The year 2001 began as the United Nations Year of Dialogue between
Civilizations. By its end, the phrase that came most readily to mind was
'the clash of civilizations.' The tragedy of September 11 intensified
the danger caused by religious differences around the world. As the
politics of identity begin to replace the politics of ideology, can
religion become a force for peace?
The Dignity of Difference is Rabbi Jonathan Sacks's radical proposal for
reconciling hatreds. The first major statement by a Jewish leader on the
ethics of globalization, it also marks a paradigm shift in the approach
to religious coexistence. Sacks argues that we must do more than search
for values common to all faiths; we must also reframe the way we see our
differences.