Learn more about the life and legacy of historic civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with these lesson plans, archival documents, and other learning materials from the New York Times.
Read more (New York Times)
The Value of Teaching about Art when Teaching about Islam
Conventional public school curricula on Islam focus primarily on how Islam developed and spread, and on the rise of early modern Islamic empires, and far less on the interconnectedness of European, Asian, and African civilizations and cultures. Teaching about art could help remedy this problem, by emphasizing the centuries-long cross-cultural exchange that took place between the Muslim world and neighboring peoples.
Read more (Huffington Post)
Religious Literacy: More than Just Understanding Beliefs
Religious literacy is important for all Americans, and it requires being willing to step out of one’s comfort zone to really get to know belief systems that may be very different from one’s own. But, more than just developing an familiarity with and understanding of different religious beliefs and practices, true religious literacy also requires an understanding of religious experiences. Interfaith work can help fill this gap, and bring people closer together.
Read more (Vox)
The Importance of Diverse Viewpoints
In a recent talk at Harvard University, Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law Cass R. Sunstein argued that lack of ideological diversity can lead to more extreme views. That is, the more people discuss ideas and topics only with people who agree with them, the more polarized those ideas tend to become. Although Sunstein’s presentation focused on issues of law, the idea that diverse viewpoints can soften hard-line stances and positions can be easily extrapolated into other areas, and makes a good case for the necessity and importance of interfaith dialogue.
Read more (The Harvard Law Record)
Building on Curiosity for Productive Interfaith Exchanges
Read this engaging piece in AMP Global Youth about how we can capitalize on people’s natural curiosity about others to build productive and meaningful interfaith and intercultural dialogue.
Read more (AMP Global Youth)
