Acting on Faith

March 1, 2020

Editors Beadle (senior pastor, St. Paul's Christian Church, Raleigh, NC) and Haskins (chaplain for spiritual life, Univ. of Richmond, VA) ambitiously seek to raise interfaith awareness by sharing the lived experiences of ecumenical activists working toward religious understanding. Beadle and Haskins are Protestant clergy who have gathered various voices to reflect on issues, such as the environment, gender identity, race, and privilege. These insights represent "the core of who we are as people of faith through our stories." Most are no longer than a page or two. Thus, the reflections offered are less about the core doctrines of any faith tradition than an expression of how the individual contributor feels or puts their particular beliefs into practice. One Christian woman, reflecting on institutional male church authority, declares, "Any document that oppresses is not the gospel." Another Buddhist woman claims that gender is an empty category without fixity, even while acknowledging how crucial it is for women in the West. VERDICT These words are more meditations than action plans; however, the reflection questions as well as the resources for engagement are incredibly useful. Overall, this is a helpful primer to interfaith communication.--Sandra Collins, Byzantine Catholic Seminary Lib., Pittsburgh

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