The Multifaith Movement: Global Risks and Cosmopolitan Solutions 2013th Edition

“In this important book Anna Halafoff both maps out the history of what she terms the multifaith movement as well as looks at where it is today and where it may be headed. … Halafoff’s book is a welcome and significant contribution to such areas as Interreligious Studies, the sociology of religion, and religion and politics. … I fully recommend this book to anyone looking at any of the issues discussed.” (Paul Hedges, Journal for the Academic Study of Religion, Vol. 29 (1), 2016)

This book documents the ultramodern rise of the multifaith movement, as mulitfaith initiatives have been increasingly deployed as cosmopolitan solutions to counter global risks such as terrorism and climate change at the turn of the 21^st century. These projects aim to enhance common security, particularly in Western societies following the events of September 11, 2001 and the July 2005 London bombings, where multifaith engagement has been promoted as a strategy to counter violent extremism. The author draws on interviews with 56 leading figures in the field of multifaith relations, including Paul Knitter, Eboo Patel, Marcus Braybrooke, Katherine Marshall, John Voll and Krista Tippett.

Identifying the principle aims of the multifaith movement, the analysis explores the benefits―and challenges―of multifaith engagement, as well as the effectiveness of multifaith initiatives in countering the process of radicalization. Building on notions of cosmopolitanism, the work proposes a new theoretical framework termed ‘Netpeace’, which recognizes the interconnectedness of global problems and their solutions. In doing so, it acknowledges the capacity of multi-actor peacebuilding networks, including religious and state actors, to address the pressing dilemmas of our times. The primary intention of the book is to assist in the formation of new models of activism and governance, founded on a ‘politics of understanding’ modeled by the multifaith movement.