October 11, 2006 7:30 PM
The Faith Club
After the September 11th attacks, Ranya Idliby, a Muslim scholar of Palestinian origin, invited Suzanne Oliver, a Christian writer, and Priscilla Warner, a Jewish illustrator, to write a children’s book on the shared history of their religions. Quickly their search for commonality and mutual respect exposed their deepest fears, prejudices and misunderstandings.
For the next three years, these women met regularly to discuss challenging and unanticipated issues that arose between them: from political clashes to religious rituals, personal spirituality to basic theology, the Crucifixion to jihad. Committed to their spiritual adventure, Idliby, Oliver and Warner vowed to speak with respect and honesty, however painful or saddening the contents.
Over time, their dedicated dialogue bore fruits of self-discovery, friendship and renewal of faith that continue to flower in their communities and beyond.
Their collective memoir, The Faith Club, weaves together first-person stories with the quest for mutual tolerance—and offers us a guide to howwe can be agents of healing dialogue in a world fractured by fear and misunderstanding.
In an evening of candid and heartfelt conversation, Idliby, Warner and Oliver shared with the audience the worries, hopes and strengthened faith that provided a meeting ground to cultivate true community in diversity, and spoke of how others can also start a faith club that nurtures peace across the divides of faith.