the words both “hostil- Gahndi’s sense of the importance of the practice
ity” and “hospitality” share the same root, yet of hospitality was evident in his ashram family,
different meanings. Hostility thrives on turning which included woman and men, young and old,
intra- and intergroup differences into conflicts, Christians, Muslims, Jews, untouchables and
while hospitality is about remaining open to per- Brahmins. He believed that the spiritual practice
sons and ideas different from our own. One of hospitality was a suitable model for Indian so-
meaning focuses on seeing outsiders as potential ciety, and lived out the vision of a house where
enemies, while the other stresses the willingness all windows and doors were open to people of
to take risks and offer welcome. In interfaith dia- good will.v How might opening our lives to in-
logue the practice of hospitality is about making terfaith dialogue help us to embrace those of
space within our lives and in our communities other religious traditions? As members of the
by extending care to others as members of our Abrahamic traditions, we are called to practice
own family, and to attend openly and respect- interfaith dialogue in the spirit of compassion
fully to the stories and experiences of those from and mutuality, to transform and to reconcile.
other religious traditions.ii This mandate is not limited to us, but part of a
larger interconnected humanity.
Interfaith hospitality means going out of our
10 AFPI Study Guide