Cambridge Inter-Faith Programme

Cambridge Inter-Faith Programme is an academic and outreach initiative based in Cambridge that fosters dialogue among religious communities, engages scholars and practitioners, and links faith-based perspectives with public life. It operates at the intersection of theology, ethics, and social policy and collaborates with colleges, seminaries, research institutes, and civic organizations to advance interreligious understanding. Founded amid broader ecumenical and interfaith movements, the Programme has intersected with notable figures and institutions across religious studies, public theology, and international relations.

History

The Programme traces intellectual antecedents to encounters like the Second Vatican Council, the World Council of Churches, the Parliament of the World’s Religions, the Three Faiths Forum, and movements associated with T.S. Eliot, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Paul Tillich, Reinhold Niebuhr, and Martin Buber. Early sponsors and interlocutors included faculty from Trinity College, Cambridge, King's College, Cambridge, and scholars linked to the Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge, the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Centre for the Study of Christianity and Culture, and the Royal Institute of Philosophy. Over decades the Programme engaged with diplomats from the United Nations, activists from Amnesty International, and scholars affiliated with the School of Oriental and African Studies and the London School of Economics. Its timeline intersects with events such as dialogues following the Iranian Revolution, post-Cold War initiatives tied to the Helsinki Accords, and responses to crises involving the Bosnian War, the Rwandan Genocide, and conflicts in Iraq and Syria. Participants have included theologians, rabbis, imams, monks, bishops, and laity connected to institutions like Westminster Abbey, the Anglican Communion, the Archdiocese of Canterbury, the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, and the Al-Azhar University. The Programme evolved alongside research centres including the Centre for the Study of Religion and Society, the Wolfson College, Cambridge community, and international networks linked to the European Council of Religious Leaders.

Mission and Objectives

The Programme’s mission aligns with principles advanced by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, and the Charter for Compassion; it emphasizes dialogue modeled after precedents like the Aarhus Interreligious Dialogue and the Assisi Meetings. Objectives include fostering relationships among representatives from Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism, and indigenous traditions represented by delegations from the World Council of Indigenous Peoples and the International Network for Interreligious Dialogue. It seeks institutional partnerships similar to those between the British Council, the European Commission, the Home Office, and civic actors such as Cambridge City Council. The Programme aims to influence policy dialogues involving actors like the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and philanthropic bodies including the Gates Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Programs and Activities

Activities reflect formats used by the Religions for Peace network, the Harvard Divinity School, the Yale Center for Faith and Culture, and the Centre for Interfaith Action on Global Poverty. Regular offerings include seminars featuring contributors from Harvard University, Princeton University, Yale University, Columbia University, Stanford University, University of Oxford, University of Edinburgh, Durham University, and University College London; roundtables with representatives from Goldsmiths, University of London, SOAS University of London, and the Birmingham Faith Leaders Forum; workshops on peacebuilding inspired by methodologies from Search for Common Ground and Conciliation Resources; and lecture series modeled after the Gifford Lectures and the Terry Lectures. The Programme organizes interfaith pilgrimages with partners such as St. John’s College, Cambridge and exchange visits tied to the Bethlem Royal Hospital arts initiatives. It hosts conferences addressing themes from ethical finance debated in venues like the London Stock Exchange to refugee support coordinated with Refugee Council and Médecins Sans Frontières.

Organizational Structure and Partnerships

Administratively situated within the University of Cambridge ecosystem, the Programme draws governance practices from entities like the Cambridge Theological Federation, Ridley Hall, Westcott House, and the Institute of Continuing Education. Leadership includes directors, advisory boards, and visiting fellows often affiliated with the British Academy, the Royal Society of Arts, the Centre for European Reform, and the Institute for Strategic Dialogue. Partnerships extend to the Cambridge Union Society, the Cambridge Centre for Christianity Worldwide, the Religious Studies Association, municipal bodies like Cambridge City Council, and international NGOs such as Oxfam, Save the Children, and Transparency International. Funding and collaboration have involved trustees and donors connected to the Wellcome Trust, the Leverhulme Trust, and corporate partners engaged with Barclays and HSBC on community initiatives.

Notable Publications and Research

Scholarly outputs mirror publication patterns of the Journal of Ecclesiastical History, the International Journal of Religion and Theology, and the Journal of Interreligious Studies; project reports have been cited alongside works published by Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, Routledge, Palgrave Macmillan, and Bloomsbury. Research themes include comparative theology drawing on authors like John Hick, Karl Rahner, Hans Küng, and Wilfred Cantwell Smith; studies of ritual and identity referencing Victor Turner and Clifford Geertz; and policy-relevant white papers used by the Home Office and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Collaborative monographs and edited volumes have involved contributors from Trinity College Dublin, the University of Notre Dame, the Pontifical Gregorian University, the Hebrew Union College, and the Institut Catholique de Paris.

Impact and Reception

The Programme’s work has influenced dialogues in settings such as the House of Lords, the European Parliament, the United Nations General Assembly, and local forums in Cambridgeshire. Commentators from media outlets including associations linked to BBC coverage, features in periodicals connected to The Times, and analyses in journals associated with The Guardian and The Economist have noted its contributions. Academic reception includes citations in studies produced by the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, the Brookings Institution, the Chatham House research outputs, and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Its community-level impact is visible in partnerships with faith-based charities such as Christian Aid, The Sikh Council UK, Jewish Leadership Council, and local mosques and churches across Cambridge and partner cities. Category:Interfaith organizations