Crossing the Divide

17

Interfaith Leadership

Bringing Religious Groups Together

Eboo Patel Interfaith Youth Core

April Kunze Interfaith Youth Core

Noah Silverman Interfaith Youth Core

THE need for effective leadership that promotes positive intergroup relations is particularly salient when the groups define themselves along religious lines. Human history and contemporary events suggest that conflict between groups divided across religious identities can be particularly violent, owing to the nature of religious motivation.¹ However, recent history also speaks to religious motivation as a vast resource for improving intergroup dynamics and confronting social ills. A question faces humanity in an era of heightened religiosity and frequent and intense contact between ...