Practical Interfaith: How to Find Our Common Humanity as We Celebrate Diversity

by Steven Greenebaum

Overview

Interfaith as a Faith―A Way to Move Past Preaching about Love and Compassion to Actually Practicing Them "A commitment to Interfaith is no small commitment. Nor is it an easy commitment. But I do believe it can be a rewarding and healing one. Interfaith widens our world. And, if we let it, Interfaith frees us from the imprisoning shackles of one of the most debilitating of all human emotions―fear of the 'other.'" ―from Chapter 6 The interfaith movement is taking root. More and more of us are exploring it. At the same time interfaith finds itself at a crossroads. Where do we go now? Rev. Steven Greenebaum not only suggests the faith of Interfaith as a positive way forward but also offers a practical, down-to-earth approach to a more spiritually fulfilling life. In this accessible how-to guide, Greenebaum addresses: What it means to practice Interfaith as a faith and why you might want to embrace it. Why you can choose Interfaith as a faith and still keep your own spiritual tradition. How to establish the necessary foundations to start an Interfaith spiritual community. How to choose the right minister for your Interfaith community. What you can expect as your community forms and grows. And much, much more. Along with offering resources such as Interfaith liturgy and guides to Interfaith church governance, he includes the voices of members of the Living Interfaith Church, the community he founded, to share their whys and hows of participating in an Interfaith church.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781594735905
Publisher:	Turner Publishing Company
Publication date:	10/06/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	NOOK Book
Pages:	176
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Rev. Steven Greenebaum, an Interfaith minister and founder of Living Interfaith Church in Lynnwood, Washington, is the author of The Interfaith Alternative. Featured in the New York Times, he speaks and leads workshops on Interfaith and compassion as the core of our diverse spiritual traditions throughout the United States and Canada.

Table of Contents

Preface vii

Part I The Call of Interfaith 1
1 Interfaith as a Faith 3
2 Guides or Rulebooks? 7
3 Why Are Our Paths So Different? 11
4 What We Call It Matters 17
5 A Blasphemous Look at Blasphemy 22
Voices of Interfaith 26

Part II Day-to-Day Interfaith 29
6 The Decision to Act 31
7 Why Interfaith Can Be Hard 35
8 What Does It Mean to Practice Interfaith? 42
9 The Foundation of Interfaith Dialogue 50
10 Broadening the Dialogue 57
Voices of Interfaith 61

Part III Starting an Interfaith Church 63
11 Holding Safe, Sacred Space 65
12 Foundations for Starting an Interfaith Spiritual Community 72
13 The Road to Living Interfaith 78
14 Joys and Bumps along the Way 90
15 Some Thoughts on Interfaith Ministry 97
Voices of Interfaith 100

Part IV Resources for an Interfaith Community 101
16 Choosing an Interfaith Minister 109
17 I Think I Want to Be an Interfaith Minister 114
18 Anatomy of an Interfaith Service 119
19 Some Interfaith Liturgy 125

Conclusion: Where Do We Go from Here? 135
Appendix: Possibly Helpful Documents 137
Notes 152
Suggestions for Further Reading 157

Editorial Reviews

"Sensible, balanced, and yes, practical.… An education for those who practice one faith tradition and an affirmation for those who are, often intuitively, growing into and claiming a spiritual identity that is specifically 'interfaith.' Laudable."
—The Rev. John Mabry, PhD, editor, Spiritual Guidance across Religions: A Sourcebook for Spiritual Directors and Other Professionals Providing Counsel to People of Differing Faith Traditions

"New and potentially revolutionary…. This is a faith without an 'us' or ‘them,’ without ‘my truth’ and ‘your heresy’; a faith as inclusive and as rich as life itself…. I ask you to read it. I challenge you to live it."
—Rabbi Rami Shapiro, author, Perennial Wisdom for the Spiritually Independent: Sacred Teachings—Annotated and Explained

“Offers practical solutions for coming together around one of the most enduring sources of conflict—religion…. Both grounded and inspiring.”
—Kathe Schaaf, coeditor, Women, Spirituality and Transformative Leadership: Where Grace Meets Power; cofounder, Women of Spirit and Faith

“A wise and compelling guide to living the truth that Interfaith is not about conversion but about completion—becoming a more fully developed human being. Highly recommended!”
—Imam Jamal Rahman, coauthor, Getting to the Heart of Interfaith: The Eye-Opening, Hope-Filled Friendship of a Pastor, a Rabbi and an Imam

“A guide for bringing people together across boundaries…. [Does] for interfaith understanding what Eric Law’s fine books have done for multi-culturalism. As a Baptist pastor, I am deeply indebted to Steven Greenebaum for his profound understanding of our diverse faith paths and the potential of relationship between them.”
—Rev. M. Christopher Boyer, pastor, Good Shepherd Baptist Church; past president, Church Council of Greater Seattle

“An inspiring must-read both for students of interfaith and those who might want to explore Interfaith. Not only does Greenebaum give us some valuable Interfaith basics, he also provides us with a generous sharing of tools and resources for building Interfaith community.”
—Paul McKenna, Canadian interfaith educator

From the Publisher

Steven Greenebaum is the founder of Living Interfaith Church in Lynnwood, Washington, and author ofThe Interfaith Alternative.Here he writes: "A commitment to Interfaith is no small commitment. Nor is it an easy commitment. But I do believe it can be a rewarding and healing one. Interfaith widens our world. And, if we let it, Interfaith frees us from the imprisoning shackles of one of the most debilitating of all human emotions—fear of the 'other.'" The author speaks and leads workshops on Interfaith and compassion as the core of our diverse spiritual traditions throughout the United States and Canada.

Greenebaum presents a short history of interfaith dialogue and then goes on to discuss the challenges and rewards of starting an interfaith church. The final section is on "Resources for an Interfaith Community" with wise counsel on choosing an Interfaith Minister, what it takes to become an Interfaith Minister, his anatomy of an Interfaith service and examples of Interfaith liturgy.

He concludes: "Is it not time for the human family, at long, long last, to recognize our common humanity, even as we respect and honor our decency?"

Spirituality & Practice - Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

Practical Interfaith, by Rev. Steven Greene­baum '70 (SkylightPaths Publish[ing]; $16.99). Practical Interfaith shares with the reader a vision of Interfaith as a faith—not a religion—and then sets about laying out how we might embrace it. No one is asked to leave his or her own spiritual path behind. Greene­baum encourages individuals to ­embrace diversity, rather than be fearful of it; to ­listen to one another; and work toward common goals of love, compassion and community. Practical Interfaith offers real-world answers to an age-old question: Can we at long last learn to respect one another? Greenebaum (author of The Interfaith Alternative) lives in Lynnwood, Wash.

Occidental College Magazine

03/01/2015
Greenebaum (The Interfaith Alternative) is the founder of Living Interfaith Church in Lynnwood, WA. The Interfaith community views the great religious traditions (Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, and so on) as "spiritual paths" and unites to worship while honoring and celebrating the rites and feasts of each of these traditions, encouraging members to retain the faiths with which they arrived. This is a conception of religious practice that is very far from questions of geography, tribe, and family, which used to govern belief. VERDICT This brief work, really a church-planting manual, may not be an obvious place to start for the individual seeker (that would be The Interfaith Alternative) but is the obvious place to turn for the curious who want to gather in interfaith settings.

Library Journal

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