Many People, Many Faiths, One Nation: A Primer on Religious Pluralism

Many People, Many Faiths, One Nation:

A Primer on Religious Pluralism

A resource created by:

First:

Religious freedom is one of our fundamental freedoms as Americans. Stated at the beginning of the US Constitution’s First Amendment:

It should take you 15 minutes to work through this primer.

“

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

America was founded on the idea that people from varied religious and ethnic backgrounds can unite to create a single union.

This primer is an introduction

to religious pluralism.

At the end, we hope you will...

Before we begin, let’s first understand why religious pluralism is important.

• Understand the basic components of religious pluralism

• Recognize its importance for a strong civil society and, in turn, American democracy

• Be inspired to invest or engage in advancing religious pluralism

• Learn how to explore religious pluralism further, including how the Inclusive America Project can be a resource for you

It provides baseline information

to prepare you for further learning

and aims to be a resource for YOU if:

Introduction

1

2

You seek to understand religious pluralism.

You are looking to understand the relationship between religion and democracy.

You actively engage religious communities or are thinking about engaging religious communities for the first time.

You invest or are thinking about investing resources in religious communities.

3

This vision —which we are still striving towards—relies on religious pluralism thriving.

Yet, we get asked all the time: What is religious pluralism? Why is it important?

4

James Madison, architect of the First Amendment, Roger Williams, and Frederick Douglass were only a few of our nation’s influencers to prioritize religious freedom.

George Washington famously wrote:

FAQs for Funders

Very few philanthropic institutions have religious pluralism as a stated focus, but many philanthropic institutions care deeply about advancing topics related to and/or reliant on religious pluralism.

They simply come at it from different directions.

Lastly:

In this vacuum, organized hate groups have spread misinformation and stereotypes and perpetuated crimes against people of different faiths. As a result, faith communities are now under threat.

No matter which way you come into religious pluralism, the fact remains that religious groups are often working on major issues and influencing environments in which philanthropy is also operating. Knowledge and engagement with faith communities—as well as the components that make a thriving religious pluralism—promotes more effective grantmaking.

In addition, the need for philanthropy to invest in religious pluralism is urgent.

WHAT IS RELIGIOUS PLURALISM?

For happily the Government of the United States gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance…”

“

At this point, you might have some questions. Here are common questions about religious pluralism we hear from people, as well as helpful information to guide you.

1

This is an outline of religious pluralism’s components, with explanations and real-world examples. These components are mutually reinforcing, and together, they form the system of religious pluralism.

Examples reflect the work of various practitioners in the field. Based on our preliminary mapping of religious pluralism, the components are intentionally broad and inclusive. We hope they will be helpful guideposts.

In addition, there are many ways that the Inclusive America Project is positioned to help you on your journey of learning about religious pluralism:

Religious diversity, by denomination alone, does not tell the whole story. Religious denominations and faith communities tend to be associated with racial and ethnic identities, and in many cases, dynamics of race and power throughout history have made this deliberate. Awareness of the complexities and varieties of intersections between race, ethnicity, culture, country of origin, and religion is part of creating a thriving religious pluralism.

It is everyone’s responsibility to have a certain level of religious literacy or knowledge about the basic tenets of the world’s major religious traditions. This World Religions Fact Sheet provides a good overview.

8

“Is it legal for my organization to engage with faith-based grantees?”

http://www.tolerance.org/sites/default/files/general/World%20Religions%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf

Thus emphasizing the rights of individuals to believe in and practice their religion.

Faith communities offer:

Faith communities are an essential part of civil society and an immense source of social capital. They are the most embedded and deeply networked groups in local communities, and with over 75% of Americans claiming a religious affiliation, they are strong mobilizers.

Why should philanthropy invest in religious pluralism?

We cannot be experts on all religions. Instead, when talking about religion, you should:

• Ensure a safe and inclusive environment for conversation
• Allow participants to explore their own identities
• Learn alongside others in the conversation
• Explore commonalities among different belief systems
• Examine your assumptions about religion

7

“Is religious pluralism the same thing as religious diversity?”

