Religious Pluralism in the Middle East & Global Contexts Project

In an era marked by unprecedented encounters and escalating tensions between diverse faiths and cultures, the challenge of building genuine pluralism—an active, courageous engagement with difference—stands as one of the most urgent and hopeful tasks of our time.

This project seeks to explore religious pluralism through the case study method, a pedagogical approach that brings real-world complexity and ethical ambiguity into the classroom and public discussion. The case study method is not about providing clear-cut answers, but about equipping students and readers with the tools to analyze, debate, and make decisions in situations where values, rights, and interests collide.

The cases published below were authored by students under the supervision of ACMCU Senior Fellow Dr. Josef Meri. The students came from various majors, including history, economics, international politics, contemporary Islamic studies, and media. As an evolving repository, this collection aims to bridge disciplines and audiences, inviting all who engage with it to contribute to the ongoing project of pluralism in both theory and practice.

Readers who are interested to use these resources are invited to begin with the Introduction. Dr. Meri’s contact information is available at request at acmcu@georgetown.edu.