Our Shared Sacred Story: Exploring Interreligious Narratives, Challenges and Opportunities

This contribution explores Our Shared Sacred Story, a groundbreaking project that brings together scholars and practitioners from diverse traditions to reinterpret sacred narratives for contemporary global challenges. Sponsored by the Fetzer Institute, the initiative engages contributors from Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Indigenous Spiritualities, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, and Interspirituality, modeling the scholarly-practitioner dynamic in interreligious studies. Six panelists will discuss their contributions to the forthcoming Our Shared Sacred Story volume (Orbis, 2025), critically engaging the project’s methodology, insights, and limitations. This session will highlight the complexities of constructing shared narratives, theological and philosophical tensions, and lessons for interfaith engagement in academic and civic contexts. Attendees will gain insights into how sacred narratives can foster dialogue, build community, and address contemporary issues. By interrogating both the possibilities and blind spots of interreligious storytelling, this panel advances scholarship on religious diversity, secularism, and shared ethical visions.