Aim

Enable rich and fruitful discussion of scriptural texts between Muslims, Jews and Christians - thereby helping to deepen understanding between members of each faith tradition, build trust and friendship between participants, and develop new research methods and tools for collaboratively studying texts; expand its sphere of engagement to encompass non-Abrahamic faiths; accomplish its goals within both academic and public landscapes, both in the UK (where it is based) and globally.

History

The Cambridge Inter-Faith Programme was born in 2002 with the aim of bringing the resources of the Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge, and the University more generally, to bear on questions about the relationship between Jews, Christians and Muslims. In 2005, CIP embarked on a three-year feasibility study, supported by Coexist, which resulted in affirmation of CIP and by the General Board of the University of Cambridge in 2008. The Board fully endorsed "a long term inter-faith programme incorporating first class research and teaching activity as well as a significant element of public education and outreach". In 2008, CIP was named a flagship project of the University’s 800th Anniversary Campaign. From its inception until 2011, CIP was part of CARTS, the Centre for Advanced Religious and Theological Studies. With the support of valued partners and benefactors, CIP continues to go from strength to strength. It is now expanding its sphere of engagement to non-Abrahamic traditions, including Hinduism.