LINK: https://www.pewresearch.org/quiz/u-s-religious-knowledge-quiz/

No, diversity alone ≠ pluralism. Religious diversity is the existence of many faiths, traditions, and belief systems, but religious pluralism requires:

• Knowledge and respect of one another’s faith identities
• Acknowledgment of our differences without expectation of ideological agreement on all issues
• Positive relationships across faith communities
• Proactive effort and a collective commitment to the common good

“How does racial and ethnic diversity interact with religious pluralism?”

ADVANCE

LEVERAGE

“Do I have to be an expert in religions (or my own) before I can talk about them?”

LINK: https://www.ted.com/talks/suzanne_barakat_islamophobia_killed_my_brother_let_s_end_the_hate?language=en

Violence on the basis of religious identity is increasing at a rapid pace in a country that is only becoming more religiously diverse and divided.

There are no laws or regulations barring philanthropic entities from engaging with faith-based grantees. Philanthropic entities can choose whether and how to include religious communities or religious pluralism in their priorities.

Including faith orientation in DEI thinking brings to bear all the benefits of true diversity, equity, and inclusion acknowledged for other poles of identity. Religious DEI means respecting and understanding individual religious observance and allowing individuals to be their whole selves.

EXAMPLE:

• The Jews of Color Field Building Initiative providing research on the racial diversity of American Jewish communities

Religious Pluralism is a vision of the world in which diverse religious communities and non-believers engage each other in beneficial ways, maintain their distinct identities, and thrive and defend each others’ right to thrive.

To achieve that vision, many component pieces need to be in place.

What is religious

pluralism?

LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j11F3_nb_Sgh

Diversity, Equity,

and Inclusion

LINK: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/religious-pluralism-101/

SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE:

There are at least 350,000 congregations in the US today. That is 3x as many congregations as schools, colleges, and universities combined.

LINK: http://pluralism.org/what-is-pluralism/

QUIZ: Pew Research Center, U.S. Religious Knowledge Quiz (15 question survey to test your knowledge)

VIDEO: Suzanne Barakat, TEDWomen 2016: Islamophobia killed my brother. Let’s end the hate. (15 minute video)

VIDEO: Eboo Patel, Interfaith Youth Core: Religious Pluralism in a Democracy (20 minute video)

BLOG: Inclusive America Project: Religious Pluralism 101 (2 minute read)

BLOG: Diana L. Eck, The Pluralism Project, Harvard University: What is Pluralism? (2 minute read)

BLOG: Shaheen Kassim-Lakha, Conrad C. Hilton Foundation: Turning Thoughts and Prayers into Action: Religious Pluralism in the Era of Hate (5 minute read)

ARTICLE: Dr. Chris Seiple, Templeton Religious Trust: The Call of Covenantal Pluralism: Defeating Religious Nationalism with Faithful Patriotism (15 minute read)

ARTICLE: Derek H. Davis, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor: Introduction: Religious Pluralism as the Essential Foundation of America’s Quest for Unity and Order (30 minute read)

RESOURCE: American Academy of Religion, Religious Literacy Guidelines: What U.S. College Graduates Need to Understand about Religion (30 minute read)

If you would like to explore religious pluralism further, we suggest a few resources to deepen your knowledge.

Here is a list of our favorite resources.

Some funders aim to support religious communities or religious pluralism itself. In this way, they are investing in work that is advancing religious pluralism.

“I know there is no ‘official’ religion in the United States, but isn’t Christianity the most important?”

Exploring

Further

3

Other funders leverage the social capital inherent in thriving religious communities by working with faith-based organizations to achieve goals related to particular issues. These funders are focused on work that is leveraging religious pluralism.

Many founding documents similarly reinforce this point. For example, the Treaty of Tripoli states “As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion...it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.”

6

1

3

Examples include:

• Intrafaith Cooperation: Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund supported the Reformation Project to address LGTBQ issues within evangelical communities.

• Thriving Religious Communities: The US Government awarded a federal contract to the Skinner Leadership Institute to provide leadership training to faith leaders, alongside business, government, and nonprofit leaders, through a Master Series for Distinguished Leaders.

