Books by (and about) Leonard Swidler

Click the book images below—including Professor Swidler's latest book, The Age of Global Dialogue—for more information or to order.
See below for a more complete list of his books and other publications.

This book ought to be essential reading for both the religion scholar and the interested layperson.
— Dr. Khaleel Mohammed, Department of Religious Studies, San Diego State University
Long before September 11, 2001, Leonard Swidler was teaching, writing and advocating for global interreligious dialogue. Today, anyone interested in pursuing the work of multifaith engagement should start by reading this book!
— Rabbi Nancy Fuchs Kreimer, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College

We live in the era of dialogue, an era Leonard Swidler helped birth. There Must Be YOU: Leonard Swidler’s Journey to Faith and Dialogue explores how and why, out of this aspiring Norbertine priest, there emerged Professor Swidler of today: a teacher, a reformer of the church, a preeminent feminist, and one of the fathers of interreligious dialogue.

Gathering the cumulative insight of over sixty years of Leonard Swidler’s work, this new book unpacks the underlying theory and practical methods needed to embrace all of its dimensions. Dialogue for Interreligious Understanding: Strategies for the Transformation of Culture- Shaping Institutions combines these elements in addition to “common sense” guidelines on how to move beyond one’s own perspective to experience real encounter and dialogue with the Other.

Club Modernity for Reluctant Christians features reflections on the ultimate meaning of life that begin not from Above, but from Below, with our human experiences. This book will resonate with Christians, or “reluctant Christians,” who are having difficulty reconciling these core characteristics of Modernity with their faith.

A Swidler classic, the result of four decades of research, Jesus Was a Feminist compellingly presents the case that Jesus treated women equally with men, and he boldly broke the customs of his day to involve them in his work. Swidler shows how Jesus was a feminist and modern Christians should be too.


LEONARD SWIDLER PUBLICATIONS

  • The Age of Global Dialogue (Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2016)

  • Dialogue for Interreligious Understanding. Strategies for the Transformation of Culture-Shaping Institutions (New York:
    Palgrave McMillan, 2014)

  • The Study of Religion in an Age of Global Dialogue (Chinese), translation by Xiahong (Rachel) Zhu (Shanghai, China: 2014)

  • There Must Be You: The Intellectual and Spiritual Journey of Leonard Swidler, by River Adams (Wipf & Stock,
    2014)

  • Vatican II book series, editor (Philadelphia: Ecumenical Press, 2011-)

  • Club Modernity For Reluctant Christians (Philadelphia: Ecumenical Press, 2011)

  • Democratic Bishops for the Roman Catholic Church, editor with Arlene Swidler (Philadelphia: Ecumenical Press, 2011)

  • Constitutional Catholicism: An Essential in Reforming the Church (Philadelphia: Ecumenical Press, 2011)

  • Trialogue: Jews, Christians, and Muslims in Dialogue (New London, CT: Twenty-Third Publications, 2007)

  • Jesus Was a Feminist: What the Gospels Reveal about His Revolutionary Perspective (Lanham, MD: Sheed & Ward, 2007)

  • Making the Church Our Own: How We Can Reform the Catholic Church from the Ground Up (Lanham, MD: Sheed &Ward,
    2007)

  • A Global Ethic, editor and author (a special of the Journal of Ecumenical Studies, Philadelphia, 2007)

  • The Age of Global Dialogue / Quanqiu Duihua de Shidai, translation by Lihua Liu (Beijing: China Social Science Press, 2006)

  • The Study of Religion. Macedonian translation by Slobadanka Markovska (Skopje, Macdonia: Tempjum, 2005)

  • Confucianism in Dialogue Today: West, Christianity, and Judaism, co-editor with Shu-hsien Liu and John Berthrong (Philadelphia: Ecumenical Press, 2005)

  • Our Understanding of Ultimate Reality Shapes Our Actions (Kuala Lumpur, University of Malaya, 2004)

  • Dialogue in Malaysia and the Globe (Kuala Lumpur, University of Malaysia, 2004)

