Pastor Don Mackenzie, PhD, Rabbi Ted Falcon, PhD, and Imam Jamal Rahman-now known as the Interfaith Amigos-started working together after 9/11. Since then, they have brought their unique blend of spiritual wisdom and humor to audiences in the US, Israel-Palestine, Japan and more. Their first book, Getting to the Heart of Interfaith: The Eye-Opening, Hope-Filled Friendship of a Pastor, a Rabbi and an Imam, brought the Interfaith Amigos international attention with coverage from the New York Times, CBS News and [...] second book, Religion Gone Astray: What We Found at the Heart of Interfaith, probes more deeply into the problem aspects of our religious institutions to provide a profound understanding of the nature of what divides us. Their work is dedicated to supporting more effective interfaith dialogue that can bring greater collaboration on the major social and economic issues of our time.

Pastor Don Mackenzie, PhD, is former minister and head of staff at University Congregational United Church of Christ in Seattle.

Introduction 1

1. THE INTERFAITH JOURNEY: Stages of Interfaith Dialogue and Collaboration 5
What Is Interfaith? 5
Five Stages on the Interfaith Journey 7
The Next Step 26
2. THE POWER OF OUR STORIES: Moving Beyond Separation and Suspicion 27
Interfaith from the Inside Out 27
Pastor Don's Journey to Interfaith 29
Rabbi Ted's Journey to Interfaith 34
Sheikh Jamal's Journey to Interfaith 38
How We Got Together 43
Forging a Path 48
3. THE CORE OF OUR TRADITIONS: Inquiring More Deeply 51
Timeless Teachings 51
Pastor Don: Love 53
Rabbi Ted: Sh'ma 60
Sheikh Jamal: Basmala 69
Finding Common Ground 77
4. THE PROMISES AND PROBLEMS OF OUR TRADITIONS: Sharing Both the Easy and the Difficult Parts 79
Honest Dialogue 79
Living into Deeper Sharing 103
5. PERSPECTIVES ON ISRAEL AND PALESTINE: Moving Beyond Safe Territory 105
The Elephant in the Room 105
A Christian in Israel and Palestine 107
A Jew in Israel and Palestine 114
A Muslim in Israel and Palestine 121
Blessings at the Galilee 129
Expanding Our View 131
6. NEW DIMENSIONS OF SPIRITUAL IDENTITY: Exploring Spiritual Practices from Other Traditions 135
A Deeper Taste 135
Pastor Don's Practices 136
Rabbi Ted's Practices 141
Sheikh Jamal's Practices 147
Healing through Spiritual Practices 152
7. THERE IS ALWAYS MORE: The Conclusion Is Also a Beginning 155
Authentic Spiritual Paths 155
Inclusive Spirituality 159
Don's Reflections 160
Ted's Reflections 162
Jamal's Reflections 163
Honoring the Spirit 164
The Future of Interfaith Dialogue and Celebration 168

Discussion Questions 171
Suggestions for Further Reading 178
Acknowledgments 180
Credits 183