This paper evaluates literature across multiple disciplines and stakeholder types to identify commonalities and contradictions in definitions for community resilience. It aims to support cross-disciplinary discourse to build an interdisciplinary understanding of community resilience. This work identifies the differences between mono-, multi-, inter-, and cross-disciplinary approaches to inform community resilience strategies in academic and practice-based contexts.

Four themes for community resilience were identified through a review of cross-disciplinary literature. These include (1) diverse yet convergent definitions of community resilience and the evolution from equilibrium to adaptation to transformation; (2) equitable and inclusive strategies for the development of community resilience initiatives; (3) when and at what scale strategies should be implemented; and (4) community resilience as a process or an outcome.

This work is valuable to those seeking to familiarise themselves with the concept of community resilience, including educators who deliver courses on community resilience and policy-makers. It is novel in that it presents an interdisciplinary framework for navigating the community resilience discourse beyond individual professional boundaries.