In his memoir, Acts of Faith, Eboo Patel shares his faith journey as an American Muslim and the call to religious pluralism which led him to found the Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC). Acts of Faith frankly discusses the appeal of religious fundamentalism to young people, observing that young people’s spiritual hunger entwines with their desire to make a mark on the world. Patel challenges those who believe in religious pluralism to support young people, providing what is needed to help them ground themselves in a faith that both fuels their deepest passions and feeds their cooperation across faiths to make the world a better place. Although Patel’s memoir focuses on young people, his call to interfaith understanding and respect through side-by-side service and justice making work resonates with adults of all ages and life stages.

A 2008 speaker at the UUA General Assembly, Patel is founder and executive director of the Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC), an international, nonprofit, youth service leadership organization. Ten years after 9/11, Acts of Faith describes the vulnerability of youth to violent, fundamentalist influences and makes a case for all of us, particularly youth, to promote pluralism by engaging in interfaith dialogue and social justice work.

Download the Acts of Faith discussion guide (PDF, 17 pages).

Download and post a flyer for the Acts of Faith Common Read: color flyer (PDF) or black and white flyer (PDF).