The notion of Interreligious Studies signals a new academic perspective on the study of religion, characterized by a relational approach. Interreligious Studies defines the essential features of interreligious studies compared with alternative conceptions of religious studies and theology. The book discusses pressing and salient challenges in interreligious relations, including interreligious dialogue in practice and theory, interfaith dialogue and secularity, confrontational identity politics, faith-based diplomacy, the question of interfaith learning in school, and interreligious responses to extremism. Interreligious Studies is a cutting-edge study from one of the most important voices in Europe in the field, Oddbjørn Leirvik, and includes case study material from his native Norway including interreligious responses to the bomb attack in Norway on 22nd July 2011, as well as examples from a number of other national and global contexts Expanding discussions on interreligious dialogue and the relationship between religions in new and interesting ways, this book is a much-needed addition to the growing literature on interreligious studies.

Introduction: Religious activism, interfaith dialogue, and interreligious studies1. A relational approach to the study of religion 2. Philosophies of interreligious dialogue: practice in search of theory3. Interreligious dialogue and secularity 4. The image of the Other and othering discourses 5. Faith-based diplomacy and interfaith activism: dialogue from above and below6. Tolerance, conscience, and solidarity: globalized concepts in ethical and religious education? 7. Interreligious hermeneutics and the ethical critique of the Scriptures 8. The sacred space between: a relational theology in dialogue with Islam 9. Interreligious studies and interfaith dialogue, in academia Postscript: United against extremism? Appendices: Three Christian-Muslim statementsEndnotes BibliographyIndex