Beyond Tolerance: Searching for Interfaith Understanding in America

At a time when religious conflict and violence seem to dominate the media, distinguished religion journalist Gustav Niebuhr set off across America to find people who are building, not burning, the bridges between faiths. As he travels across the country-from Queens and Baltimore to Louisville and Los Angeles-he finds Buddhists, Catholics, Jews, Baptists, Muslims, and Episcopalians reaching out to one another to find common ground between their faiths. This insightful and deeply felt exploration of the nature of community and religion is a tribute to their efforts and a boost of much-needed optimism that reminds all Americans of their common goals, no matter their faith.

Gustav Niebuhr, former Religion reporter for the New York Times, is the Associate Professor of Religion at Syracuse University. Over his twenty-year career as a journalist, he’s also worked for The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and the Atlanta Journal/Constitution, and has established a reputation as a leading writer about American religion. His work has been published in anthologies, magazines and on the internet. He’s a frequent commentator on religion for NPR’s "All Things Considered."