Today's Challenges

From Diversity to Pluralism

Pluralism is a response to diversity that consists in learning about meaningful differences between different cultures and identities; engaging with different cultures and identities in sites where open dialogue is possible; preserving distinct religious...

Parliament of Religions, 1993 and Beyond

At the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893, the World’s Parliament of Religions gathered leaders from religions across the globe to present on their own traditions and meet members of other traditions. One hundred years later, inspired by the increased diversity...

Stereotypes and Prejudice

Waves of immigration throughout the history of the United States contributed to the nation’s religious diversity, but minority religious groups have long faced misconceptions about their beliefs and practices, often combined with outright bigotry...

Not in This Neighborhood! Zoning Battles

Neighbors unfamiliar with temples, gurdwaras , and mosques sometimes turn to zoning laws in order to sanction religious discrimination. Common sources of conflict include concerns about traffic and parking on residential streets and the appearance of...

Violence and Vandalism

Hate crimes are motivated by prejudice against a group of people, often characterized by religion or race. At their most extreme, hate crimes are deadly, though even smaller acts, like vandalism and other forms of property destruction, can cause...

Cooperation at the Grassroots

Congregations of different backgrounds live side-by-side in cities across the United States. Many take their proximity as an invitation to share resources and to learn about each other’s traditions. They may use the same buildings for worship, plan...

Encounter in the Courts

The First Amendment of the United States Constitution prohibits the establishment of religion and protects its free exercise. The meaning of these two provisions raises questions that often end up in the Supreme Court. A 1963 ruling required that...

Encounter in the Public Schools

Public schools must respond to the needs of their increasingly multireligious student bodies while following legal regulations on the place of religion in schools: accommodating but not endorsing religious expression. Several governmental and advocacy...

Encounter over the Curriculum

Schools attempting to teach about religion face challenges when preparing the tone and perspectives of their materials. For some American public schools, which were non-sectarian but Protestant through the mid-19th century, recognizing and addressing...

School Holidays? Prayers?

Holidays are one source of anxiety for school administrators seeking to define appropriate policies around religion. Questions include: Who should get time off and when? What music should be performed during holiday celebrations? How should holidays be...

Encounter in the Public Square

Leaders in the public square— the military, legislatures, and governmental departments—have responded to the increasing religious diversity in the United States by appointing chaplains, inviting invocations, and recognizing holidays in religions outside...

Hospitals in a New Era

Hospitals work to actively engage in pluralism by creating educational programs that introduce future medical professionals to different religious communities, bringing in clergy and other faith leaders to provide support for patients and their families...

America's Growing Interfaith Infrastructure

Interfaith groups organize members and leaders of different religious traditions to address the community issues that affect them and to engage in social justice and service work. These groups have multiplied over the past decades, some remaining at the...

Common Cause in Social Action

Motivated by shared values of peace and justice, members of different religious backgrounds have created organizations dedicated to promoting social action for the common good. Whether opposing gun violence, promoting labor rights, or creating dialogue on...

Sharing Prayers, Sharing Space

In seeking to worship together, members of different faiths often encounter logistical and spatial problems. Deeper questions, such as what language and prayers are appropriate at interfaith gatherings, also arise. Alternative forms of prayer and new...

"Spiritual but not Religious"

As the religious landscape of the United States is under constant fluctuation, an increasing number of people have begun identifying as spiritual but not religious. In doing so, they seek to distance themselves from “organized” religion. Although...