Walking the Talk: Religion, Conflict and Peace Chacour, Firestone, Al-Qazwini, Montville

 
Examining the dual forces within religion, historically and in current times, and the role of individual self-awareness, esteem, and responsibility in experiencing religion as a solution rather than a problem. Examples of inquiry areas are (but are not limited to): - Common ground among religious traditions in terms of understanding, compassion, and a mission of creating peace, with a particular focus on Muslims, Jews, and Christians in the Abrahamic tradition, and how these powerful, fundamental resources can be employed in nurturing the reality of a culture of peace in current global relations. - Mutual dilemmas of conflicts between spiritual vision and intent and seemingly contradictory text and practices in each religion that creates dissonance within the individual and religious community, and at the same time can trigger denial, defensiveness, and sometimes reactionary extremism in response to criticism or perceived threat from outside.