The Edinburgh Interfaith Association

Unitarians in Edinburgh are members of The Edinburgh Interfaith Association meeting at various venue at various times - and sometimes at St Marks church.

The Interfaith Scene

St Mark's Interfaith Co-ordinator St. Mark's is an active faith community member of The Edinburgh Interfaith Association which it helped to establish. Present membership includes the Bah'ai, Brahma Kumaris, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Pagan, Sikh and Unitarian faith communities in Edinburgh. Several church members are individual members of the Association.

The church is well known for its support of interfaith activities and frequently hosts inter-faith events.

Through both The Edinburgh Interfaith Association and the Scottish Unitarian Association, St. Mark's is also linked with The Scottish Interfaith Council which represents Scotland's faith communities at national level.

At its establishment in 1999, the Scottish Parliament immediately recognised the multi-faith dimension of contemporary life in Scotland by making its weekly Time for Reflection open to people of all faiths. There has been Unitarian participation in this.

Aims of The Edinburgh Interfaith Association

  • to bring together the faith communities of Edinburgh and its neighbourhood in deeper dialogue and co-operation
  • to increase sharing and understanding between the faith communities of the region
  • to educate the citizens of the region about the presence and importance of the faith communities in its midst
  • to encourage Interfaith and multi-cultural awareness and understanding in local schools
  • to contribute towards the creation of a harmonious global society by working at the local level to improve co-operation between faiths and cultures
  • to promote linkages between itself and other Interfaith bodies at both the Scottish and the United Kingdom levels

Why have an Interfaith Association

Edinburgh today is a rich multicultural society. In order to live in harmony its diverse religious communities, as well as its citizens with no particular faith, need to communicate.  Examples of disharmony abound in our contemporary world.   Hence the work of the Edinburgh Interfaith Association is an important contribution towards a healthy society.

For further information

The International Interfaith Association - http://www.interfaith-center.org
The Edinburgh Interfaith Association - http://www.eifa.org.uk/