Religion Gone Astray

by Mackenzie, Don; Falcon, Ted; Rahman, Imam Jamal

• ISBN13: 9781594733178
• ISBN10: 1594733171
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-10-19
• Publisher: Skylight Paths Pub

Summary

Virtually everyone acknowledges difficulty with some aspect of their own religious tradition, even if they are wholly devoted to their faith identity. These vulnerabilities can inhibit meaningful personal engagement with a faith tradition but they can also feed misunderstanding between religious institutions and undermine any hope of authentic interfaith dialogue. Expanding on the conversation started with their very successful first book, the Interfaith Amigos¿a pastor, a rabbi and an imam¿probe more deeply into the problem aspects of our religious institutions to provide a profound understanding of the nature of what divides us. They identify four common problem areas in the Abrahamic faiths¿exclusivity, violence, inequality of men and women, and homophobia¿and their origins. They explore the ways critics use these beliefs as divisive weapons. And they present the ways we can use these vulnerabilities to open the doors for more profound personal relationships, collaboration required to address our common issues, and true interfaith healing.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. vii
Introduction
What We Found at the Heart of Interfaith	p. 1
Our Experience as "The Other"	p. 2
The Stages of Interfaith Dialogue	p. 5
Core Teachings of the Abrahamic Traditions	p. 7
So Who Are We?	p. 9
The Beginning of Healing	p. 10
Toward Greater Healing and Hope	p. 11
Some Suggestions on How to Use This Book	p. 11
We Are the Healing That Needs to Be	p. 13
Exclusivity: Staking Claim to a One and Only Truth	p. 15
Exclusivity in Judaism	p. 15
Exclusivity in Christianity	p. 25
Exclusivity in Islam	p. 34
Concluding Comments	p. 45
Sharing Our Stories	p. 45
Questions for Discussion	p. 43
Spiritual Practices	p. 43
Violence: Justifying Brutality in the Name of Faith	p. 51
Violence in Judaism	p. 51
Violence in Christianity	p. 59
Violence in Islam	p. 76
Concluding Comments	p. 75
Sharing Our Stories	p. 75
Questions for Discussion	p. 79
Spiritual Practices	p. 79
Inequality of Men and Women: The Patriarchal Stranglehold on Power	p. 81
Inequality of Men and Women in Judaism	p. 81
Inequality of Men and Women in Christianity	p. 88
Inequality of Men and Women in Islam	p. 95
Concluding Comments	p. 107
Sharing Our Stories	p. 107
Questions for Discussion	p. 109
Spiritual Practices	p. 109
Homophobia: A Denial of Legitimacy	p. 111
Homophobia in Judaism	p. 112
Homophobia in Christianity	p. 118
Homophobia in Islam	p. 123
Concluding Comments	p. 133
Sharing Our Stories	p. 133
Questions for Discussion	p. 136
Spiritual Practices	p. 137
Underneath It All: God and Revelation	p. 139
Rabbi Ted's Reflections on God and Revelation	p. 139
Pastor Don's Reflections on God and Revelation	p. 146
Imam JamalÆs Reflections on God and Revelation	p. 151
Concluding Comments	p. 158
Conclusion: Going Astray toward Greater Meaning	p. 1592
An Invitation to Personal and Institutional Evolution	p. 161
What You Can Do Now	p. 162
Acknowledgments	p. 165
Notes	p. 167
Suggestions for Further Reading	p. 169
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