By Allie Vroegop
Every year, readers can always find stories in the news that speak of the division, of people not getting along, and of communities’ disagreements across the U.S. And 2024 was no different. But Interfaith America Magazine seeks to craft inspiring interfaith stories from our religiously diverse democracy and showcase how cooperation across difference is happening every day.
This year, the top stories each month in the Magazine show how people on campuses, in corporations, and in civic institutions are coming together to work together. These stories are glimpses of people who are inspired by their faith or values to bridge divides and engage in spaces of division. From religious celebrations and the presidential election to world events like the Olympics, here are the stories the Magazine readers most engaged with in 2024.
January
Why Religious Literacy is Pivotal to Providing Better Healthcare
By Steven Clark Cunningham
January 4, 2024
Foundations of Interfaith Leadership LIVE course creates space to have important conversations about faith, identity, and how we can use them in our personal and professional lives to cooperate. Through the course, healthcare provider, Dr. Steven Clark Cunningham, found that the more religiously literate he is as a provider, the better he can do the work of providing care.
February
Lupercalia, Imbolc, and Valentine’s Day: The Passionate Season of February
By Julia Pillard
February 13, 2024
Imbolc took place on Feb. 1 and is the first of the pagan spring festivals. Julia Pillard, a writer and pagan in Colorado, finds meaning in this holiday that encompasses connections to land, community, and the self.
March
Starcross Monastic: An Interfaith Sanctuary in the California Coastal Hills
By Anu Gorukanti
March 21, 2024
Anu Gorukanti, public health practitioner and co-founder of Introspective Spaces, talks with Brother Toby and Sister Julie of Starcross Monastic Community in Sonoma County on creating a place for interfaith connection and service through farming.
April
IN PHOTOS: College Presidents Convene to Navigate Rising Polarization on Campuses
By Silma Suba
April 5, 2024
Higher education leaders convened in Washington D.C. for Interfaith America’s Advancing Campus Pluralism conference to help navigate prejudice and polarization on campuses amid the ongoing Israel-Gaza war.
May
Kendrick vs. Drake: A Surprising Mirror of Interfaith Cooperation
By Nathan “Bam” Stanton
May 23, 2024
Bam Stanton writes about the latest in the hip-hop dispute between Kendrick Lamar and Drake and the need for more cooperation in a world of competition.
June
How to Watch the Presidential Debate as a Civic Pluralist: 5 Questions to Consider
By Rollie Olson and Adam Phillips
June 24, 2024
Throughout the election season, the Interfaith America Faith in Elections team urged each person to pursue the principles of civic pluralism by embracing their values and beliefs to strengthen our democracy.
July
A Mormon* and a Witch: How Divergent Faiths Brought Sisters Back Together
By Sam Ryan and Gena-Marie Rajaniemi
July 23, 2024
Two sisters, a Latter-day Saint and a witch, discovered that finding their divergent spiritual identities brought them closer together.
August
As The World Watches, Olympic Athletes Challenge France’s Hijab Ban
By Dilshad D. Ali
August 12, 2024
This 2024 Olympics, Senior Columnist Dilshad D. Ali investigates France’s secularism and its tension with the visual representations of faith, like a hijab.
September
Two Opposing Governors Endorse One Message: Have Faith in Elections
By Rollie Olson
September 5, 2024
Governor Cox of Utah and Governor Moore of Maryland endorse the Faith in Elections Playbook to help faith communities support elections.
October
How I am Celebrating Samhain This Year
By Julia Pillard
October 28, 2024
Halloween originated as Samhain, a Celtic New Year festival. In the modern pagan celebration, Samhain is the final harvest festival, and for writer and pagan Julia Pillard, Samhain is about remembering those who have gone before.
November
Interfaith Prayers Before Voting
By Rabbi Or Rose and Rheya Spigner
November 1, 2024
Five interfaith leaders across the U.S. from different spiritual and religious traditions write poetic reflections during the voting season.
December
Be Kind, Speak Truth: Interfaith Work as a Muslim Leader
By Rafia Amina Khader
December 4, 2024
Being a Muslim hijabi woman in an interfaith leadership position at a historical organization such a Chautauqua during this difficult time is an incredible opportunity to do real change-making work, writes Rafia Amina Khader.
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