  • After the Absolute, Korean translation by Chan-Su Yi (Seoul: Ehwa University Press, 2003)

  • Interreligious Dialogue Toward Reconciliation in Macedonia and Bosnia, co-editor with Paul Mojzes and Heinz-Gerhard Justenhoven (Philadelphia: Ecumenical Press, 2003)

  • The Study of Religion in an Age of Global Dialogue, co-author with Paul Mojzes (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2000)

  • For All Life. Toward a Universal Declaration of a Global Ethic: An Interreligious Dialogue (Ashland: White Cloud Press, 1999)

  • Theoria-->Praxis: How Jews, Christians, Muslims Can Together Move From Theory to Practice (Antwerp: Peeters, 1998)

  • The Uniqueness of Jesus, co-editor with Paul Mojzes (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1997)

  • Buddhism Made Plain / Bulgyo wa Grisdogyo Rulita (Waegwan, Korea: Benedict Press, 1996)

  • Toward a Catholic Constitution (New York: Crossroad Press, 1996)

  • O Sentido da Vida no Limiar do Terceiro milênio / The Meaning of Life At the Edge of the Third Millennium (Sâo Paulo: Paulus, 1996)

  • Suffering From the Church, by Heinrich Fries. Translation with Arlene Swidler (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1995)

  • Yeshua: Gendaijin no Moderu Iesu, translation by Seiichi Yagi. (Tokyo, Shinkyo Shuppansha Pub. Co., 1994)

  • IESHUA: Jesus histórico, Cristologia, Ecumenismo (Sâo Paulo: Ediçiôes Paulinas, 1993)

  • Introduzione al buddismo. Paralleli con letica ebraico-cristiana, co-author with Antony Fernando. (Bologna: Edizioni Dehoniane,1992)

  • Die Zukunft der Theologie im Dialog der Religionen und Weltanschauungen (Regensburg/Munich: Pustet/Kaiser Verlag, 1992)

  • The Meaning of Life At the Edge of the Third Millennium (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1992)

  • My Witness For the Church, by Bernard Häring. Translation and introduction (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1992)

  • Muslims in Dialogue: The Evolution of a Dialogue over a Generation, editor/author (New York: E. Mellen Press, 1992)

  • Human Rights: Christians Marxists and Others in Dialogue, editor/author (New York: Paragon House, 1991)

  • Religions In Dialogue, Series Editor (New York: Edwin Mellen Press, 1990-)

  • “Alle Christen haben das Recht...”, co-editor with Patrick Connor/author (Munich: Kösel Verlag, 1990)

  • Christian Mission and Interreligious Dialogue, co-editor with Paul Mojzes/author (New York: Edwin Mellen Press, 1990)

  • A Bridge to Buddhist-Christian Dialogue, co-author with and translation of Seiichi Yagi (Mahwah NJ: Paulist Press, 1990)

  • Attitudes of Religions and Ideologies towards the Outsider: The Other, co-editor with Paul Mojzes / author (New York: Mellen Press, 1990)

  • Bursting the Bonds: A Jewish-Christian Dialogue on Jesus and Paul, editor & co-author with Gerard Sloyan, Lewis Eron, and Lester Dean (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1990)

  • Death or Dialogue: From the Age of Monologue to the Age of Dialogue, with John Cobb, Monika Hellwig, and Paul Knitter (Philadelphia: Trinity Press International, 1990)

  • After the Absolute: The Dialogical Future of Religious Reflection (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1990)

  • Christians & Non-Christians in Dialogue / Cristâos e Nâo-Christâos em Diålogo (Sâo Paulo: Ed. Paulinas, 1988)

  • Yeshua: A Model for Moderns (Kansas City: Sheed/Ward, 1988; 2nd expanded edition, 1993)

  • Catholic-Communist Collaboration in Italy, co-editor with Edward Grace / author (Lanham MD: University Press of America, 1988)

  • A Catholic Bill of Rights, co-editor with Patrick Connor / author (Kansas City: Sheed & Ward, 1988)

  • Toward a Universal Theology of Religion, editor / author (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1987)

  • Church in Anguish: Has the Vatican Betrayed Vatican II?, co-editor with Hans Küng / author (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1987)

  • Breaking Down the Wall between Americans and East Germans, Christians and Jews Through Dialogue, editor / author (Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1987)

  • Religious Liberty and Human Rights, editor / author (New York/Philadelphia: Hippocrene Books/Ecumenical Press, 1986)

  • Buddhism Made Plain, co-author with Antony Fernando (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1984; 7th printing, 1996).

