Resources

For use in your Faith Shared service.

 

Suggested Readings

In the Abrahamic religions, even more than in other religious traditions, a book of sacred scriptures is of central importance.  Jews, Christians, and Muslims, known as “people of the book,” believe that the content of their respective scriptures was revealed by God and provides instruction on how to live in a manner pleasing to God.

The scriptures of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam provide profuse encouragement for their adherents to live in love, by law, with prayer and the practice of charity. Unfortunately, specific passages in each tradition can be and have been ripped from their historical/scriptural context and manipulated to promote division, nurture hatred, and even inspire violence. Such abuse of scriptures is as common as it is wrong.

Below are scriptures drawn from the Torah of Judaism, the Gospels of Christianity, and the Qur’an of Islam. Each scripture represents the distinctive truth of the tradition from which it comes as well as the openness, respect, and an opportunity for cooperation with other religions as well.

Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy
President, Interfaith Alliance


The following readings are suggestions identified by Interfaith Alliance for Faith Shared. Participating houses of worship are encouraged to use these or to identify other readings that hold meaning for their individual communities.

Download the suggested readings here.

TORAH

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me.

(Exodus 20:2)

Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.

(Deuteronomy 6:4)

You shall love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.

(Deuteronomy 10:19)



CHRISTIAN BIBLE

Jesus said . . . ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second one is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

(Matthew 22:37-39)

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you should also love one another.

(John 13:34)

Jesus said . . . ‘whoever is not against you is for you.’

(Luke 9:49-50)



QUR’AN

O humankind, We (God) have created you male and female, and made you into communities and tribes, so that you may know one another.

(49:13)

Let there be no hostility except against those who practice Zulm (oppression).

(2:193)

There shall be no compulsion in matters of faith.

(2:256)

Verily! Those who have attained faith as well as those who follow the Jewish Faith, and the Christians, and the Sabians—all who believe in God and the Last Day and do righteous deeds—shall have their reward with their Sustainer, and no fear need they have, and neither shall they grieve.

(2:62)

Correct and courteous words accompanied by forgiveness are better than a charitable deed followed by insulting words.

(2:263)

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Participating

  • Anchorage First Christian, AK
  • University Presbyterian Church, AL
  • Federated Community Church, AZ
  • First UMC Phoenix, AZ
  • All Saints Cathedral, CA
  • First United Lutheran, CA
  • Light of ChristEcumenical Catholic Church, CO
  • Park Hill Congregational, CO
  • Union Congregational, CO
  • Temple Micah, CO
  • Riverfront Family Church, CT
  • The National Cathedral, DC
  • Seekers Church, DC
  • North American Old Catholic Church, DC
  • National City Christian Church, DC
  • New Ark United Church of Christ, DE
  • Faith United Church of Christ, FL
  • Unitarian Universalist Church of Pensacola, FL
  • United Church of Christ at The Villages, FL
  • Virginia Highland Church, GA
  • Decatur United Church of Christ, GA
  • The Episcopal Church of St. John the Evangelist, GA
  • Cathedral of St. Andrew, the Episcopal Diocese of HI
  • Collegiate United Methodist Church and Wesley Foundation, IA
  • Congregational United Church of Christ, IA
  • Urbandale UCC Church, IA
  • Hillview United Methodist, ID
  • Boise First United Methodist Church, Cathedral of the Rockies, ID
  • First United of Oak Park, IL
  • St Thomas Mission, IL
  • The Chicago Temple First UMC, IL
  • First Presbyterian Church of Fort Wayne, IN
  • Northminster Baptist Church, LA
  • The Unitarian Universalist Society of Amherst, MA
  • Grace Episcopal, MA
  • Church of Our Savior, MA
  • St Paul’s Cathedral, MA
  • Old Cambridge Baptist Church, MA
  • Hadwen Park Congregational Church, MA
  • Veritas United Church of Christ, MD
  • Trinity United Methodist, MO
  • St. Mary's Episcopal Church, MN
  • First Congregational, MT
  • MtView/Trinity UM Parish, MT
  • Unitarian Universalist Ocean County Congregation,, NJ
  • Christ Episcopal Church, NJ
  • Zion Methodist Church, NV
  • The Sacred Center of New York, NY
  • Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, NY
  • All Souls Bethelehem Church, Brooklyn
  • Mayflower Church, OK
  • First Congregational UCC, OR
  • Spirit of Peace United Church of Christ, SD
  • Baha'i Faith Community Center, TN
  • Saint John's United Methodist Church, TX
  • Hope for Peace & Justice Interfaith Peace Chapel, TX
  • Cathedral of Hope, TX
  • Wasatch Presbyterian Church of Salt Lake City, UT
  • Grace Episcopal Church, UT
  • United Church of Bellows Falls, VT
  • Cathedral of the Diocese of Vermont, VT
  • Vermont Ecumenical Council & Bible Society, VT
  • Dummerston Congregational Church UCC, VT
  • Memorial United Church of Christ, WI
  • Trinity Episcopal Church, WI
  • First Congregational Church UCC Casper, WY
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