A Common Word vs. a Clash of Civilizations
Eboo Patel Monday, 1 December 2008
We have come to a watershed moment in the history of interfaith relations: we will either live in a century defined by the ethic of "A Common Word" or a century defined by the Clash of Civilizations. The Clash of Civilizations paradigm is acquiring the force of inevitability and shaping the way religious communities engage each other for generations to come. This reductionist framework pits over two billion Christians against 1.3 billion Muslims in an eternal war. Regardless of our differing theological beliefs about heaven or hell, we can all recognize that an endless civilizational war is hell on earth for humanity—a future that Christians, Muslims, and all others must avoid.
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