Believers, Attractiveness and Values

• Published in: Religions (Basel, Switzerland ) Vol. 12; no. 3; p. 213
• Main Authors: Khalfaoui, Andrea, Burgués, Ana, Duque, Elena, Munté, Ariadna
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 01-03-2021
• Subjects: attractiveness; dialogic interreligious gatherings; human values; sacred books
• ISSN: 2077-1444; 2077-1444
• DOI: 10.3390/rel12030213

Societies are undergoing an intensive process of transformation, and the role that religion plays in guiding such rapid changes remains underexplored. In recent decades, postmodern discourse has hindered the attractiveness of involvement in religious affairs and reading sacred books, highlighting how “uncool” and useless these practices are in responding to current daily life challenges. Decades of research have evidenced the positive impact of reading the most precious universal literary creations. Since sacred books are considered universal texts, this study explores the potential of dialogic interreligious gatherings (DIGs) focused on sacred books to enhance the attractiveness of key values such as love, kindness, humility, and generosity. These spaces are grounded in strong principles that guarantee the freedom of participants. This context opens up a possibility of discussing sacred books in a dialogic and egalitarian space where everyone’s voice is heard. In this context, especially in times where freedom is jeopardized in many spheres, believers from different faiths and nonbelievers engage in dialogues and relate sacred book content to their personal experiences and current social challenges. The communicative analysis conducted shows that DIGs drive the attractiveness of fundamental values present in sacred books, creating possibilities to enhance their effects in spurring personal and social change.