Leaders And Scholars Discuss Interfaith Challenges

October 7, 2009

Author: Lauren Burgoon

Source: Georgetown University News

http://explore.georgetown.edu/news/?ID=45111

World political and religious leaders -- including former British prime minister Tony Blair -- called for believers to seize upon interfaith commonalities to address global issues of peace and security at a two-day conference on Muslim-Christian relations this week.

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“The best hope for faith in the 21st century is that we confront all of this together,” Blair said during the opening panel of the conference on Oct. 7. The conference, sponsored by Georgetown’s Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding and the office of Georgetown President John J. DeGioia, will run through Oct. 8.

“This is not because we intend to have the same faith -- we don’t. Our separate beliefs will remain. But our coming together will allow us to speak in friendship to one another about our own faith,” added Blair, whose Tony Blair Faith Foundation promotes interfaith respect and understanding.

The conference, “A Common Word Between Us and You: A Global Agenda for Change,” stems from an October 2007 letter from Muslim leaders to Christian churches and communities. The letter called for the two faiths to reach a better understanding based on two common principles: love of God and love of one’s neighbor.