ABSTRACT
The chapter assesses why robust religious pluralism is essential for a healthy democracy. It demonstrates religion’s essential role in American civil society, and how cross-cultural religious literacy can be a powerful tool to strengthen civic engagement by affirming the equal rights of citizenship under law and deepening connection and understanding between citizens. This chapter also explores the necessary conditions needed for religious pluralism to thrive, and the interdependence between religious pluralism and religious literacy. It describes how organizations rely on each other’s successes in the field of religious pluralism in a virtuous feedback loop and that their interests are deeply intertwined. The chapter offers practical ways for the reader to understand the lessons learned from applying mutual engagement thinking and skills through cross-cultural religious literacy.