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Through its RISE Together Fund, Proteus Fund supported the Sikh Coalition to promote the inclusion of the Sikh community in American society.

1

2

Examples include:

• Post-Incarceration Reentry Programs: The Catholic Charities of Raleigh supported the Interfaith Prison Ministry for Women to support formerly incarcerated women moving from potential homelessness into permanent housing and stable lives.

• Community Social Justice Organizing: Ford Foundation supported Faith in Action Network’s FORCE Detroit, an interfaith, grassroots organizing project committed to developing local leaders and advancing justice-oriented solutions to community issues.

• Food Security: State Employees Credit Union supported the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle in North Carolina to expand and deepen the reach of the community food system and help battle the devastating effects of hunger.

LINK: https://www.hiltonfoundation.org/news/432-turning-thoughts-and-prayers-into-action-religious-pluralism-in-the-era-of-hate

4

Third:

5

Although the majority of Americans (roughly 70%) identify as Christian, the U.S. Constitution is a secular document, with no mention of Christianity or God. Further, the First Amendment assures free exercise of religion for all, and it specifies that Congress may not establish State support for any religion.

Join the Religious Pluralism Funders Circle, a diverse group of funders embodying a community of practice and learning about religious pluralism.

Contact Zeenat.Rahman@aspeninstitute.org to learn more and/or join.

Awareness and knowledge of major historical religious persecution is decreasing, leaving the hard lessons of our past behind. According to the Claims Conference’s 2018 report, 22% of milennials–and 11% of all US adults–are either unsure or definitely have not heard of the Holocaust before. A majority of Americans (58%) believe something like the Holocaust could happen again.

Religious pluralism relies on the presence of many diverse faith communities with good leadership, sustainable institutions, and leaders and congregants knowledgeable about their own doctrines and traditions.

EXAMPLES:

• American Muslim Civic Leadership Institute at USC training community members to become community leaders
• Orthodox Union Impact Accelerator providing capacity building support for top Jewish nonprofits

In November of 2018, the FBI released its report on hate crimes for 2017. Hate crimes on the basis of religious identity surged 23%–the biggest annual increase since 2001, the year of the 9/11 terror attacks.

Religious nationalism is the attempt to create or enforce an ethno-religious majority. It decreases minority freedoms in favor of the religious community that controls the levers of power, and it works against a thriving religious pluralism.

Thriving

Religious

Communities

Awareness and knowledge of major historical religious persecution is decreasing, leaving the hard lessons of our past behind. According to the Claims Conference’s 2018 report, 22% of milennials–and 11% of all US adults–are either unsure or definitely have not heard of the Holocaust before. A majority of Americans (58%) believe something like the Holocaust could happen again.

We are doing less together as Americans, making the gaps between us larger and the bridges harder to build. We are not just divided politically. According to the 2018 General Social Survey, only about one-fifth of Americans said people can be trusted. In particular, the polarization between religious conservatives and secular liberals has deepened.

Religious

Pluralism

11

9

LINK: https://www.fpri.org/article/2018/11/the-call-of-covenantal-pluralism-defeating-religious-nationalism-with-faithful-patriotism/

Utilize our one-pagers.

We developed one-pagers from the information you saw in this primer. Feel free to use these resources as your go-to guides and share them with your colleagues and networks.

• What is Religious Pluralism?

• Why Should Philanthropy Invest in Religious Pluralism?

• Frequently Asked Questions

LINK: http://bit.ly/ReligiousPluralism1

10

Religious

Literacy

No! The Constitution guarantees your right to talk about religion as part of your First Amendment rights of free expression and speech. Only government employees, because of the Establishment Clause, are forbidden from promoting or criticizing any particular faith while on the job.

"Why should members of majority faiths or people who don’t believe in God care about religious pluralism?"

LINK: https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780195326246.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780195326246-e-0

Religious pluralism relies on individuals having a basic understanding of religions, which allows citizens to engage more effectively and find common values with people of all faiths and no faith.

