Dormition Abbey > Our Work for Peace > The Vision for Beit Benedict

The Vision for Beit Benedict Interfaith Peace Academy:
Encountering Others in a Spirit of Reverence

 

Introduction

Beit Benedict, located within the Benedictine Dormition Abbey on Mt. Zion in Jerusalem, is a place of encounter and prayer for people of all faiths who seek peace. These prayerful encounters occur within the context of the practice of faith, and through dialogue with those of different faiths. The result of these encounters is a deepened appreciation of one's own faith as it relates to peace; an enhanced understanding of the teachings of other traditions regarding peace; and a strengthened commitment to create a community which affirms the rights and dignity of all peoples, and which fosters justice and peace.

Interfaith dialogue can be described as conversation among people of diverse faiths on a common subject, the primary purpose of which is for each participant to learn from the other in a way that fosters spiritual, cognitive and practical growth.

The spiritual: experiences of faith
The cognitive: understanding of truth
The practical: collaborations in the service of humanity

The primary goal of Beit Benedikt is to facilitate the sort of dialogue that furthers the development of participants in all of these areas.
Today, there is a growing interest among political scientists, theologians, governments and religious leaders in exploring the potential of religion as a means of making peace. More and more, religion is being viewed as an indispensable tool in resolving intractable conflicts. Indeed, religion is rarely the principle cause of strife, even when opposing groups are differentiated by religious identities. While it cannot be denied that religion can be a contributing factor in conflicts, it also can be a powerful force in the struggle for peace and reconciliation. A primary reason for this is that religion offers an inspired perspective of reality. It insists that the current reality is not the only possibility. As one interfaith dialogue participant said, "You are a slave in Egypt, then along comes Moses and says, 'There's another way - we're going to be free!'"

People of faith share a desire to develop honest, loving and holy relationships with God and neighbor. The pursuit of such relationships can form the basis for the rebuilding of ties that have been damaged or destroyed by violence. When members of two or more faiths participate in a conversation about peace and reconciliation, the effects can transform individuals and societies. Interfaith dialogue can provide the inspiration, guidance and validation necessary for participants to ameliorate violence and advance reconciliation. Interfaith dialogue enables people of faith to live out what most faith traditions consider a sacred duty - the responsibility to be peacemakers.

Spirituality as the Center of Interfaith Dialogue

The transformative quality of interfaith dialogue resides in a unique attribute not to be found in secular or nonreligious dialogue - namely, spirituality. In his seminal work Interfaith Dialogue and Peacemaking, David Smock asserts, "spirituality is at the center of the interfaith encounter and is the most powerful feature of interfaith dialogue because it allows change in participants' attitudes." According to Smock, participants utilize their spiritual identities, beliefs and values to transform their views of a conflict, their views of others, and their views of themselves. Participants not only have the potential to receive new information, to have a positive emotional experience, and to accomplish a joint project; most importantly, they have an opportunity to make a deeper human connection with God and with other participants through a spiritual encounter. "When this deeper spiritual connection is made in the context of interfaith dialogue, it becomes the main source for the individual's commitment to social change, peace work and taking the risks to confront one's own evil," concludes Smock.

Reverence as the Mode of Interfaith Dialogue

Reverence, a hallmark of Benedictine Spirituality is the modus operandi of the monastery at the Dormition on Mt. Sion in Jerusalem. Reverence is the guiding virtue of Beit Benedict Interfaith Peace Academy. There is a need to move beyond merely reverence for the Holy Sites in the Holy Land, to reverence the inner sanctuaries in every human heart created by God. Reverence is not only operative at Beit Benedict, but through courses and seminars it is hoped that a reverence will be nurtured in participants, their cultures and communities.

According to clinical psychologist and researcher Renee Garfinkel, reverence "enables participants from different faith traditions to jointly affirm transcendent ideals such as honor, justice, compassion, forgiveness and freedom." From the humble stance of reverence, humans encounter God and one another in ways that move the heart, mind and soul. When persons engaged in interfaith dialogue act in a spirit of reverence, the Divine Presence is manifested; it is the presence of God that enables humans to transcend their own limits in the quest for peace.

Transcendence is the goal of the spiritual life, and the very essence of the God who dwells in love and fidelity with humanity. In peacemaking, much needs to be transcended: fears, stereotypes, hurts, transcended in not some esoteric metaphysical way - but through honest, hard conversation, reflection and conversion. A specific challenge of the conflict in the Holy Land is to transcend the history. It is God's very nature to transcend history. The spiritual focus of Beit Benedict, hopefully will cultivate an awareness of God's transcendence and the invitation for humanity to participate in it.

Shared Experiences as the Means of Interfaith Dialogue

Relationships that are formed in an atmosphere of inter-religious reverence promote peace. Relational encounters include shared experiences and informal interactions as well as formal conversations. These encounters can result in:

the expression of more positive ideas about the other
a more peaceful mode of interacting with the other
increased empathy toward the other
over time, a growth in positive, tolerant ideas expressed by the community as a whole.

Often, it is the shared experiences and informal interactions that most affect perceptions of the other, and consequently, most influence peace making. Shared experiences such as joint musical concerts, joint art exhibitions, and lectures by prominent religious voices for reconciliation, all have the potential to enhance positive relationships among persons of various traditions. These shared experiences provide common, neutral ground, an oasis to stand upon in times of conflict. Extended periods of time spent in shared experiences, including retreats, can truly lead to deeper understanding of self in relation to the other and to God. Whether for a few hours or a few days, these shared experiences of culture, music, art, and of human living are essential for peacemaking. These shared experiences create conditions necessary for peaceful coexistence. Participants realize, "We can experience beauty together. We can experience joy together. We can be inspired together."

