Textual reasoning was a university-based forum for scholars of Modern Jewish Philosophy and scholars of Rabbinic texts to meet and study together. The aim was to grow in understanding of the different disciplines, and to approach key questions about Judaism in the present and future. In the mid 1990's, some Christian friends of members of the Textual Reasoning group sat in on the conversation, and were so attracted by the lively process that they suggested using it as a model for inter-faith conversations. Later, Muslim friends were invited to join the conversation, and 'Scriptural Reasoning' was born. The first Christian participants were from the UK, and the practice quickly spread across the Atlantic.  Before long, it also began flourishing among non-academic groups.