In contemporary Ireland, the seeds of dialogue grow and flourish in communities that accept difference and work positively to promote each other's rights and well-being. These are communities that gather together to engage in open-ended, respectful encounters with people from a range of belief and religious traditions. Interbelief dialogue involves positive communication, cooperation and energetic collaboration among people of religious faiths and secular, humanist, agnostic and atheist stances. Though not a panacea for all society's ills, and often profoundly challenging, inter-belief dialogue offers the opportunity for constructive engagement, cooperation and peace-building. Connecting Lives is a wide-ranging and informative introduction to interbelief dialogue in contemporary Ireland. Divided into three sections, the volume first considers the nature and relevance of interbelief dialogue in education and in the public square, underscoring the importance of respectful dialogue in building a healthy intercultural society. The book then gives voice to members of various belief and faith communities as they live out their beliefs in contemporary Ireland, before exploring key challenges and opportunities in interbelief dialogue in a world often marred by intolerance.
Patricia Kieran is a British Foreign and Commonwealth Chevening Scholar who teaches religious education at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick. She is a member of the Mid-West Interfaith Network and is Director of the Irish Institute for Catholic Studies (IICS). She has written a number of books, most recently co-authoring The Enquiring Classroom Handbook (2019), and is involved in a number of research projects on intercultural education and religions and beliefs in changing times (RBCT).
