On one side, proponents for multicultural tolerance insist on less and less space for the influence of faith in society. Such figures relegate religious practice to individuals’ private lives, while opening as wide as possible a space for the cultural products of painters, writers, and musicians. Traditionalists, on the other hand, press for the ever-increasing influence of the faith—the faith of
the majority, that is. They point to faith as a source of social stability and key to developing healthy future generations, as culture becomes only a wider expression of that same faith. Within this context, the Balkan Institute for Faith and Culture serves as a meeting for honest, penetrating discussion between people of irreconcilably different religious and ethnic traditions. Inspired by the person of Jesus Christ, the BIFC believes in a model of human flourishing that transcends countries, languages and ethnicities, promoting a holistic mode of thinking that recognizes and facilitates an understanding of the impact and role of faith and culture in contemporary society. Focusing on the religious and cultural setting of the Balkans, the BIFC aims to nurture amicable debate, probing analysis, honest examination of traditional values and customs, as well as individual character. Aims
• Encourage in-depth research of religious and cultural traits of the Balkans
• Provide a forum for critical discourse for the evaluation of traditional beliefs and customs
• Host debates on major contemporary issues of regional and international significance
• Nourish the development of individual character based on the person of Jesus Christ and his message of reconciliation
• Promote opportunities for Balkan young people to learn and evaluate the role of their own faith and culture
