This book is valuable and a scholarly contribution to inter-religious and interfaith dialogue. As many of us in the religious academia are critically engaged to determine the place of inter-religious and interfaith dialogue in the academic study of religion, this book makes a remarkable contribution to this discussion. It will serve as a guide to the interfaith community to learn from the experience of interfaith dialogue in Norway and how to expand on their own.
- Muhammad Shafiq, Professor & Executive Director, The Hickey Center for Interfaith Studies and Dialogue, Nazareth College, USA,
It is likely to be a landmark text ... providing much for scholars and advanced students to reflect upon, while also being accessible to both serious undergraduate and lay readers ... [It] is likely to be core reading for any involved in the broad field of interreligious studies for a good time to come. It may also be observed that this book is indicative of a growing portfolio of texts in interreligious studies being published by Bloomsbury which is surely a good sign.
- Dr Paul Hedges, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University, Norwegian Journal of Theology
Professor Leirvik has provided us with an insightful and stimulating introduction to the emerging field of Interreligious Studies that is likely to be an important and standard work in this area for years to come. Not only does he explain the rationale and background to this new and emerging field, but he also seeks to expand its boundaries and set out a compelling vision for it. At the heart of this is the concept of relationality which is explored with much nuance and clarity. The book draws many important theorists into the debate, and is at the cutting edge of thinking about interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary work in the study of religion, especially at the intersection of fields like theology, Religious Studies, ethics, critical theory, and sociology. All scholars who see their work as in any way related to the growing field of Interreligious Studies will feel indebted to Leirvik for this book.
- Dr Paul Hedges, Senior Lecturer in Theology and Religious Studies, University of Winchester, UK,