The Amazing Faiths Project
Join the Dialogue. Change Your Life. Transform the World.
 
“There will be peace on earth when there is peace among the world religions. No future for the planet without world peace; no world peace without peace between the nations; no peace between the nations without peace between religions; no peace between religions without religious dialogue.”                   
--Hans Kung
 
 
The Amazing Faiths Project is a movement that brings together people to learn about the beliefs and faith traditions of others through exploration and dialogue; to foster an atmosphere of mutual respect and understanding; and to stand as a witness for tolerance and justice.
 
About the Amazing Faiths Dinner Dialogues
Around the table, over a simple dinner, people of diverse backgrounds come together to share a meal and offer their personal thoughts about life, faith, spirituality. Participants are grouped in host homes to achieve religious diversity, and a trained facilitator guides and moderates the dialogue so that everyone feels comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas. Each participant shares about his/her beliefs while the other participants actively listen without challenging or commenting on the individual’s response. 
 
The host/hostess provides a simple vegetarian meal. The dinner is a symbolic act of tolerance, respect, and understanding; eating together is an outward expression of unity among diverse individuals with varied beliefs and religious traditions. These gatherings, held in various cities across the United States, provide an opportunity for intimate fellowship among participants.
 
 
History of the Amazing Faiths Project
 
In 2006, Roy Spence published a book called The Amazing Faith of Texas which showcases the wide variety of expressions of faith in his native Texas. The book, a beautiful collection of photos and essays, was a result of his travels throughout Texas after the 2004 presidential election to rediscover the impact faith and spirituality has on individuals’ lives. Houston Mayor Bill White was featured in the book, and wanted to find a tangible way to showcase the ideals expressed by the book in Houston, one of the most diverse cities in the United States.  Mayor White had his staff convene a brainstorming meeting including The Boniuk Center for Religious Tolerance at Rice University and Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston to develop ways to make the "common ground on higher ground" theme of the book a tangible reality in the experience of Houstonians and to celebrate the religious diversity of the city and enhance the climate of religious tolerance and appreciation.
 
The Executive Director of The Boniuk Center, Dr. Jill Carroll, suggested an evening of Dinner Dialogues that would call on Houston residents of diverse beliefs and faith traditions to join together to discuss life, spirituality, and faith. Shortly thereafter, The Boniuk Center joined with Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston to co-operate the Amazing Faiths Project. A plan for the inaugural Amazing Faiths Dinner Dialogues was formulated by both partnering organizations with support of the Mayor’s Office, City of Houston.
 
On January 30, 2007, twenty volunteer hosts opened their homes to 250 men and women from diverse faith traditions and cultural backgrounds for an evening of passionate, deeply personal, and peaceful discussions about life, spirituality and faith.
 
The inaugural Amazing Faiths Dinner Dialogues were a great success and led to the continuation of subsequent Dinner Dialogues. On November 15, 2007, the movement grew to include three cities in Texas and had 850 participants. In just 11 months the movement grew by 200 percent!
 
 
The Present and Future of the Amazing Faiths Project
 
Staff and lead volunteers anticipate that the Amazing Faiths Dinner Dialogues will expand to hundreds, even thousands, of homes in cities across the United States and around the world in the next few years. The Amazing Faiths Project has the potential to be a powerful experience of unity in, what we hope is, a global trend towards greater tolerance and co-operation among the world’s religions, as evidenced by organizations such as Tony Blair’s Faith Foundation, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia’s interfaith conference in Spain (July 2008), and the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions.
 
As of May 2008, the Amazing Faiths Project has expanded to include a number of program elements to engage participants throughout the year and to involve the general public in the exploration of faith. In addition to the Dinner Dialogues, the project consists of Spiritual Gatherings for Women that promote connection among women of different faith in Houston; Faith Tours which provide Houston residents with the opportunity to visit various religious sites in the Houston area; a World Religions Class taught by Dr. Jill Carroll and Boniuk Center Scholars during the fall and spring semester, hosted by local faith communities; and the development of an interactive and informational website. The BoniukCenter and IM have developed additional programs to support continued interfaith dialogue for Houston residents.
 
Beginning in August of 2008, the Amazing Faiths Project will launch its national program which invites other cities to partner with the Houston office to expand the project. Confirmed partnering cities include Austin, TX; Chicago, IL; Oklahoma City, OK; Greenville, SC; Harrisburg, PA; Washington, DC; San Antonio, TX; and Syracuse, NY. The project staff anticipates additional cities to be added in the upcoming year. As the home office, the Houston based staff of The Amazing Faiths Project is committed to working closely with regional coordinators in partnering cities to develop appropriate ongoing programs that are specific to each region in addition to the Dinner Dialogues. The Amazing Faiths Project plans to open participation to international cities in 2009.
 
The Next Dinner Dialogue will be  
November 13, 2008.
 
The Amazing Faiths Project is co-operated by The Boniuk Center for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance at RiceUniversity and Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston, with the support of the Office of the Mayor, Houston, Texas.