What Is Interfaith Spirituality?

Every weekend for a full year during my time in seminary, my classmates and I would go on field trips to local houses of worship throughout every borough of New York City, observing the varied customs, religious beliefs, rituals, and styles of worship. The idea was to learn the tenets and principles of each faith, but also to learn how to be a respectful visitor and observer.

It was arranged for us to sit and talk with the clergy persons at each house of worship. All my fellow seminarians were from different backgrounds, but we were asked to follow the protocol of each house of worship. I remember, during a visit to a major mosque in Manhattan, the women covered their heads, but the imam invited female students to sit up front with the men. In an ancient synagogue downtown, the women sat in the balcony row while the men were below, davening (praying). We went to Hindu temples and sat on the floor to pray as bells chimed around us and the priests chanted in Sanskrit. There were visits to Baha’i houses of worship, Buddhist temples, Tibetan prayer rooms, and several churches representing different aspects of Christianity. The religious leaders who hosted us were eager to teach about their beliefs and traditions, and many also came to seminary classes to teach. They believed that an interfaith understanding would help foster respect between people of different backgrounds.

One of the most important aspects of becoming an interfaith minister was learning that every individual has a right to their own unique spiritual path and that everyone’s point of view about the Divine is sacred. While people have differences, they also share a common humanity. My spiritual teacher, interfaith pioneer Rabbi Joseph Gelberman, PhD, always used to say that we are all brothers and sisters. He taught that standing side by side and celebrating one another’s faiths did not require us to give up the traditions into which we were born. His motto was, “Never instead of, always in addition to.”

A Brief History of Modern Interfaith Relations

Many people consider the earlier days of interfaith spirituality to be a movement. It came on the heels of the Human Potential Movement of the 70s and was heralded by leaders of many religions who formed fellowships and friendships

For example, Rabbi Gelberman was a dear friend of Swami Satchidananda of Integral Yoga International. They were early proponents of celebrating one another’s faith (Judaism and Hinduism, respectively). In 1981, they joined forces with other clergy from diverse faiths and formed The New Seminary of New York, the first training ground for interfaith ministers. Many similar organizations and seminaries were formed over time. Rabbi Gelberman went on to also establish the All Faiths Seminary International.

The world has changed in the 26 years since I graduated from seminary, but the principles of interfaith spirituality remain the same. It is based on compassionate inclusion of all people and an understanding that the divine is known by many names.

The Tenets of Interfaith Spirituality

Interfaith spirituality is not a religion or a singular belief system. It is more of a practice, or point of view, that accepts, embraces, and celebrates all faiths. It is an approach that honors each person as having their own religious beliefs and traditions—those we are born into and those that we adopt along the way. It is a philosophy that acknowledges all holy books of the world’s religions and accepts the different ways individuals and groups worship. Some adherents to the interfaith philosophy believe that there is one divine energy, which manifests in many ways. This quote from Mahatma Gandhi was popularized by Integral Yoga International: “Truth is one, paths are many.”

People also use the terms interspiritual, multifaith, intercultural, and interethnic to mean similar things. One of the key components that links them all is that there is a foundational belief that the act of honoring the divine is expressed in many forms. People who embrace interfaith spirituality tend to look beyond dogma and judgment and focus more on an inclusive form of spiritual expression.

Interfaith Spirituality in the World

Each practitioner of interfaith spirituality will define the philosophy in different ways based upon their experiences. Some may see it as a form of healing dialogue, bringing people of different backgrounds together to learn about one another’s beliefs or help foster respect for the different ways people worship. It may also take form through the work of healing rifts and religious hatred. Here are the common ways in which we see interfaith concepts applied.

Religious tolerance: The earliest term used to define interfaith spirituality as we know it today is religious tolerance. The idea of religious tolerance in practice is that we may not share the same beliefs as others, but we accept that they have a right to worship according to their own religion and culture. Part of practicing religious tolerance is treating others with respect and not impeding their right to worship.

Interfaith service: An interfaith service is a spiritual service designed to include people of many or all faiths. It may be conducted by one chaplain from a specific faith who offers ecumenical prayers, or by multiple clergypersons representing different faiths. For example, after the horrors of 9/11, where people of so many backgrounds were lost, there often were prayer and memorial services in New York City led by high-ranking religious leaders, such as rabbis, imams, Catholic priests, Hindu priests, and Protestant ministers.

Interfaith services are common during some holidays, at funerals, or on historical occasions. Sometimes there are multiple clergy and readings from different scripture.

Interfaith weddings and marriages: Interfaith spirituality has been made more visible through a recent increase in interfaith and blended-culture weddings. These nuptials may be officiated by a clergy representing each faith (such as a minister and a rabbi). Alternatively, it may be an interfaith minister or nondenominational officiant who creates a ceremony that blends the couple’s faiths, cultures, personal values, and family traditions.

Families may start out hesitantly when a son or daughter falls in love with someone from a different background, but through the blending of families and by conducting an interfaith ceremony, many will rise above differences and learn to celebrate together.

Interfaith dialogue: There have been many attempts around the world to open the lines of communication between individuals, groups, and nations. Some religious leaders believe that the biggest block to unity among people of different faiths is that we don’t really understand one another. If someone is raised in one religion or with one holy book, it may be hard to consider the validity of another person’s religion. If people look, speak, or pray differently, it may be hard to consider their path to the divine as valid.

Interfaith dialogue makes the attempt to understand another person’s faith of origin and sometimes seek the common denominator between faiths. For example, people may pray to God by different names or in different languages, but devotion and love of family may be common elements that they share. Interfaith dialogue is often created with the help of clergy or representatives from different faith traditions.

Interfaith Spirituality in America

America became a multireligious nation as immigration policies changed. People from many different religions and cultures settled here and brought all their colorful traditions, prayers, and beliefs. They built new sacred spaces and houses of worship. Some live in tight-knit communities with people who share their background, while others live in cities filled with many diverse communities.

For example, my community of Queens, New York, is known as one of the most ethnically diverse places in the world. It is truly a melting pot. People of all backgrounds live, work, socialize, and shop in the same community, and do so respectfully. Sometimes they celebrate each other’s traditions at community events. This has made a profound impact within the environment of religious pluralism that is part of the fabric of the United States.

The Harvard Pluralism Project is a wonderful resource that gives deep insight to how people worship and celebrate their traditions. It evolved from Professor Diana Eck’s 1991 class at Harvard University on “World Religions in New England.” Professor Eck spent decades documenting the changing religious landscape, inspiring her to write A New Religious America: How a Christian Country Has Become the World's Most Religiously Diverse Nation.

The Essence of Interfaith Spirituality

By learning about different religions, we may find many ways to appreciate traditions other than the ones we were born into. And we may discover how to be more accepting of everyone’s unique path while seeking common ground in our shared humanity.

Learn more about the power of interfaith prayer to unite cultures and religions.