A multifaith space or multifaith prayer room is a quiet location set aside in a busy public place (hospital, university, airport, etc.) where people of differing religious beliefs, or none at all, are able to spend time in contemplation or prayer.[1] Many of these spaces are small, clean and largely unadorned areas, which can be adapted and serve for any religious or spiritual practice.[2] Occasionally, persons of different faiths may come together in such spaces within the context of multifaith worship services.[3]
The space may[4] or may not[5] be a dedicated place of worship. A research project at the University of Manchester has conceptualised the modern multifaith space as "an intentional space, designed to both house a plurality of religious practices, as well as address clearly defined pragmatic purposes."[2]
The phenomenon of the Multi-faith Spaces is quite recent. Firstly, modern non-denominational space precursors include the Meditation Room at the United Nations in New York (1957) and the Rothko Chapel in Houston (1971). Secondly, multi-denominational and ecumenical initiatives, such as the MIT Chapel in Cambridge, Massachusetts (1955), and the United States Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel in Colorado Springs (1962); in both cases, Christian and Jewish provision provided the basis for later enhancement. Thirdly, we see spaces that prefigure the MFS today, such as the Vienna International Airport prayer room/chapel (1988).[6]
According to religious scholar Terry Biddington, multifaith spaces became more common during the late 1980s and early 1990s due to various factors such as increased economic migration, a rise in asylum seekers, expanded global travel and cultural interaction, and the resulting cosmopolitanism in Western cities. This trend reflects the growing presence of individuals from diverse religious backgrounds alongside ongoing debates about the perceived long-term shift towards secularization in the Western world.[6]
- ^ Hewson, Chris (March 1, 2012). "What are MFS?". University of Manchester. Archived from the original on October 15, 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
- ^ a b Hewson, Chris (January 1, 2010). "Multi-faith Spaces: Symptoms and Agents of Religious and Social Change". University of Manchester. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
- ^ Orlando, Joe (October 18, 2001). "St. John's Multifaith Service Honors WTC Victims". Queens Courier. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2010.
- ^ Thomas, Anne (September 25, 2006). "Prince Charles Could be Crowned in Multifaith Ceremony". Christian Today. Retrieved January 19, 2010.
- ^ Kim, Theodore (March 28, 2008). "Plano OKs Prayer Event at City Hall". Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on July 29, 2012. Retrieved January 19, 2010.
- ^ a b Biddington, Terry (2013). "Towards a Theological Reading of Multifaith Spaces". International Journal of Public Theology. 7 (3): 315–328. doi:10.1163/15697320-12341293. ISSN 1872-5171.