Categorising interfaith learning objectives: a scoping review

ABSTRACT Numerous scholars have emphasised that interfaith initiatives can contribute to personal transformation and enhance social cohesion, but it is often unclear if and how these initiatives effectively bring about the intended changes. This article argues that setting up a shared framework of interfaith learning objectives is a necessary first step towards organising and evaluating interfaith initiatives. After conducting a systematic scoping review, we categorised and summarised the learning objectives of 93 interfaith initiatives. These learning objectives are presented in a matrix of twelve categories, reflecting the learning objectives set by the organisers of the 93 initiatives. This article is intended as a first step towards building a shared scholarly framework that can then be used to guide the organisation and evaluation of interfaith initiatives. The matrix can encourage organisers of interfaith initiatives to clarify their learning objectives and, consequently, develop more coherent and evaluable initiatives.