Interfaith

This paper analyses the responses of Evangelical Christians to “A Common Word between Us and You.” While many Evangelical leaders warmly welcomed the initiative and have subsequently been involved in various dialogues and conferences, others were more sceptical and refused to take part. This latter reaction reflects a general lack of trust in some parts of the Evangelical movement engendered by concerns over Muslim approaches to law, freedom of religion and conscience, the treatment of apostates under shari‘a and restrictions on Christian mission in Muslim countries. The debate between these two groups has been sharp and at times acrimonious, reflecting deeper tensions within the Evangelical community. Drawing on recent books, articles, blogs and the author’s own observations at an international dialogue conference, this paper highlights the tensions and examines some of the underlying causes.

In this chapter I explore how Friedrich Nietzsche’s work The Anti-Christ inspired not only an unexpected charitable reading of Jesus’s life and thought in the New Testament, but also an unlikely sense of “holy envy.” I will examine how this unlikely sense of holy envy provides a unique opportunity for empathy in an American political context where political ideologies tend to be more divisive than religious or theological worldviews. The topic of Jesus is very tricky for Jews. In fact, the legacy of Christian anti-Judaism provides the hermeneutical lens for how Jews may interpret the life and teachings of Jesus in the New Testament. Incorporating aspects of Jesus’s life and teachings into a Jewish religious way of engaging the world, or even just appreciating them, can be an anathema to classical and even to many forms of modern Jewish thought. In this essay, I will explore the irony and power of how Nietzsche’s Jesus could inspire a contemporary Jewish thinker to admire and even connect to the Jesus of the New Testament.

In Syria, interfaith dialogue constitutes a public practice that speaks to ethical, social and political imaginaries. As an official practice, it helps to provide the regime with religious legitimacy, though unofficially it often functions as a euphemism for missionary efforts. On a more abstract level, a careful analysis of Syrian interfaith dialogue reveals that different ethical traditions inform the participants' vision of "good." The Muslim sheikhs in this case-study follow an Aristotelian model of ethics that presupposes pious individuals for the creation and preservation of a moral society. Accordingly, they aim at fostering inter-communal harmony by teaching people how to perform virtues, rather than teaching them about other religions. Conversely, the Christian priests share a model that combines post-Enlightenment rationalism with "Christian love," and thus they strive to advance tolerance by encouraging unconditional affection, intellectual and experiential awareness of others. Together, these discrepancies facilitate miscommunication among the participants of dialogue.

Modern society presents challenges in how to constructively engage with diversity, of which the world’s religions and ethical convictions are integral. Wilson and Ravat’s book ‘Learning to Live Well Together: Case Studies in Interfaith Diversity’ provides guidance on approaches toward improving interfaith relationships and practical examples. In so doing, it contributes to literature on learning organizations, bringing valuable insights from a contextual perspective, supporting a process toward a vision, as a continual aspiration, as described by Örtenblad, 2013: 7-8). The case studies bring to life the Fiol and O’Connor’s (2007: 82) theorising of leadership interventions to incite ‘behavioral processes of discarding the old and experimenting with the new’ in that Wilson and Ravat’s (2007) book exemplify the need for ‘progressive refocus on positive possibilities and engaging people in activities to explore them’.

In the context of significant numbers of Muslim newcomers immigrating to Europe and perceptions of failed integration in Sweden, and in light of the urban conflict and increasing debates about integration as a one-way or two-way street, this paper sets out a “communication for development”-informed theoretical framework that focuses on the struggle for social cohesion and immigrant integration in Malmö, Sweden. Unemployment and lack of power have taken their toll on agency among migrants—particularly Iraqi men— and the strongest stories showing immigration as an asset—particularly those of Iraqi women—are not being told in the media. Participatory communication in Malmö is currently less than participatory, and integration in Sweden, in its expectations, leans uncomfortably close to assimilation. Several examples are given of development communication initiatives for integration that have had positive results, with strong evidence that community media has proven effective at improving immigrant integration. Development communication initiatives show promise for improving social cohesion in Malmö, and these can be effective only if the choice to participate, and the choices of initiative, medium and content are made by migrants themselves.

L’étude retrace les difficultés d’accès au concile Vatican II (1959-1965) pour les interlocuteurs juifs, qui contactent le Vatican au sujet du schéma De Judaeis. 
Ces difficultés s'expliquent par la forte asymétrie des relations, les juifs étant en position d'entrants. Vu les effets de segmentation dans ces réseaux, l’apport du moment conciliaire réside in fine moins dans les transferts d’idées entre représentants de groupes religieux distincts, que dans de nouvelles pratiques d’échange. Les relations entre représentants juifs et ecclésiastiques s'autonomisent des voies d'accès et des modes de discussion diplomatiques, pour donner naissance à une diplomatie interreligieuse. L'article se concentre ici sur les voies d'accès dont disposent ces interlocuteurs (mémorandums et discussions avec le Secrétariat pour l'Unité des Chrétiens, dont les théologiens chargés de la "question juive" étaient principalement des convertis) et revient sur les difficultés inhérentes à ce type d'échanges.