  • The Passion of the Jew Jesus / Das Leiden des Juden Jesus (New York: Anti-Defamation League, 1984)

  • Tractate on the Jewsby, by Franz Mussner. Translation and introduction (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1984)

  • Authority in the Church and the Schillebeeckx Case, co-editor with Piet Fransen / co-author (New York: Crossroad, 1982; also in Journal of Ecumenical Studies, Vol. 19, No. 2 - Spring, 1982)

  • Küng in Conflict (New York: Doubleday, 1981)

  • From Holocaust to Dialogue: A Jewish-Christian Dialogue between Americans and Germans, editor / co-author (Philadelphia: Journal of Ecumenical Studies, 1981)

  • The Oberammergau Passionspiel 1984 / Das Oberammergauer Passionspiel 1984 (New York: Anti-Defamation League, 1980)

  • Jewish Monotheism and Christian Trinitarian Doctrine, by Pinchas Lapide and Jürgen Moltmann. Translation and introduction (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1980)

  • Consensus in Theology? A Dialogue with Hans Küng and Edward Schillebeeckx, editor and co-author (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1980; also in Journal of Ecumenical Studies, Vol. 17, No. 1 - Winter, 1980)

  • Biblical Affirmation of Women (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1979; 4th printing, 1991)

  • A Commentary on the Oberammergau Passionspiel in Regard to Its Image of Jews and Judaism (New York: Anti-Defamation League, 1978)

  • Aufklärung Catholicism 1780-1850 (Missoula, MT: Scholars Press, 1978)

  • Jewish-Christian-Muslim Dialogue, editor (Philadelphia: Journal of Ecumenical Studies, 1978)

  • Women Priests: Catholic Commentary on the Vatican Declaration, co-edited with Arlene Swidler (New York: Paulist Press, 1977)

  • Bloodwitness for Peace and Unity (Denville, NJ: Dimension Books, 1977)

  • The Eucharist in Ecumenical Dialogue, editor. (New York: Paulist Press, 1976; and in Journal of Ecumenical Studies, Vol. 13, No. 2 - Spring, 1976)

  • Women in Judaism. The Status of Women in Formative Judaism (Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1976)

  • Jews and Christians in Dialogue, editor (Philadelphia: Journal of Ecumenical Studies, 1975)

  • Isj and Isjah, co-author with Jan Kerkhofs (Antwerp/Utrecht: Uitgeverij Patmos, 1973)

  • Women Priests in the Catholic Church? Haye van der Meer, co-translation to Arlene Swidler; introduction, postscript, and translation
    with Arlene Swidle (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1973)

  • Bishops and People, co-author, editor, and translator with Arlene Swidler (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1970)

  • Freedom in the Church (Dayton: Pflaum Press, 1969)

  • Bultmann, Barth and Catholic Theology, by Heinrich Fries. Introduction and translation (Pittsburgh: Duquesne University Press, 1967)

  • Ecumenism, the Spirit and Worship, editor (Pittsburgh: Duquesne University Press, 1967)

  • Jewish-Christian Dialogues, co-author with Rabbi Marc Tanenbaum (Washington, DC: National Council of Catholic Men and National Council of Catholic Women, 1966)

  • The Ecumenical Vanguard (Pittsburgh: Duquesne University Press, 1965)

  • Scripture and Ecumenism, editor (Pittsburgh: Duquesne University Press, 1965)

  • Dialogue for Reunion (New York: Herder and Herder, 1962)