This collection as a whole attempts what each individual paper proposes: a dialogue rooted in tolerance that accounts for the unique histories and assumptions of each member involved. Proper interfaith dialogue requires first an encounter between two or more individuals, then a willingness (rooted in tolerance) of each individual to engage with the other. This definition of interfaith dialogue is central to Gülen’s writings, and indeed to the focus of this collection of papers. Each author relates to Gülen’s ideas in a unique way, offering a diversity of perspectives that gives true dialogue its vibrant energy.
Yetkin Yıldırım, PhD, is an Assistant Research Professor at the University of Texas at Austin, USA, and the Vice President and founding member of the Institute of Interfaith Dialog. He is the co-editor of The Ottoman Mosaic (Cune, 2010). His “Islamic Perspectives on Spirituality in Childhood and Adolescence,” appeared as a chapter in Nurturing Child and Adolescent Spirituality: Perspectives from the World’s Religious Traditions.