In today’s global society, being able to understand and dialogue cross-culturally and interfaith is critical to finding God’s path to a just world. American Baptist Women’s Ministries is focusing on interfaith and cross-cultural relationships as a national organization, and seeks to provide vision and resources for you to do the same in your community.
For Your Study
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Visit “A Common Word” website at www.acommonword.com. “A Common Word between Us and You” was an open letter signed by 139 leading Muslim scholars and intellectuals to the leaders of the Christian churches and denominations of the entire world, calling for peace and harmony between Christians and Muslims worldwide. The Common Word website contains the original letter, as well as responses from Christian and Jewish communities.
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Read The Faith Club: A Muslim, A Christian, A Jew—Three Women Search for Understanding by Suzanne Oliver, Ranya Idilby, and Priscilla Warner. Use the questions for reflection at the back of the book for your own personal time of reflection or for group study. (Using this Amazon link helps support AB Women's Ministries.)
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Read the May 3, 2013, press release from American Baptist News Service regarding “Common Ground: A Baptist Muslim Conversation.”
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Visit www.karenkonnection.org for more information about Karen and other ethnic groups from Burma as they form communities and congregations here in the United States.
Taking Action
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Check this resource available for interfaith relationship-building this summer!
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Form relationships with women of the Burma diaspora communities here in the United States. Many have joined American Baptist Churches or have worshipping communities in ABCUSA church buildings. There are many faiths represented in the Burma diaspora in the U.S., including Muslim, Buddhist, and animist. There is plenty of opportunity for both interfaith and cross-cultural dialogue here!
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Form a study group around the information available at www.acommonword.com.
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Explore interfaith dialogue groups available in your community and plan to begin participating. If there are no such groups already in existence, explore how you may be able to begin getting together with an interfaith group of women.