The shared experience of spiritual disciplines is a means to facilitate not only a sense of solidarity in interfaith encounters, but also provide a paradigm of what is possible. Shared silence, shared fasting, shared sacrifice can unite religious people in a very profound way, impacting not only their own personal interfaith relationships but their respective faith communities as well. The Abbot of the Benedictine abbey at the Dormition in Jerusalem has prayed silently for peace with a Muslim cleric and Jewish rabbi. These three religious individuals praying together reveal the possibility of peaceful coexistence.

The Importance of Being Rooted Within One's Own Tradition

The shared experiences and conversations of interfaith dialogue are only effective when participants are firmly rooted within their own religious traditions. Participants must posses a thorough and genuine understanding of their tradition's beliefs, commitments and values. Only with this profound awareness of one's own faith can a successful encounter with those of another faith occur. Jaco Cillers, in Building Bridges for Interfaith Dialogue states, " ... only when there is a deep understanding of one's own religious beliefs and commitments [can progress] be made in achieving true understanding and respect for the religious values and beliefs of others." It is necessary to have a clear and well-defined sense of self prior to an encounter with another. Interfaith dialogue "cannot be merely a polite meeting of participants from different traditions who engage in swapping superficial information. Rather it must be a sharing from the heart -- from the depths of each tradition, solidly rooted in spiritual experiences and supported by centuries of accumulated wisdom" (Cillers 1989, 4).

The process of becoming grounded within one's own tradition requires intra-faith communication. Study, reflection, and discussion among those of the same faith tradition are prerequisites of interfaith dialogue. The answer to the question "What within our tradition calls on us to engage in interfaith dialogue?" must be known prior to engaging in interfaith dialogue. Appreciation of the motivations of one's own faith for conducting interfaith dialogue is absolutely necessary to a successful interfaith encounter.

Abu-Nimer, in his article The Miracles of Transformation, affirms the necessity of intra-faith dialogue prior to interfaith dialogue, and asserts that these conversations can have a greater impact on peace than the interfaith dialogues that ensue. He states, "It is crucial to recognize that unireligious peace meetings can be even more effective than interfaith dialogue." For example, a rabbi's group that does not often meet with Palestinian Muslims or Christians for dialogue but nonetheless advocates for human rights in the occupied territories, may affect more religious and secular Jews than an interfaith group that meets regularly to deepen its understanding of other religions. Similarly, a Christian organization that operates among the Palestinians and educates for tolerance and peaceful negotiation, may affect Palestinian opinion more than those religious organizations that rush to conduct joint activities. Ecumenical dialogue is, therefore, indispensable for Christians engaged in interfaith dialogue.

Conclusion

Beit Benedikt Peace Academy places spirituality at the center of all programs and activities. The founding organization, a Benedictine monastic community will insure the centrality of spirituality in the mission and programs of Beit Benedict as well as enable the Interfaith Peace Academy to employ reverence as the mode of interfaith dialogue. Shared experiences of prayer, culture and education are the means of interfaith dialogue. Beit Benedict is deeply rooted in the Catholic, Benedictine tradition and will seek out participants who are equally grounded in their own traditions.

The Dormition Abbey has acquired the land, building permit and architectural designs. Funds have been raised in Germany for the endowment of Beit Benedict, however, 14 million dollars still needs to be raised for construction. The community humbly requests your prayers and support as they seek to bear witness to the possibility of peace in land that so dearly longs for it.

Backgrounds of Scholars Cited

Mohammed Abu-Nimer is a professor at American University in Washington, D.C., where he specializes in peace and conflict resolution studies. Has has conducted research on conflict resolution among Palestinians and Jews in Israel, on the application of conflict resolution models in non-Western contexts, and on Islam and peace building. His most recent book is Reconciliation, Justice, Coexistence: Theory and Practice (Lanham, Md.: Lexington Books, 2001) For this paper, his article The Miracles of Transformation through Interfaith Dialogue, published by the United States Institute of Peace Press in 2002 was cited.

Jaco Cilliers has worked on conflict resolution in multireligious communities in several parts of the world. He is currently the justice and peacebuilding senior advisor for Catholic Relief Services. He holds a Ph.D from the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia. For this paper his article Building Bridges for Interfaith Dialogue, published by the United States Institute of Peace in 2002 was cited.

Renee Garfinkel, is a practicing clinical psychologist and Research Scientist at the Institute for Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management at George Washington University. She has considerable experience in the field of project evaluation including evaluating interfaith dialogue projects. For this paper, her article Evaluating Interfaith Peace Dialogues, published by the United States Institute for Peace in 2003 was cited.

Marc Gopin is visiting associate professor of international diplomacy at the Fletcher School for Law and Diplomacy, senior researcher it its Institute for Human Security, and a visiting scholar at Harvard University's Program on Negotiation. He is author of Between Eden and Armageddon: The Future of World Religions, Violence and Peacemaking (New York and London: Oxford University Press 2000) and Holy War, Holy Peace: How Religion Can Bring Peace to the Middle East (New York: Oxford University Press, 2002). For this paper, his article The Uses of the Word and Its Limits: A Critical Evaluation of Religious Dialogue as Peacemaking published by the United States Institute for Peace in 2002 was cited.

David Smock is director of the Religion and Peacemaking Initiative at the United States Institute of Peace. Formerly director of the Institute's Grant Program, he is the author or editor several books on religion and Africa. He contributed to and edited Interfaith Dialogue and Peacebuilding (Washington, DC United States Institute of Peace Press, 2002) the text that was cited in this paper.