Commonalities Among Renewal Movements Across Religions

Abstract

This chapter seeks out commonalities among renewal movements across religions. A number of spiritual renewal religious movements have been developing across religious traditions since the middle of the last century. Many of them are lay-led and share a number of other characteristics. The chapter examines the commonalities across three of these movements representing three different religions. The first is the Christian Focolare Movement, the second is the Muslim Gülen Movement, and the third is the Buddhist Risshō Kōsei-kai. The examination focuses on the understandings of leadership, anthropology, community, and scriptures as taught by their founders, in view of how they shape the community’s outreach in interfaith relations.

An extended version of this chapter was previously published as Roberto Catalano, “Gülen, Focolare, and Risshō Kōsei-kai Movements: Commonalities for Religious and Social Renewal,” Claritas: Journal of Dialogue and Culture 4, no. 1 (Mar 2015): 42–61.