“Interfaith Heroes” is a collection of 31 portraits of spiritual leaders who crossed religious boundaries in order to unite people and build stronger communities. It was written and edited by Daniel L. Buttry and published by Interfaith Partners of the
“Interfaith Heroes” is a collection of 31 portraits of spiritual leaders who crossed religious boundaries in order to unite people and build stronger communities. It was written and edited by Daniel L. Buttry and published by Interfaith Partners of the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion.
Read the Spirit, a non-profit organization out of Michigan launched its first Interfaith Heroes month in January to accompany the first edition of their book. Once a year the organization will release another collection of biographies that are contributed by readers to their Web site.
This slim volume is packed with interesting vignettes on spiritual leaders. Each chapter concludes with three questions specific to the biographical sketch. The people profiled are not necessarily religious leaders — there are philosophers, rulers and other lay-people who encountered alternative spiritual perspectives that deepened their relationship with God.
Besides the expected players — Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., St. Francis of Assisi and Gandhi — readers learn a few new names. One that will be familiar to Kaua‘i residents though is the profile of Satguru Sivaya Subramuniswami, founder of Kaua‘i’s Hindu Monastery.
Each biography is two to three pages long and the questions that follow are useful for personal reflection or as a focus for an interfaith discussion group. The questions range in topic from political perspectives on religion to inquiries on social and moral issues.
One example of how the biographies reflect the inquiry is in the chapter on St. Francis of Assisi. St. Francis crossed a battle line to have a conversation with a military leader. It wasn’t a meeting bent on conversion, but conversation.
The questions that follow have to do with how we define a foe; how we attempt to resolve differences and our willingness to take mortal risks during wartime.
This book is an invitation to not only learn but to manifest new ways of seeing the differences between peoples. The chapters read as little fables that raise curiosity and foster respect. To learn more or contribute to the next volume visit interfaithheroes.info.
