Beyond Interfaith Harmony

This article examines the evaluations of Emoena participants in the secularised and pluralised context of Flanders (Belgium) and the Netherlands, and their implications for existing knowledge about (the evaluation of) interfaith learning. Using Kirkpatrick’s four-level evaluation model (reaction, learning, behaviour/transfer, and results/future) the findings are based on the thematic analysis of qualitative interviews with 14 Emoena participants. Findings suggest that experiential learning, through site visits and a diverse participant group, has a profound impact on participants. Furthermore, the study emphasises the need for interfaith programmes to stimulate participants’ leadership skills beyond the basic level and to address how participants’ interfaith learning outcomes can be transferred to their broader communities. Finally, interfaith initiatives should explore approaches that allow for friction and the critical analysis of societal dynamics, moving beyond harmony-focused learning, as participants described hoping for friction with other participants as a means of developing their leadership skills.