Beyond Tolerance: Searching for Interfaith Understanding in America

by Gustav Niebuhr

At a time when religious conflict and violence seem to dominate the media, distinguished religion journalist Gustav Niebuhr set off across America to find people who are building, not burning, the bridges between faiths. As he travels across the country-from Queens and Baltimore to Louisville and Los Angeles-he finds Buddhists, Catholics, Jews, Baptists, Muslims, and Episcopalians reaching out to one another to find common ground between their faiths. This insightful and deeply felt exploration of the nature of community and religion is a tribute to their efforts and a boost of much-needed optimism that reminds all Americans of their common goals, no matter their faith.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Politics

256 pages, Hardcover

First published July 31, 2008

About the author

Gustav Niebuhr is associate professor of newspaper and online journalism at Syracuse University, and founding director of the Carnegie Religion and Media Program. He worked as a reporter at the New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal and was the 2010 winner of the William A. Reed Lifetime Achievement Award for religion reporting. He is also the author of Beyond Tolerance: Searching for Interfaith Understanding in America.

Reviews

[Alan · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's almost painful to criticize this slim volume because the sentiments behind it are ppraiseworthy. Niebuuhr argues in favor of interfaith dialogue. He says that in the post 9/11 world, mutual understanding and respect between different religions is more crucial than ever. I heartily agree.
A former New York Times religion reporter turned academic, Niebuhr travels around the country finding various small-scale but nonetheless inspiring examples of such dialogue. It's all quite heart-warming.
Where the book falls short is in its lack of context. How can you balance these earnest efforts at mutual understanding against other developments which suggest that intolerance and racism only seem to be increasing? Take for example, the wave of anti-immigrant feeling that has swept the United States -- to say nothing of the racism that Sen. Barack Obama's presidential bid has awakened, fueled not only by his color but by the false rumors that he is a Muslim.
Nieburh goes into quite a it of detail about post-Holocaust efforts by Christians to come to terms with their legacy of 2,000 years of hating, persecuting and humiliating Jews. "The overall record of Christians toward Jews and Judaism is discouraging," he says (page 145) -- one of the more spectacular understatements I've ever read on the subject.
He completely fails to address the unprecedented, disproportionate and unwarranted targeting of Israel by the Methodist, Presbyterian and other churches. Their attitude seems to be, "OK, we've said sorry for the Holocaust and we won't preach hatred about the Jews any more -- but the Jewish state is fair game." When these churches advocated disinvestment from Israel, they are once again falling back into the historical pattern of declaring Jews beyond the pale. It's anti-Semitism by another name.
This book is well-intentioned but falls short of confronting the subject with the true intellectual rigor and painful honesty it advocates.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a thinker.
This quote is a good summary of what the book is about:

"The wars around the globe into which religion is woven -- violence that over the past two decades has sent m any tens of thousands of men, women, and children to terrible deaths in the Balkans, Iraq, Afghanistan, Indonesia, India, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and the United States -- deeply threaten what we have of a human society. Denouncing religion itself is futile. And such simple reactions badly miss the point. It is among the religious believers that the work must be done, within that overwhelming majority who would find common ground in being human and not wanting destruction, if only because their traditions are about so much more. Those traditions contain life-giving possibilities, even if the worst demagogues would try to twist dogma so hard as to wring poison from it."
~Gustav Niebuhr

[Ferrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Niebuhr proposes that tolerance is not a sufficient response to growing religious pluralism in the United States. He says intentional efforts are needed in building relationships and fostering communications across religious boundaries in order to promote greater understanding.

This is a good book, and it makes a great point.

I found myself aggravated as I read the book because it did not seem to have foot or end notes. I realized after I had been reading it a while that references were in the back by page number, even though they were not numbered in the text. It would have helped if I had realized that sooner because I like to know where information can be found.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my second time reading this book, and I still think it is a great *concept*. The book itself feels like it could have been shorter and more interesting. (It's not even that many pages, but it kind of dragged in places. Felt like it might have been better as an essay, where he could just express his best points.)

This book is inspirational. I particularly recommend the following chapters:

Under the Pillar of Smoke (discusses positive ways that Christians reacted to Muslims after 9/11)
Hospitality (more generally about how all faiths can/should interact)
An Era of Conversation (discusses how Christians & Jews can/should relate to each other)

[Rona · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a pompous book by a self-important Christian. I found his understanding of interfaith relations insulting.

For example. One of his stories is about an imam meets with a group of Christian divinity students. The imam is fully aware that the students want to meet him so that they can learn more about Islam IN ORDER TO MORE EFFECTIVELY CONVERT Muslims to their faith. The imam takes this in good cheer. Our author says "better to be talking than not talking" and thinks the imam is doing the right thing for interfaith dialogue.

I say that's a crock...

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Niebuhr argues that 'tolerance' will not help us achieve the type of robust religious pluralism we really need in a democratic society, and discusses much of the work that is currently being done to go 'beyond tolerance.' Good introduction to the interfaith movement for those unfamiliar with it.
(Note: the introduction was overly long and a little slow - worth skimming instead of reading word-by-word.)

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

We had Gustav Niebuhr on campus last week -- I really enjoyed meeting him, and listening to his lecture. I enjoyed the book, as well, but... I wasn't a big fan of his writing style -- which is pretty important to me. I think I agree with one of my students in that I just keep looking for the book that I'm looking for on interfaith issues, if that makes any sense at all. Again -- really enjoyed talking with Niebuhr -- very personable and down to earth.

[Denise Sudbeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a second complete reading with partial readings in between. I have been working with some of these themes of tolerance in a somewhat different context (dissertation) and had accumulated numerous notes and highlighted selections in an ebook version which I inadvertently lost. So I did it all again.

I'm not sorry for the re-read itself. The book has stood up well over the last few years and the need for inter-faith dialogue and cooperation is more significant now than ever.

[Dave Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very timely book describing the author's cross-country journeys in search of examples of interfaith dialogue. The grandnephew of Reinhold Niebuhr, the author chronicles specific individuals and events in a style that is dense and engaging at the same time to arrive at an honest, yet hopeful conclusion.

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book! Inspirational and informative. This should be required reading for anyone who wants to understand the history of interfaith relations, the importance of interfaith efforts, and where such efforts can lead.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

A compelling narrative with some building of discourse, bringing together thinkers I love and stories that confirm my trust in the goodness of things. This is a rare confirmation, and I am grateful for it.

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lively accounts of people and congregations communicating across the borders of faith and denomination. The author draws on years of journalistic experience to tell stories that give flesh and breath to the theological point he makes.

[LaLa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mean, I enjoyed it and even quoted from it, but I never finished it which is sort of a sign.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is downright cuddly, and I mean that in the best possible way.

[Stephanie Curran · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book that offers a message of hope for cooperation and respect in a very religiously diverse America.

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another great example of co-existence in such a religiously partial society.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Extremely dry material. I was hoping more for a discussion on how religious sects could move more towards interfaith alternatives, and less on the history.