Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907–1972) was a key figure in interreligious dialogue, instrumental in shaping Nostra Aetate, while also advocating for civil rights and opposing the Vietnam War. His 1965 lecture No Religion is an Island articulates a vision of interreligious engagement that challenges the misuse of religious freedom as a justification for discrimination.
This presentation explores Heschel’s alternative framework: a pluralism rooted not in religious autonomy, but in divine concern, which calls all faiths into solidarity. Heschel distinguishes between “Faith in One God,” which fosters moral responsibility, and “idolatry,” which sanctifies exclusion and oppression. His concept of "dialogical freedom" reframes interreligious engagement as a moral response rather than an entitlement. This perspective provides a critical lens for resisting the weaponization of religious freedom while sustaining authentic interreligious pluralism.