EXAMPLES:

• Tanenbaum advancing religious literacy in professions through religious diversity and literacy trainings for specific industries
• Harvard’s Religious Literacy Project training teachers how to address religious contexts in their classrooms

LINK: http://bit.ly/WhyReligiousPluralism

Second:

Religious pluralism creates the conditions that provide the rights, freedoms, and safety for all Americans to worship, or not, according to their conscience. Like other American rights and freedoms, protecting someone’s right to worship also protects your right not to worship.

In addition, we live in a society with many different religions. Everyone—including those in the majority faith and those who are religiously unaffiliated—must productively engage with the religious diversity in the world.

LINK: http://bit.ly/ReligiousPluralismFAQs

“I am hearing a lot about religious nationalism right now. How does that fit into this topic?”

That is an individual choice for each philanthropic entity. However, there are plenty of options that allow philanthropic entities to restrict where their money goes within a grantee’s organization. Each philanthropic entity should decide where their “red lines” are for funding, and at the end of the day, it is about the story of impact they are trying to achieve in the world. As with any other potential partner, foundations and grantees must do their own due diligence and make thoughtful choices about partnerships.

Religious pluralism relies on every person feeling the guarantee of equal rights and freedoms to worship, or not, according to their conscience, as well as the guarantee that no one individual or community can force their faith orientation on any one else.

EXAMPLES:

• The Sikh Coalition providing legal support for those suffering religious discrimination
• The Religious Freedom & Business Foundation launching a Corporate Pledge, which encourages companies to commit to ensure working conditions or policies do not put employees at odds with their religious convictions

LINK: https://www.aarweb.org/aar-religious-literacy-guidelines

"Is it against the law to talk about religion in public?"

SOCIAL COHESION

Faith communities can offer opportunities to practice shared values and mutual commitments in public and build relationships across a broad spectrum of people; the result is greater overall cohesion of our communities.

Religious

Freedom

“Can I fund organizations with whom I have strong ideological disagreements, even though aspects of their work align with my vision and mission?”

Diversity in

Media and

Representation

Our communities and democracy cannot be strong without an equally strong civil society, and the strength of our civil society relies on our understanding and engaging faith communities.

Religious pluralism relies on minority communities telling their own stories in media like journalism, literature, and television, so their diverse and multi-faceted stories become part of the American narrative.

EXAMPLES:

• Dancing Earth Creations performing and creating indigenous cultural and religious arts
• Seftel Productions creating Secret Life Of Muslims to represent American Muslims with humor and empathy

Help us help you.

Link: https://forms.gle/v8zJnHTJTS3Hehp4A

%

Religious pluralism relies on meaningful connection around lines of faith difference to build shared bridges, deepen understanding, and develop critical skillsets for democractic engagement in a religiously, ideologically, and demographically diverse society.

EXAMPLES:

• The Interfaith Youth Core promoting interfaith dialogue for college students
• The Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom uniting Muslim and Jewish women through their annual programming

Multifaith +

Intrafaith

Engagement

%

Sign up for the Inclusive America Project’s newsletter.

This a monthly newsletter that shares highlights, research, upcoming events, and news about religious pluralism. IAP will be releasing new resources, including resources about race and religion, so sign up on our website to get alerts first.

As America is one of the most religiously diverse and devout countries in the world, every single one of us, whether we ascribe to a religion or not, needs the literacy and skills to effectively navigate the religious diversity that exists all around us.

23

Religion and faith are major parts of individuals' identity, similar to how gender, age, ethnic group, sexual orientation, or other identity characteristics shape the way we exist in the world.

• Fill out a short, 10-question survey to help us understand your interests and learning needs related to religious pluralism.

• Schedule an introductory call with the leaders of the Inclusive America Project so we can get to know you, your work, and your interest in religious pluralism. Please email Allison.Ralph@aspeninstitute.org to get on our calendar.

of Americans

claim a

religious

affiliation

77

Hate Speech and Hate Crime

Prevention

Religious pluralism is a critical component of American democracy, and the civic debate it facilitates allows diverse voices to acknowledge strong differences, yet still work to find common ground.

