This page provides several links to interfaith and ecumenical sites. Ecumenical refers to dialogue and cooperation between different groups or sectors within a single religion. For example, recent talks between Lutheran and Catholic Christians are ecumenical efforts. The National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. and the National Association of Evangelicals are organizational examples.

Interfaith, on the other hand, refers to cooperation and dialogue between major faith communities. Examples would include the Buddhist-Christian dialogue that has taken place in recent years and the history of Jewish-Christian dialogue.

Some of these links are to religious organizations, while others are more academically oriented. Still others are Web sites in themselves.

• Interfaith Alliance : Strong advocacy for tolerance
• Ontario Consultants for Religious Tolerance: One of my own favorites
• United Religions Initiative :   "The purpose of the United  Religions Initiative is to promote enduring, daily

interfaith cooperation, to end religiously motivated violence and to create cultures of peace, justice and healing for the Earth and all living beings."
• Rowan Fairgrove's large Conjureworks.com site has an excellent page of links to religions, religious organizations, and faith-based groups that are making a difference socially. Also features religion news bulletins.
• World Council of Churches : Worldwide Christian ecumenical organization
• North American Interfaith Network:  A networking nonprofit with about 60 participating members; site has news, links, a "multifaith site tour" (currently under construction)
• National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.: A liberally-oriented ecumenical organization
• National Association of Evangelicals: Ecumenical organization of more conservative/evangelical Christian groups
• The Pluralism Project: Housed at Harvard University, a major effort to document religious pluralism in the United States
• If you want statistics, Adherents.com may well be the site you need. "Adherents.com is a growing collection of over 41,000 adherent statistics and religious geography citations -- references to published membership/adherent statistics and congregation statistics for over 4,200 religions, churches, denominations, religious bodies, faith groups, tribes, cultures, movements, ultimate concerns, etc."
• The Meaning Store at the Mall of America:  An interesting plan to bring interfaith information and encounter into the marketplace at one of the most noted shopping malls in the United States
• BeliefNet : An extensive site intended for both believers in various traditions and seekers, has information on spirituality, religion, culture, as well as family matters and ethics.
• United Communities of Spirit : In part a response to the 1993 Parliament of the World's Religions, this organization seeks to build a community based on unity in which diversity is honored
• Ecunet: An interactive Christian community on line
• The Interfaith Center of New York : Great section of annotated links for major and not-so-major world religions, calendar, gallery, discussion and articles.

For an excellent book in this area see Diana Eck's Encountering God: A Spiritual Journey from Bozeman to Benares (Beacon Press, 1994). Chapter 7 ("Is Our God Listening? Exclusivism, Inclusivism, and Pluralism") especially deals with the issue of the religions' claims to absolute truth in a pluralistic world. A thorough analysis of the issue without offering any too-easy solutions.

A Parliament of Souls:  Conversations with 28 Spiritual Leaders from Around the World, Michael Tobias, Jane Morrison, and Bettina Gray, Editors (KQED Books, 1995)  is an anthology of writings by adherents of a wide variety of faith traditions.  It accompanies a videotape set of the same name.

A Sourcebook for the Community of Religions,  Joel Beversluis, Project Editor  (The Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions, 1993) is another first-person resource that has more basic information than the previous entry.
 

Notice: The information presented on this page represents the personal views, ideas, and opinions of the author. This is not an official Ball State University web page. Links contained at this web site to other organizations are presented as a service and neither constitute nor imply university endorsement or warranty.