WA State Multifaith Network

The Washington State Interfaith Network connects interfaith organizations to strengthen relationships, share learning, and serve the common good across our state Convened by Paths to Understanding, the Washington State Interfaith Network brings interfaith organizations together to build trust, explore partnerships, and learn from one another. Together, we stay connected to statewide efforts that strengthen belonging,…

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The Role of the Multifaith Movement in Our Time

Later this month, I’ll be joining interfaith leaders from across the nation at a round-table convened by Interfaith America. The question before us is simple, but urgent: What is the role of the interfaith movement at this point in our history? As I prepare for that conversation, here’s what I see. A Whole-of-Society Problem We…

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Gathering Neighbors, Growing Trust

For many years, our mission statement at Paths to Understanding has been: “Bridging bias and building unity through multifaith peacemaking.” That statement has served us well. It has helped us focus on creating understanding between people of diverse wisdom traditions and countering religious-based bigotry. We will always do this work—it’s at the heart of who…

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A New Phase

My first experience with Paths to Understanding was in November of 2017. I was invited to a board meeting. Our co-founder, Father Treacy, was present and the group was trying hard to keep the organization together after the sale of their retreat center, Camp Brotherhood, the year before. They were working through understandable grief and…

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Why “Wisdom Traditions”?

People often refer to the kind of work we do at PTU as “interfaith” or “multifaith.” These are good words. The challenge is with the word “faith”. Not all traditions use that word, and even many people in the Christian tradition use that word in different ways. For instance, some Christians use the word “faith”…

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