Dr. Martin Marty was a renowned theologian, prolific author and pre-eminent champion of pluralism. Time magazine said he was “generally acknowledged to be the most influential living interpreter of religion in the U.S.” He also was a longtime friend to the Festival of Faiths, which he participated in many times over the years. (Watch this brief clip of Dr. Marty delivering the keynote address at the festival’s Interfaith Prayer Breakfast in 2005.)
Dr. Marty died on Feb. 25 at the age of 97.
In one of his early writings about the festival, Marty pointed out that many people “develop a low threshold of boredom for those [interfaith events] that confine themselves to joint worship, thinned-out theologizing, smiles, and similar expressions of goodwill.” He viewed Louisville’s Festival of Faiths as a definite exception.
“Today, efforts like the Festival of Faiths have a different tenor… there is a focus on what faiths can achieve in common witness to the surrounding world,” Marty said in advance of speaking at the 2005 festival. His statement reflected the evolution of the Festival to encompass not only interfaith celebration, but also meaningful dialogue and common action.
Martin Marty spent much of his distinguished career at the University of Chicago, where one colleague said: “His voice, always measured and profound, guided critical conversations on religion, and his work explored the intersections of faith, culture, and society. He left an indelible mark on the field of religious studies.”
A recent article had this to say about Dr. Marty’s contributions outside academia: “Beyond his scholarly achievements, Marty was an active participant in the civil rights movement, marching alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and serving as a Protestant observer at the Second Vatican Council. His involvement in these pivotal moments of social change illustrates how his personal experiences informed his academic pursuits. Marty understood that faith is not merely an abstract concept but a lived reality that intersects with the struggles for justice and equality. His advocacy for social justice was not an isolated endeavor; it was deeply intertwined with his theological reflections and scholarly work.”
We remember Dr. Martin Marty and are grateful for his many contributions to the Festival of Faiths and his unwavering commitment to interfaith dialogue.