Interfaiths: The Academic Study of Religion (Religionswissenschaft)

Inter-religious dialogue is the effort by individuals and organisations of different religious affiliations to exchange views on their commonalities and differences, reduce misunderstandings, and cooperate on shared goals such as peace or ecology. The relevance of the academic study of religion (Religionswissenschaft) to this dialogue is multifaceted, acting as both a historical initiator, a critical observer, and a resource provider.

Key aspects of its relevance include:

• Historical Foundation: The study of religion and modern inter-religious dialogue share common roots in the 19th-century fascination with "the foreign" and the 1893 World Parliament of Religions in Chicago, which was a turning point where religions first actively communicated the expectation of learning from one another.
• Provision of Expertise: Scholars a ...