Interfaith Education Programs

Women’s Interfaith Book Group:
Daughters of Abraham

This group of women—lay and ordained, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim—meet monthly for 2 hours to deepen their knowledge of their own and other Abrahamic faith traditions. Two groups are currently meeting at the Cathedral College—an afternoon and an evening group. By reading and discussing books—fiction or non-fiction—that teach us about each other’s faith traditions, and then sharing how we practice our respective faiths, we hope to increase our respect for all Abrahamic religions and build a trusting and intellectually stimulating interfaith community of women. The hope is that each woman will carry the experience and new knowledge into her home, workplace, place of worship and neighborhood to promote respect and goodwill among people of all faith traditions.

How is this different from interfaith dialogue groups? Who may join?

A book discussion group focuses on the topics raised by the book: contemporary cultural issues, work and family life, women’s concerns, and information about the religious history, traditions and practices of others. The group does not engage in religious debate, conversion or controversial political issues. Books are chosen by the leadership team and from the booklist on www.daughtersofabraham.info. The group at the Cathedral College is connected to eight groups that have formed in the Boston area since 9/11/2001.

There is no cost to join and anyone may join who is able to commit to regular attendance. Absences are expected and one may not be able to finish the book for a particular month, but commitment to participation and attendance is essential to build a trusting interfaith community. The program is designed for those who are already active members of a particular faith community, and not for seekers of a religious tradition. Participants are not expected to be experts in their own faith tradition or to speak on behalf of all of their own tradition.

For more information, contact the Rev. Dr. Carol M. Flett at ccinterfaith@yahoo.com

The Abrahamic Roundtable—an academic discussion of the sacred texts: Hebrew Bible, Quran, and Christian Testament

Washington National Cathedral’s Abrahamic Roundtable was initiated by Bishop John Bryson Chane, who hosts and invites 15 scholars and congregational leaders to meet four times a year to explore what the sacred texts of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam each tell us about a particular topic that is challenging the practices of all traditions at this time. The first series of the Abrahamic Roundtable initially convened in December 2003 and met six times before concluding their discussions in spring 2006. The discussions focused upon what each tradition’s scripture says about the reception of the stranger and produced a useful educational document, The Abrahamic Family and the Other. By examining only the texts, the members discovered where the teachings of each religion converged around issues of public concern. The final document is intended to be used, along with a study guide, in “grassroots” interfaith dialogues or in one faith community’s adult education.

The topic for this series of discussions that began in November 2007 is The Abrahamic Family and Creation—how each faith tradition understands God’s role and our responsibility in creating and caring for our environment, the land, and all of God’s creatures. The hope is the group will develop a unified statement concerning the environment and how an interfaith community can be a reconciling voice that will offer the moral guidance and hope that is urgently needed in each of our faith communities.

Given the complexities of the global community that have followed since September 11, 2001, and the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, an academic dialogue such as this one is essential in understanding the impact of the Abrahamic traditions on political events that shape our global community.

The Rev. Dr. Carol Flett, Interfaith Programs Coordinator, convenes and facilitates the discussions. ccinterfaith@yahoo.com