Religious Literacy Resource Guide: Organizational Resources
Academic Centers on Religious Tolerance
The Humanities in Class Digital Library provides access to the best instructional resources and scholarly materials in support of humanities education. Resources are tagged by subject matter, topics and material type, making it easy to discover and combine content you need from institutions you trust.
The American Academy of Religion's mission is to promote ongoing reflection upon and understanding of religious traditions, issues, questions, and values through excellence in scholarship and teaching in the field of religion. The Academy is dedicated to furthering knowledge of religion and religious institutions through Academy-wide and regional conferences and meetings, publications, programs, and membership services.
The Association for the Sociology of Religion (ASR) is an international scholarly association that seeks to advance theory and research in the sociology of religion. Formed in 1938 as the American Catholic Sociological Society, ASR traces its roots to scholars in search of a hospitable place for both empirical study and social criticism animated by the social teachings of the church.
The Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict at Arizona State University promotes interdisciplinary research and education on the dynamics of religion and conflict with the aim of advancing knowledge, seeking solutions and informing policy.
The Center for the Study of Religion at Princeton University is a major academic initiative that aims to encourage scholarly research, teaching, and public discussion about religion through diverse perspectives of the humanities and social sciences.
The Center on Religion & the Professions at the Missouri School of Journalism works to improve religious literacy among professionals, to help them serve a diverse public. Founded in 2003 with a grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts, the Center is one of Pew’s 10 Centers of Excellence. Resources include a film library and religious literacy toolkits.
The Institute for Religion, Culture and Public Life supports academic scholarship on the study of religion, culture, and social difference at Columbia University. It convenes academic conferences, public forums, and collaborative programming to support scholarly understanding of these topics, and to disseminate new understandings to broader communities.
Founded “to create better understanding of the Abrahamic traditions and their interrelationships by encouraging ongoing discussion of these traditions among scholars, members of those traditions, and the general public,” the Lubar Institute has sponsored scores of events and publications. Each project was designed to foster greater understanding of the Abrahamic religions, and to ratify the values of religious tolerance vital for thickening the bonds of American civil society.
The Centre exists to promote mutual understanding between people of different faiths/beliefs and none and to build respect between people as fellow human beings across cultures. Its local inter-faith collaboration and project work includes working with statutory and community and voluntary sector agencies and organizations and working towards establishing greater links with the private sector.
The Pluralism Project is a two decade-long research project that engages students in studying the new religious diversity in the United States. It explores the communities and religious traditions of Asia and the Middle East that have become woven into the religious fabric of the United States in the past twenty-five years.
The Hickey Center promotes understanding and appreciating differences through education and dialogue in an increasingly global landscape.
The Cambridge Inter-Faith Programme was born in 2002 with the aim of addressing questions about the relationship between Jews, Christians and Muslims.
The Boisi Center is committed to fostering rigorous, civil, and constructive conversations about religion in public life, in pursuit of the common good of a religiously diverse society.
The Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University is dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of religion, ethics, and public life. Through research, teaching, and service, the center explores global challenges of democracy and human rights; economic and social development; international diplomacy; and interreligious understanding.
The Walter H. Capps Center for the Study of Ethics, Religion, and Public Life at University of California, Santa Barbara promotes discussion of how ethical teachings and values relate to civic life – at local, national, and global levels. It is committed to the fundamental belief that public dialogue and an informed and engaged citizenry are vital to democratic society.
The Religion, Conflict and Peacebuilding initiative fosters research, teaching and engaged service in order to deepen the understanding of religions' roles in fostering and sustaining violence and conflict, as well as religions' ability to build peace and understanding. We also aim to cultivate the skills necessary to be peacebuilders within the various communities in which we are involved.
The Center for Justice & Peacebuilding educates a global community of peacebuilders through the integration of practice, theory and research.
The Willamette University Center for Religion, Law and Democracy draws on Willamette’s historic and ongoing strengths as a church-affiliated college committed to academic excellence and public service. It takes an interdisciplinary approach devoted to the exploration of the role of religion in law and in public life.
The Center for the Study of World Religions seeks to promote the study of the world's religions in their classical and historical forms, to promote understanding of the complex roles that religions play in the world today, to foster community of life and intellectual exchange, to facilitate collaboration with colleagues and with other organizations, and to start conversations among scholars and practitioners across the global network.
