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Interfaith Dialogue involves people of different religions of beliefs holding constructive conversation and interacting cooperatively. This can be helpful for diplomats, politicians, or others who may need to help build understandings across groups with different religious beliefs. 

Interfaith Dialogue is essentially meaningful communication between people of different religions of belief systems. It can help reduce misconceptions and prejudices, promote peaceful interactions, and find shared values. You may find that interfaith dialogue comes in handy when there are conversations between religious groups or during joint community projects, or even formal political conversations about ethics and social issues. 

Intercultural dialogue is similar to interfaith dialogue, though in this case it specifies people of different cultural backgrounds, rather than specific belief systems. This will usually take into consideration ethnicity, nationality, traditions, language and various social norms.
Ideally, the goals of intercultural dialogue are to help people understand each other’s cultural perspectives and reduce stereotypes and cultural barriers. 

You can see examples of attempts to improve intercultural dialogue through exchange programs, cross cultural workplace training, and community events in diverse areas. 

Interfaith dialogue: Focuses on religious beliefs and worldviews, and involves members of different religions exploring values, ethics, and theology.

Intercultural dialogue: focuses on cultural backgrounds and traditions, and involves members of different countries, nations, or ethnic groups exploring communication styles, social norms, customs, and identity. 

It’s difficult to have one without the other. Often cultures are shaped by religion, and so both of these dialogue types will be used in situations where communication between cultures and religions is being held.

In most cases, having high emotional intelligence and cultural intelligence is a great way to support these two types of dialogue. As an individual, you can encourage this through active listening, being aware of your own cultural biases, and being aware of stereotypes to judgements. 

Though as an organisation, or leader you can support intercultural dialogue by approaching it in certain ways like organising dialogue sessions, creating platforms and safe spaces for dialogue, specifically engaging in dialogue amongst groups in conflict, or addressing subjects that explicitly divide or polarize groups (within controlled settings) to find common ground.

These initiatives commonly overlap with mediation, negotiation, and reconciliation dialogues. These can be helpful skills when engaging in these conversations as well. 

During our intercultural studies program, you’ll learn tools to help hold dialogues between people of various cultural and religious backgrounds – making it a great place to start! If you’re ready to make the jump then you can take a look through our Intercultural B.A. programs that include a Masters in Divinity, or Master in Global Development. We also have an Intercultural Studies B.A. with a concentration in Christian Community Development, or decide between a B.A., M.A, or in Intercultural Studies.