Achieving interfaith maturity through university interfaith programmes in the United Kingdom

Abstract

Given the recent surge in acts of violent, religious extremism around the world, this report investigates whether and how institutes of higher education in the United Kingdom are developing interfaith maturity in their student population. Using King and Baxter Magolda's framework for intercultural maturity, I analyze three case studies: The University of Cambridge’s Inter-Faith Programme and their scriptural reasoning program, London School of Economics and Political Science’s Faith Centre and its Faith and Leadership Certificate, and the University of Edinburgh’s multi-faith Chaplaincy and its Camino Peace Pilgrimage. Following the case study analysis, this report provides practical, policy recommendations meant to assist higher education administrators and policy-makers improve their interfaith programs with the intent to encourage their students to be respectful, engaging, and open to an increasingly diverse world.

Keywords

• extremism
• interfaith
• religion
• diversity