The Encyclopaedia of World Religions and Interfaith Dialogues is an initiative to deal with the subject of religion and interfaith dialogue in its totality. This Encyclopaedia is a unique attempt in the sense that for the first time the editor has attempted to provide readers with most contemporary information-base about these very important religions, faiths and dialogues among them. Interfaith or interfaith dialogue refers to cooperative and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions, (i.e. "faiths") at both the individual and institutional level with the aim of deriving a common ground in belief through a concentration on similarities between faiths. However, it is distinct from syncretism or alternative religion, in that dialogue often involves promoting understanding between different religions to increase "tolerance" towards others, rather than to synthesize new beliefs. The history of religion shows that conflict has been more the state of affairs than dialogue. Interreligious relations refers to relationships between religions.