Spirituality manifests itself in life and society in different ways. For the talented and creative, a spiritual influence can make a significant difference as an inspiration, motivation and reward. Free expression of sentiments and thoughts in a musical group is a constructive use of time that invests in the members’ skills and talents to produce a joint project. This process might also end up producing beauty and satisfaction and therefore inner peace for each of the members. Rehearsing together creates a small community and a sense of belonging to the group and may foster a sense of commonality among the members of different backgrounds and religions. Spiritual wellbeing allows for deeper connections with the self and the community around us, enabling creativity and collective growth.

This volume seeks to highlight the important role of creativity, in relation to spirituality, in building bridges of communication, through arts between diverse cultures and religions. It explores contributions to spreading a culture of peace and nonviolence, offering a space of intercultural and interfaith dialogue through different disciplines and artistic manifestations, including music, performing arts, literature, architecture and painting.

The volume starts with a speech by HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal, given on celebrating 800 years of the visit of Saint Francis to the Sultan Al-Kamil. The speech entitled “Commitment to spiritual and aesthetic Christian and Islamic dialogue” explores the importance of understanding the evolution of human knowledge and achievements to foster a universal consciousness that transcends cultural and religious boundaries. HRH discusses the role of civil societies and interfaith initiatives in promoting peace and social justice and calls for a renewed commitment to fostering inclusion, respect, and peaceful pluralism, stressing the need for a more humanistic and empathetic approach to global political and social issues. The piece concludes by advocating for educational initiatives that promote mutual awareness and understanding, aiming to create a more harmonious and peaceful world.

Gordon Mitchell’s article “Epistemologies in Sacred Space. Storytelling at the Cave of the Seven Sleepers” discusses the relationship between places, imagination and spirituality. It poses questions about why people experience places so differently; how a place like the Cave of the Seven Sleepers might exemplify religion’s capacity to promote self and mutual understanding; whether it is possible to become more skilled in considering epistemology, and what the benefits might be; and finally, whether there are moments in creative processes that are so unexpected and so profound that they may be called transcendent. The author uses a case study of an educational project involving creative storytelling, which he suggests serves as a starting point for gaining insight into how meaningful dialogue might operate in places considered culturally sacred.

“Mapping Homeland: A Comparative Study” by Alya Shehata, offers a comparative analysis of Naomi Shihab Nye’s poetry and Manal Deeb’s paintings, scrutinising their personal experiences as Palestinian American artists living between borders. The study focuses on their representations of homeland and their multi-cultural identities, examining the process of crossing borders between their ancestral homeland and the current country of residence, as well as their historical identities and daily lived experiences in different cultures. The article highlights how both artists destabilise fixed notions of identity, exile, belonging and homeland while creating and rewriting their own identities and stories to map the homeland. Thus, the phrase “crossing the border” in this study is not a physical act of moving from one side to another but rather, a metaphorical crossing out, as it becomes a bridge connecting both sides and claiming existence within multiple realities and cultures.

In an article entitled “Spiritual music in the levant: a safe space for interfaith Dialogue”, I explore the connection between spirituality, creativity and music. My article suggests that religious Arabic music could be used as a method for creating nonviolent spaces that foster dialogue among Christians and Muslims. This concept is exemplified by joint choirs for religious Arabic music in various countries in the region. Through examples of such choirs, the article examines the influence of religious music and its potential application as a method for peacebuilding.

Nathalie Agopian, in her article “Between the Spiritual Prayer and Expressive Art: How Religious Music Can be Utilised for Religious, Social, and Political Liberation”, explores the multifaceted role of religious music. She positions it as a conduit for self-expression, communication, and and the conveyance of ideas and emotions. Agopian explores the potential of harnessing music’s influence to address societal issues such as political oppression and spiritual destitution. Through an analytical lens, the author examines music’s impact on cognition and decision-making, alongside theological concepts of language for liberation.

In her article “Dialogue for Peace through the Arts in Southwestern Asia: Case Studies in Lebanon and the UAE”, Pamela Chrabieh highlights several initiatives that promote dialogue for peace through the arts in Lebanon and the UAE. She managed, organised or participated in these initiatives, including the Peace Art Project at the American University in Dubai and the Nabad Programme in Lebanon. These examples illustrate the connection between dialogue for peace and the arts.

Jane Carroll’s study of “The Palacio Mondragon” offers a personal memoire of an education in principial and sacred forms and the efforts to apply this education, in ways both gratifying and challenging, to the practice of architecture.

In “A Close Reading of Sūrat al-Sajda (Q 32) and its Engagement with Biblical Tradition,” Andrew J. O’Connor analyses Sūrat al-Sajda (Q 32), which has received less scholarly attention compared to other longer or more well-known suras of the Qur’an. To address this gap, the article presents a close reading of the text accompanied by a commentary and new translation of the Arabic into English. The author argues three main points: first, a literary interpretation of Q 32 is greatly enhanced through familiarity with biblical themes, which the sura frequently and creatively engages; second, the sura is best characterised as an eschatological proclamation drawing upon the Jewish/Christian post-biblical tradition; and third, it is more fruitful to read Q 32 alongside literature from its initial historical context rather than through medieval exegetical works (tafsīr). Even a Meccan text like Q 32 shows evidence of inter-textual and creative engagement with biblical and post-biblical traditions, making a comparison with the Bible more insightful than with medieval exegetes.

Finally, in her article “From Humiliation to Dignity: The Power of Spirituality to Inspire System-Changing Creativity,” Evelin Lindner argues that the current times of crises require spirituality to inspire more far- reaching forms of creativity than previously considered. The article challenges concepts that seem initially unrelated to ecocide and sociocide, such as ‘job’, ‘leisure’, ‘work-life balance’, ‘income’, and ‘poverty’. As a case study, the author shares her personal experience formulating a planetary call for all citizens of the world to live life as a prayer, and a meditation on global unity in diversity, in fulfillment of what she calls ‘the divinity of love’.