Disagreement in Interfaith Dialogue

• In Event: Religious Hostilities and Social Responsibility: Religious Pluralism and Education

Abstract

Interfaith dialogue is a promising method for both conflict resolution and encouraging participants to appreciate religious diversity. The ability to converse across areas of ideological difference, such as religion, is a learned skill. Facilitators of interfaith dialogue must be prepared to help participants learn how to dialogue. One way to do this is by understanding how successful dialogue happens, particularly when participants disagree with one another. In this study, I use conversation analysis to examine moments of disagreement in interfaith dialogue. Participants used turn-taking organization, sequence organization, repair organization, and the organization of turn-design to navigate more difficult moments of discussion. This analysis offers insight into how specific conversational tactics lead to successful dialogue during critical moments of disagreement.

Author

• Elizabeth Martin Pope, University of West Georgia