In this way, religious pluralism offers us, as Americans, the opportunity to strengthen our democracy.

do not

2

Hate speech and hate crimes bring a cycle of fear to whole communities, prompting them to withdraw into closed spaces, further sequestering them from society, and preventing their inclusion. The prevention of these activities allows religious pluralism to thrive.

EXAMPLES:

• The After Charlottesville Project exploring how to address intolerance
• Shoulder-to-Shoulder organizing against Islamophobia

https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/justice-and-society-program/inclusive-america-project/

While America has always been religiously plural and religion has always been a part of American culture, it has become an increasingly polarizing topic in recent years. Our perception is that religious practices are private, and on the whole, we do not talk about that part of identity, in ourselves or others.

However, when religious pluralism is thriving, evidence exists that we can work against this violence and division. For example, a 2019 survey from Pew Research Center found that familiarity with religious groups is associated with warmer feelings towards them. The relationships we build across lines of difference have enormous potential to strengthen our social cohesion and democracy.

12

The right investments from philanthropy now can provide necessary and critical programs, research, strategies, and convenings that will shape the way religion and faith communities are positioned to be part of the solution to our current challenges.

References

Thank you!

This resource was made possible through the support of a grant from the Templeton Religion Trust, who believe that cooperative, constructive engagement across deep religious differences is a key factor in making positive progress in the world. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Templeton Religion Trust.

1 Washington, George. “George Washington’s Letter to the Hebrew Congregation of Newport.” Touro Synagogue Foundation, https://www.tourosynagogue.org/history-learning/tsf-intro-menu/slom-scholarship/86-washington-letter.

2 Cooperman, Alan, “U.S. Public Becoming Less Religious.” Pew Research Center, November 3, 2015, https://www.pewforum.org/2015/11/03/u-s-public-becoming-less-religious/.

3 “U.S. Religion Census 2010: Summary Findings.” Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies, May 1, 2012, http://www.usreligioncensus.org/press_release/ACP%2020120501.pdf; Riser-Kositsky, Maya, “Education Statistics: Facts About American Schools.” Education Week, November 11, 2019, https://www.edweek.org/ew/issues/education-statistics/index.html; Moody, Josh, “A Guide to the Changing Number of U.S. Universities.” U.S. News & World Report, February 15, 2019, https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/2019-02-15/how-many-universities-are-in-the-us-and-why-that-number-is-changing.

4 “Religious Landscape Study.” Pew Research Center, 2014, https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/.

5 “Is America a Christian Nation?” Americans United for Separation of Church and State, https://www.au.org/resources/publications/is-america-a-christian-nation.

6 The Barbary Treaties, 1786-1816, Treating of Peace and Friendship, November 4, 1796, https://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/bar1796t.asp.

7 Fowler, Mark. “How to Teach Religion Without Being an Expert.” Education Week, August 10, 2015, https://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/global_learning/2015/08/how_to_teach_about_religion_without_being_a_religion_expert.html.

8 “World Religions Fact Sheet.” Tanenbaum, 2011, http://www.tolerance.org/sites/default/files/general/World%20Religions%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf.

9 Beasley, Jonathan, “Why Hate Crimes Are on the Rise,” The Harvard Religion Beat Podcast. Harvard Divinity School, April 23, 2019, https://hds.harvard.edu/news/2019/04/23/podcast-why-hate-crimes-are-rise.

10 Berman, Julius, “New Survey by Claims Conference Finds Significant Lack of Holocaust Knowledge in the United States.” The Claims Conference, 2018, http://www.claimscon.org/study/.

11 General Social Survey, GSS Data Explorer. The National Opinion Research Center, University of Chicago, https://gssdataexplorer.norc.org/.

12 Masci, David, “In U.S., familiarity with religious groups is associated with warmer feelings towards them.” Pew Research Center, October 31, 2019, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/10/31/in-u-s-familiarity-with-religious-groups-is-associated-with-warmer-feelings-toward-them/?fbclid=IwAR0YufjNtgvKm8xmREE6E3sn1w-1vhQa3uToWD_5BLTeGjY-BqXNMls0UWY.

Questions? Comments? Feedback on this resource?

Please email us at Zeenat.Rahman@aspeninstitute.org.