The Pluralism Project at Harvard University

Mr. Joel Beversluis

North American Interfaith Network (NAIN)
Documenting the Growth, Leaders, and Activities of the Interfaith Movement in North America

 

Project Description

AFFILIATE RESEARCHER

Before his death in March 2003, Joel Beversluis was editor of "NAINews & Interfaith Digest," the newsletter of the North American Interfaith Network. He was also a member of the Board and newsletter editor for the Interfaith Dialogue Association, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Joel Beversluis edited A SourceBook for Earth's Community of Religions and was publisher of CoNexus Press, which provides resources about the world's religions, about their responses to each other and to global issues and ethics, especially through interfaith movements.

THE SURVEY and OTHER SOURCES

The questionnaire used to gather much of this information was designed for and first used to collect general information about interfaith organizations and activities in the North American Interfaith Network, the National Association of Ecumenical and Interfaith Staff, and in some unaffiliated organizations. About 40 organizations responded to the approximately 150 surveys that were distributed by mail and at a conference.

Information from the surveys has been supplemented by data—often incomplete—that the researcher gathered from organizations that did not respond to the survey but have provided information in other forms in the past. Sources include organizational newsletters, brochures, and web sites as well as personal observations and conversations. These are included to provide at least some basic information about significant organizations to flesh out this report and from whom we hope to receive a survey.

In many cases, survey respondents did not provide complete information; in other cases the query was not applicable to the organization or not (yet) available. Despite these deficiencies, a picture of a growing movement emerges from the available data and provides both researchers and the interested reader with solid summary data and numerous sources for more information where it is wanted.

The outline structure of the survey is as follows:

Basic Organizational Data
Type of Organization
Organizational History, Purpose, Leadership
Demographic and Attitudinal Changes and Outreach
Types of activities and programming
Concerns or Insights re: the Future of Interfaith Activities

 

NOTE: A discovery and flaw in the survey:

Some ecumenical organizations to which the survey was distributed used the word "interfaith" to refer to "among diverse Christian denominations." While for some the relationships between very different denominations may seem like "interfaith" activities, for purposes of this research and the Pluralism Project the term "interfaith" has a specific application. Here, the term is reserved for those relationships and deliberate encounters that take place between members or representatives of communities based in distinctly different religions, such as world religions, aboriginal communities or new religious movements.

The word "ecumenical" is more commonly used to describe relationships between members of different Christian denominations. As a result of this distinction, some of the surveys returned have not been included where organizations are engaged in ecumenical—but not interfaith—activities.

Ecumenical organizations tend to have the most substantial structures and services, since they are often supported by a large number of Christian churches. For many of them, their interfaith relationships are with Jews, if at all, due to the historic presence of Jews in these communities and because of early efforts within the ecumenical movements to understand and develop appreciative relationships with Jews. The interfaith activities of ecumenical organizations are also limited by their bylaws, which indicate that they are to work primarily with fellow Christians, for Christian unity and service.

A WORK IN PROGRESS:

Joel hoped to continue adding to this research about interfaith activities in North America from various sources of information, including those of you who read these profiles. In addition to the relatively few gathered here, there are many hundreds of organizations that have interfaith components to their work and mission.

There are numerous local chapters and affiliates of large national and international interfaith organizations, each of which could also be listed on these pages.

LINKS:

Link to the organizations described in the Portrait that have web sites and that responded to the survey with site information directly from the portraits as you are reading through them. Other sites of interest:

• The homepage vision statement for Affiliate Researcher Joel Beversluis: www.conexuspress.com/conexus.html, and the storefront for CoNexus Press, offering interfaith books, calendars, and links: www.conexuspress.com
  
  
• A Portrait of North American Interfaith Organizations and Activities (PDF)
  
  
• SURVEY
  
  
• NAINews and Interfaith Digest. The North American Interfaith Network (NAIN) has approximately 60 member organizations. Its site has been extensively revised, but it still includes includes NAINews (newsletters) and The Interfaith Digest edited by Joel Beversluis. The newsletter and Digest also include summaries of programs and resources from North America and the world-wide interfaith movement. Visit: www.nain.org
  
  
• Interfaith Voices for Peace and Justice includes a very large listing of faith, interfaith and other advocacy organizations as well as individuals with a special interest in the wisdom and responses of religious, inter-religious and spiritual communities to issues of our time. Visit: interspirit.net/ifv.cfm

 

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