Cet article a été approuvé et publié par le comité de lecture des Éditions du CTHS dans le cadre des actes du 140e Congrès national des sociétés historiques et scientifiques tenu à Reims en 2015.

A disagreement between two philosophers, William Alston and J. L. Schellenberg, on the matter of religious commitment serves to exemplify an important difference between religious believers and religious sceptics. The disagreement occurs in the context of a discussion over the plausibility of Alston’s doxastic practice approach as applied to religious belief. I argue that a close reading of Alston and Schellenberg shows that they do not, despite what they may think, differ greatly from each other. I conclude by drawing some lessons for interreligious dialogue, particularly that the focus of engagement should not necessarily be to convince but rather to uncover differences in attitude.

While the contemporary world has been heralded as being “post-racial”, we can look all-around to see evidence that this assertion is not only flawed but false. Religion is generally blamed as the key culprit for the escalating conflicts igniting the world over which threatens peace. Yet, rarely is secularism and the void created in its midst carefully analyzed in this context. The historical roots of this problem are more remote than postmodernism and modernism. However, secularism has fractured the way that human identity has been understood throughout time which eclipses the integral relationship between human diversity and religious pluralism.

“You can’t just be left wing or right wing because you need two wings to fly.”
Rabbi Menachem Fromanז"ל

The quote above aptly describes the belief system of the late Rabbi Menachem Froman ז"ל of the ancient Biblical city of Tekoa which also happens to be considered a settlement by the international community.  Rabbi Froman sought to embrace the dichotomies which he exemplified by being a settler and an advocate of an independent Palestinian state, a founder of Gush Emunim  and a peacebuilder with all different types of Palestinians, even Hamas.  He had a special ability to see the depths of the reality in the Holy Land and know that the only way to solve the conflict between Jews, Muslims and Christians is to reach for the Abrahamic roots which unite them all.  This article will explore the multifaceted identity of Rabbi Froman and then look at his methodology as a peacebuilder.  Next, will be an explanation of the profound influence that Rabbi Froman had on the founders of the Abrahamic Reunion, Sheikh Ghassan Manasra and Rodef Shalom (Radash)  Eliyahu McLean who are actively carrying on his message today.  An additional organization founded by one of Rabbi Froman’s students called Eretz Shalom will show how the energy which physically left this world on March 4th, 2013 still fills the hearts and souls of the peacebuilders in the Holy Land.

Contents:
Leonard Swidler, Preface
Alan Race, Foreword
David Thomas, 1 Dialogue before Dialogue
Paul Hedges, 2 The Contemporary Context of Muslim-Christian Dialogue
Reuven Firestone, 3 Can Those Chosen by God Dialogue with Others
Khaleel Mohammed, 4 Lay, Institutional, academic
Anne Hege Grung, 5 Gender and Muslim-Christian Dialogue
Shirin Shafaie, 6 War, Peace and Nuclear Terror
Yusuff Amuda, 7 Shari'ah and Religious Tolerance for the Protection of Children: A Case Study of Nigerian Muslims and Christians
Jean-Daniel Kabati, 8 Peace-building through Interfaith Dialogue: The Democratic Republic of Congo Model
Douglas 9, Muslim Initiative and Christian Response: The Future of Dialogue
Ray Gaston, 10 Christian Responses to Islamophobia
Clinton Bennett, 11 Christian-Muslim Relations in the US post 9/11
Clare Amos, 12 Vatican and World Council of Churches Initiatives

This essay responds to George Adams’s portrayal of the Buddhist notion of anātman as subjective and nihilistic. I show that on the contrary that the doctrine of anātman is based on the objective observation that everything changes, and restate the 2500 year old characterisation of Buddhism as the Middle Way between eternalism and nihilism. I reiterate some of the Buddhist arguments against eternalism, but I conclude that mutually exclusive doctrines still leave room for dialogue on shared values such as love.

This book provides an introduction to the current state of the field for those new to interreligious dialogue and the theology of religions, as well as providing insights and new concepts that will be of interest to specialists. In particular, the current deadlock between pluralist and particularist approaches is re-imagined, and a strong argument for radical openness to the religious Other is advanced, based upon the resources of the Christian heritage. Also explored are many issues pertaining to debates in this area which are not always addressed, such as religious identity and definitions of religion. The book draws inspiration from many sources including intercultural theology, feminist theologies of religions, comparative theology, postcolonial identity theory, scholarly debates on the nature of religion, and biblical concepts of hospitality to outline its new approach. It concludes that we must seek mutual fulfilment with religious Others while maintaining Christian integrity. It also addresses the problems this involves when seeking ethical partnership across religious boundaries. No easy answers are given, however, a vision for radical openness based on Jesus’ example, the Christian heritage, and contemporary scholarship is endorsed.