Week 8: Dialoguing with Different Faith Traditions

Keep in mind the materials for Dialoguing with Different Faith Traditions as you respond to this prompt. As you dialogue on this topic, remember no one person or community represents the entirety of a tradition or worldview. Dialogue of this nature is sensitive and tends to evoke strong feelings. Be honest but respectful with your classmates. Keep these guidelines in mind:

Listen with a view of wanting to understand, rather than listening with a view of countering what we hear.

Listen for strengths so as to affirm and learn, rather than listening for weaknesses so as to discount and devalue.

Speak for ourselves from our own understanding and experiences, rather than speaking based on our assumptions about others' positions and motives.

Ask questions to increase understanding, rather than asking questions to trip up or to confuse.

Concentrate on others' words and feelings, rather than focusing on the next point we want to make.

Accept others' experiences as real and valid for them, rather than critiquing others' experiences as distorted or invalid.

Part 1 Due by Wednesday [Week 8, see schedule for dates]

Calling on personal experience, the shared values from the three faith traditions, and the sense of cooperative spirit expressed in the video from the interfaith amigos, reflect on this prompt: Is it possible to remain true to my own faith while recognizing the validity of other religions? How might we as a community create space for learning, mutual respect, grace and hospitality in order to have courageous conversations and create healthy discourse?