The Cathedral actively pursues interfaith dialogue and collaboration, particularly among the three Abrahamic faiths.
Citation in CNN Program
Bishop of Washington John Bryson Chane and Cathedral Interfaith Programs Coordinator Carol Flett cited in CNN article ‘Burn Quran Day’ an outrage to Muslims. Read the article »
Book Review
Read a review of Journey into America: The Challenge of Islam by Dr. Akbar Ahmed. Click here »
Women’s Interfaith Book Group: Daughters of Abraham
This group of women—lay and ordained, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim—meet monthly for two hours to deepen their knowledge of their own and other Abrahamic faith traditions. By reading and discussing books—fiction or non-fiction—that teach us about each other’s faith traditions, and then sharing how we practice our respective faiths, we hope to increase our respect for all Abrahamic religions and build a trusting and intellectually stimulating interfaith community of women.
Books are chosen by the leadership team and from the booklist on www.daughtersofabraham.com. The group at the Cathedral College is connected to eight groups that have formed in the Boston area since September 11, 2001.
There is no cost to join and anyone may join who is able to commit to regular attendance. The program is designed for those who are already active members of a particular faith community, and not for seekers of a religious tradition. The group does not engage in religious debate, conversion, or controversial political issues.
The Abrahamic Roundtable: An academic discussion of the Hebrew Bible, Quran, and Christian Testament
Washington National Cathedral’s Abrahamic Roundtable was initiated by Bishop John Bryson Chane, who hosts and invites 15 scholars and congregational leaders to meet four times a year to explore what the sacred texts of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam each tell us about a particular topic that is challenging the practices of all traditions at this time. The first series of the Abrahamic Roundtable initially convened in December 2003 and met six times before concluding their discussions in spring 2006. The discussions focused upon what each tradition’s scripture says about the reception of the stranger and produced a useful educational document, The Abrahamic Family and the Other.
The topic for the fall 2008–spring 2009 series of discussions was “The Abrahamic Family and Creation”: how each faith tradition understands God’s role and our responsibility in creating and caring for our environment, the land, and all of God’s creatures. The topic for the fall 2009–spring 2010 series of discussions is “How and Who Has the Authority to Interpret Our Sacred Texts?” We began with a study of the history of the Quran and how the words of God spoken through the prophet Muhammad were memorized, recorded, collected, and compiled into a book, along with the sayings of the prophet, the Hadith. The roundtable will also study the history of the recording and authority of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Testament.
Additional interfaith dialogues are offered throughout the academic year: A Jewish-Christian Dialogue between members of the Cathedral congregation and members of the local Jewish community is planned for Sunday, March 14, 1–5 pm at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Contact Carol Flett to sign-up. A total number of 50 may participate.
Contact the Rev. Dr. Carol M. Flett at ccinterfaith@yahoo.com or cflett@cathedral.org.