Resources

We have made many resources—both from the initiative and from others—available on these pages. Please scroll down this page or use the links below to find them.

Resources from the Initiative
Articles from the Initiative
Church Documents
Resources from Outside the Initiative (Books, Articles, Web Sites)

RESOURCES From the Initiative

ARTICLES From the Initiative

"The Way of Dialogue," Dr. Eugene J. Fisher, March 1997.
"Exercising Authority: Not Whether, But How," Frank Hartmann, December 2000.
"Creating Circles of Listening in a Parish," Robert Schreiter, March 2001.
"Racial Healing at the Parish Level," Richard K. Taylor with the assistance of LaVonne France, September 2000
"Theology & Dialogue In Today's Church," Ladislas Orsy, S.J., December 2001.

CHURCH DOCUMENTS

Ecclesiam Suam, Paul VI
This 1964 encyclical is a sustained reflection on dialogue and it is the first use of the term in church documents.

Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions (Nostra aetate)
The Vatican II document which launched dialogue with other religions.

Constitution on the Church in the Modern World (Gaudium et spes)
The last major document of Vatican II, this pastoral constitution broke new ground when it advocated dialogue with the contemporary world.

RESOURCES FROM OUTSIDE THE INITIATIVE

BOOK: The Magic of Dialogue, Daniel Yankelovich. Simon & Schuster. New York, 1999.
Writing from the perspective of a social scientist, Yankelovich gives examples of dialogues that "work" and from them draws fifteen strategies for dialogue.

BOOK: The Argument Culture, Deborah Tannen. Random House. New York, 1998. A socio-linguist looks at the American tendency to use argument as a way to resolve disputes. Written in a popular style with concrete examples, Tannen points out the pervasive warlike atmosphere of American life and its relationship to media, legal disputes, political discourse, and gendered speech. The last chapter is entitled, "The Roots of Debate in Education and the Hope for Dialogue." This is not about "how to dialogue;" rather, it shows "why we need to learn to dialogue."

ARTICLE: "A Dialogue Decalogue," Leonard Swidler.
This early articulation of learnings from ecumenical dialogue continues to provide helpful insights. Dialogue within the Catholic Church, however, must also take into account the appropriate hierarchical authority.

ARTICLE: "Five-Stage Process of Dialogue," Harold H. Saunders. Published in Laity in the Church and in the World. United States Catholic Conference. Washington, DC, 1998. pp. 79-105.
Mr. Saunders writes from long experience in ecumenical dialogue. He discusses "Sustained Dialogue"—over a long period of time—and the resource it can provide both within and between congregations. His insights are both wise and practical.
• To order a copy of Laity in Church and in the World, please contact USCC Publishing Services at 1-800-235-8722

WEB SITE: The Public Conversations Project
The Public Conservations Project sponsored a dialogue among six women, three pro-choice leaders and three pro-life leaders, over a six year period in Boston. The story of that dialogue and helps to do dialogue are on their Web site www.publicconversations.org