Modeling Religious Pluralism

With religiously motivated violence on the rise, Simran Jeet Singh brings together global experts from inside and outside the Academy to explore one of the most critical questions of our time: how might we learn to share this planet with one another, including those who live and believe differently than we do? The essays in Modeling Religious Pluralism draw on authors' decades of experience to offer practical advice on how to move toward a future of religious acceptance and harmony. Cultivating religious pluralism requires deep understanding of the conditions that contribute to existing tensions and careful strategizing that is sensitive and attentive to the unique experiences of those involved. Each of the contributors in this volume brings their own insights, expertise, and perspective, shedding light on the different nodes required to build pluralism. The model presented in this book has been developed by the Aspen Institute's Religion & Society Program over the course of years and in consultation with a range of scholars, practitioners, and thought leaders who have been actively working on these topics. The chapters span a range of topics and fields, including religious literacy, religious freedom, religion and media, philanthropy, and more. Each essay offers insightful analysis to help readers better understand the complexities in their respective fields, along with practical guidance on how to build pluralism. Accessible, comprehensive, and grounded in research from across disciplines, this volume both provides a model for religious pluralism and models religious pluralism in action.

Simran Jeet Singh is Assistant Professor of Interreligious Histories at Union Theological Seminary and author of the national bestseller, The Light We Give: How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform Your Life (Riverhead, Penguin Random House, 2022). He is Senior Advisor for the Aspen Institute's Religion & Society Program, where he previously served as Executive Director. Singh hosts the PRX podcast Wisdom & Practice, and he is a contributor for TIME and a columnist for Religion News Service. He earned his graduate degrees in religion from Harvard and Columbia.