This chapter investigates interreligious discussion groups where participants in interreligious projects or activities can meet to talk face-to-face, i.e. listen to each other and address issues that directly or indirectly concern religious pluralism, religion and different life stances. Discussions are not just about talking but are strongly related to relations and networking by relying on rules and norms for the conversations. Another finding was a general observation in our data that religious differences are used as a means for learning about other religions, as compared with community and side-by-side activities which instead were characterised by the emphasis on the commonalities. When differences were highlighted in discussion groups the asymmetry in knowledge between those belonging to a religion and those not belonging to that religion was established. We also found that truth claims were regularly downplayed and that religion instead was presented through personal stories. Another feature was the sharing of common experiences such as being a religious minority in a secularised society.  

Keywords: face-to-face; rules and norms; asymmetries of knowledge; truth claims; stories; common experiences