Interfaith embraces the universal truths in the world's spiritual traditions and honors the beautiful diversity in human experience, along with our essential unity. It reflects an experience of the Divine that is too big to be contained solely within any one religion.
The vision we are putting forward is one of mutual respect and harmonious living among people of all faith traditions. An Interfaith perspective provides a roadmap for navigating the boundaries between people, religions, and cultures. It is a force for bridging and healing the religious schisms of our polarized and troubled world.
What is Interfaith?
The following is a composite definition of interfaith ministry that evolved out of The Chaplaincy Institute's student and faculty meditations on the nature of interfaith ministry.
The committed life of an ordained interfaith minister is one of constant study of religions and cultures, ceremonies, rituals, liturgies and spiritual paths. The ordained interfaith minister strives to live a life of compassion, not condemnation. It means we look to our diversity as the composite, and yet never full revealed, image of the sacred and divine. It means we are open to receive the many gifts and blessings, of the wisdom teachings and truths of other faith traditions, while also fully embracing our own traditions. It means we maintain a sense of wonder and curiosity about it All.
The interfaith minister serves the unnamed and named God, and is open to engaging unfamiliar faith traditions. The interfaith minister recognizes that the Holy is everywhere: jail, hospital, nature, the streets. Our mission is to empower all and overpower none. We strive to dissolve prejudice and injustice. To do this we must be vigilant observers of human nature, starting with ourselves.
What does an Interfaith Minister do?
- Interfaith ministers provide compassionate, respectful spiritual care to people of all faiths and people of no faith. We support people’s finding meaning within life, crisis, suffering, and loss.
- An Interfaith Minister seeks to honor both the diversity and the unity of all beings, cultures and faith traditions.
- We delight in the rich gifts and lessons of the wisdom teachings and truths of other faith traditions, while also fully embracing our own respective traditions.
- Interfaith ministers provide spiritual support, using pastoral care skills such as listening, presence, and compassion. We assist people in celebrating and ritualizing the cycles of life, including weddings and memorials.
- We serve the unnamed and named God, and are open to engaging new faith traditions that are not familiar.
- The interfaith minister recognizes that the Holy is everywhere: hospital, jail, nature, the streets.
- We support people in their process of sorting out their relationship to the Divine / to the Great Mystery.
As ordained interfaith ministers, we hold that Spirit is fully present as an inspired energy in all beings and all things. We see beauty, and we respect and are connected to the Divine nature expressed in both male and female, in the body, and in creation itself. We seek and work with the loving thread that flows through all faiths, that connects all faiths and has always connected faith traditions. We believe that forgiveness and gratitude are two of the most powerful tools of our calling, and that dedicated spiritual practice and prayer can bring about transformation and healing.
We pray that those who wage war in the name of God will someday embrace this perspective so that our world will know peace and harmony.