Essays from the April 2003 Center for Christian-Jewish Understanding Conference in Fairfield, Connecticut “Pathways to Peace in the Abrahamic Faiths,” have been assembled into a volume with a Study Guide for religious leaders and educators of synagogues and parishes. In it, leaders and scholars from the Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths, candidly and self-critically identify those teachings and values in each tradition that promote peace, the failures of each tradition to live up to their ideals, and ways to improve the teachings and practices to achieve peace.

Jewish presenters included: Rabbi Samuel Sirat, former Chief Rabbi of France; Professor Adolphe Steg, president of the Israeli Alliance of France; and Rabbi Rene Gutman, Rabbi of Strasbourg, France. The principal Christian presenters were Dr. James G. Williams, professor emeritus of Religion, Syracuse University, New York; Reverend Jean Dujardin, former secretary of the Episcopal Committee of the Conference of French Bishops, Paris. Dr.Azizah Al-Hibri, professor at the University of Richmond Law School, Virginia, and Dr. Louay Safi, Muslim Social Scientists, Herndon, Virginia, presented Muslim paths to peace.

This volume builds upon other important work of the Center begun at the 1998 conference held in Auschwitz, Poland, that resulted in the book, Religion and Violence, Religion and Peace (Sacred Heart University Press, 2000). At that time, speakers warned that religions still have the potential to incite wars and, as such, have a vital responsibility to foster a spirituality for life and cultures of justice. This resource will inspire greater understanding and respect between religions and most of all that it will give courage to all to promote peace as God intends.

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