Non-Profit, Educational, and Advocacy Organizations
A resource created by journalists, for journalists, ReligionLink is the product of Religion News Foundation, a secular educational and charitable 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization housed at the University of Missourri's Columbia campus. The Foundation facilitates and encourages discourse about religion in a neutral and informative way without endorsing or promoting any particular belief system or point of view.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is a grassroots civil rights and advocacy group. CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties organization, with regional offices nationwide. Since its establishment in 1994, CAIR has worked to promote a positive image of Islam and Muslims in America.
- Dialogue Institute of the Southwest (formerly the Institute of Interfaith Dialog)
Dialogue Institute of the Southwest (formerly known as the Institute of Interfaith Dialog) grew out of the need to address the question, “How can citizens of the world live in peace and harmony?” The Institute was established in 2002 as a 501-c-3 non-profit educational organization by Turkish-Americans and their friends.
- Generation Global (formerly Face to Faith)
With Generation Global, you can give your students the skills and experience to flourish in a interconnected and complex world. It is designed for 12-17 year olds and is active in more than 20 countries around the world.
- UrbanMinistry (formerly FASTEN)
The Faith and Service Technical Education Network (FASTEN) offers informational resources and networking opportunities to faith-based practitioners, private philanthropies, and public administrators who seek to collaborate effectively to renew urban communities.
IM envisions a community working and acting together in response to the needs of a Greater Houston to create a more respectful, connected, and caring society
Interfaith America equips students, educators, and whole institutions with the vision, knowledge, and skills to advance interfaith coporation on campus and far beyond.
- The Oslo Center (formerly The Oslo Coalition on Freedom of Religion or Belief)
The Oslo Center for Peace and Human Rights was established as an independent foundation, focusing on three main areas: human rights, democracy and inter-religious and intercultural dialogue. The center aims at strengthening its efforts to promote responsible leadership, in order prevent conflicts and strengthen democratic practice in fragile democracies.
Blogs from a wide variety of faith perspectives.
Tannenbaum is a secular, non-sectarian nonprofit that promotes mutual respect with practical programs that bridge religious difference and combat prejudice in schools, workplaces, health care settings and areas of armed conflict.
State of Formation (SoF) is an online forum for emerging religious and ethical leaders. Founded as an offshoot of the Journal of Interreligious Studies, the forum is for up-and-coming religious and ethical thinkers to draw upon the learning that is occurring in their academic and community work.
Scarboro Missions seeks to serve where the Gospel has not been heard; to collaborate with local churches; to live simply and in solidarity with the poor and marginalized people of the world and to work on behalf of justice; to encounter and celebrate God's presence in the people among whom we live; and to collaborate with churches in Canada, generating enthusiasm for global mission and in promoting Gospel values.
Presents a great start point to research and understand more on interfaith - interreligious dialogue and action.
More Academic Centers on Religious Tolerance
The Edward B. Brueggeman Center for Dialogue at Xavier University is dedicated to providing space and opportunity for dialogue about the critical issues of our age.
The Jay Phillips Center for Interfaith Learning at Saint John’s University, collaboratively with the Jay Phillips Center for Interfaith Learning at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul and Minneapolis, works to foster understanding, cooperation, and friendship among people of diverse religious identities through academic study and civic engagement.
The Kripke Center is dedicated to facilitating scholarly activity in the areas of religion and society. Special attention is given to promoting understanding between and among faith communities, including especially Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
The University of Notre Dame's Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies is one of the world's leading centers for the study of the causes of violent conflict and strategies for sustainable peace. Kroc Institute faculty and fellows conduct interdisciplinary research on a wide range of topics related to peace and justice.
Through its seminars, research projects, conferences, and publications, the Marty Center fosters interdisciplinary research on religion by University of Chicago faculty and graduate students, in cooperation with affiliated scholars from around the world.
The Wackerlin Center serves as a connecting point to a variety of volunteer opportunities in the surrounding community, as well as offers numerous leadership development opportunities for "hands-on" learning experiences that combine service, volunteerism, and personal reflection.
The A.D. Bruce Religion Center is the focal point for many on-campus religious and spiritual activities. It is a bustling center of many ongoing educational programs and activities focusing on religious issues with an emphasis on Interfaith Dialogue. The A.D. Bruce Religion Center offers a place for both quiet meditation and spiritual growth.