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| A Common Word Between Us and You | |
|---|---|
| Name | A Common Word Between Us and You |
| Author | Anonymous (initiative by Christian and Muslim scholars) |
| Published | 2007 |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Interreligious dialogue, theology |
| Publisher | Interfaith Initiative |
A Common Word Between Us and You is an open letter initiated in 2007 that called for peace and mutual understanding between Christian and Islamic leaders, citing shared commitments to love and God as a basis for dialogue. The initiative brought together signees from academic institutions, religious organizations, and political bodies, prompting responses from theologians, diplomats, and civic leaders across United States, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and other states. It spurred conferences, publications, and continued engagement involving universities, churches, and mosques.
The 2007 letter emerged against a backdrop of post-9/11 geopolitics involving United States Department of State, United Nations, European Union, and regional actors such as Iran, Turkey, and Egypt. Prominent religious figures and institutions, including representatives connected to Vatican, Al-Azhar University, World Council of Churches, and various Christian denominations, engaged with the initiative. Scholars affiliated with Harvard University, Oxford University, Georgetown University, Yale University, and Princeton University analyzed the document alongside responses from leaders at Council on Foreign Relations, Brookings Institution, and faith-based NGOs.
The phrase at the core of the initiative echoes scriptural language from texts such as the Bible and the Quran, prompting philological comparison by experts in Hebrew Language, Greek language, Classical Arabic, and Latin. Linguists from institutions like University of Cambridge, University of Edinburgh, University of California, Berkeley, and SOAS University of London examined concordances with versets in Gospel of Matthew, Epistle to the Romans, and Quranic surahs often discussed at Al-Azhar University and Dar al-Ifta. Comparative studies referenced works by scholars associated with Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, and the journals of American Academy of Religion and British Academy.
Interfaith interpreters from organizations such as Interfaith Youth Core, A Common Word Project signatories, Pax Christi International, and Religions for Peace framed the phrase in contexts ranging from parish programs in Rome to mosque forums in Cairo and community centers in Lagos. Political leaders including former officials from White House administrations and ministers from Indonesia and Malaysia weighed in on its diplomatic resonance. Cultural institutions such as Smithsonian Institution, British Museum, and Institut du Monde Arabe hosted panels connecting the phrase to practices in Christian liturgy, Sufi orders, Coptic Church, and Orthodox Church traditions.
The initiative inspired commentary in outlets like The New York Times, The Guardian, Le Monde, Al Jazeera, and BBC News, and generated scholarly monographs published by Routledge, Palgrave Macmillan, and Cambridge University Press. Authors and commentators including affiliates of Columbia University, King's College London, Duke University, and Boston College produced essays linking the phrase to texts by Thomas Aquinas, Ibn Arabi, Augustine of Hippo, and Al-Ghazali. Documentaries screened at festivals such as Sundance Film Festival and Cannes Film Festival featured interviews with religious leaders from Vatican City, Mecca pilgrims, and representatives of World Bank cultural programs.
Sociolinguists at Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, University of Chicago, and Stanford University assessed how the shared phrase functions in identity construction among communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, India, Nigeria, and Palestine. Non-governmental organizations including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and faith-based relief agencies analyzed its impact on discourses about pluralism, coexistence, and civil rights in contexts involving European Court of Human Rights cases, municipal policies in New York City, and reconciliation efforts in post-conflict zones like Balkans and Iraq.
Translations and adaptations appeared in languages studied at UCLA, ETH Zurich, and Leiden University, with versions in Arabic, English, French, Turkish, Urdu, Malay, and Swahili. The phrase was rendered and debated in liturgical, academic, and diplomatic registers by translators affiliated with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, International Association of Conference Translators, and university presses. Comparative theology seminars at Yale Divinity School, Harvard Divinity School, Union Theological Seminary, and Princeton Theological Seminary examined how translation choices affected reception in contexts from Dhaka to Fez.
Critics from think tanks such as Hudson Institute, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and commentators associated with Middle East Institute and Heritage Foundation questioned the initiative's theological premises and political implications. Debates unfolded in forums hosted by Chatham House, Council on Foreign Relations, and national parliaments in France and Netherlands, addressing accusations of theological relativism, diplomatic instrumentality, and power asymmetries involving states like Saudi Arabia and Iran. Ongoing scholarship at Notre Dame and Georgetown University continues to evaluate the letter's legacy in interreligious practice, peacebuilding, and public theology.
Category:Interfaith dialogue