The religious landscape of America is changing. In the past fifty years, new immigrants have arrived from all over the world seeking political freedom and economic prosperity. They have come with their cultural and religious traditions, their Qur’ans and Bhagavad Gitas, their rituals, prayers,  and forms of mediation, their songs, dances, and arts. They have put down roots in American soil and created community centers and sacred spaces.

At first, many of the changes in America’s religious landscape were relatively invisible. There was no new architecture to catch the eye...

National and International Initiatives

Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions (Founded 1988) – Chicago, IL

The first World’s Congress of Religions convened in 1893 at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago and is often cited as the “birth of formal interreligious dialogue.” In 1988 the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions was founded to organize a centennial celebration of that historic gathering....

"Interfaith Infrastructure" is the Pluralism Project's survey of interfaith efforts taking place across the U.S. While the term “interfaith” might include everything from informal personal relationships to formal meetings of religious leaders, this section takes a sharper focus on organizations. Many of these efforts are local, whether born out of crisis, context, or civic purpose; some focus on dialogue, activism, or education. Here, we offer a glimpse of an emerging interfaith movement by documenting a range of...