Reforming Church for pluri-faith co-existence

…for a culture of dialogue in the Church “Dialogue, dialogue, dialogue… It is the only way for individuals, families, and societies to grow along with the culture of encounter, a culture in which all have something good to give and all can receive something good in return.” - Pope Francis

He says pluralism is good He says pluralism is good. This message is particularly relevant today in a world, that is becoming increasingly homogenous, where cultural and religious differences are being blurred and religious traditions are under threat of extinction.

We are now coming to value diversity as something potentially enriching and even uniting at a higher level of union.

Such a awareness makes us accepting of what we do not understand and respectful of what we disagree with.

We are beginning to realise that uniformity is not the only or the most creative response to difference.

Such an enriching ‘communion’ or common union must inspire us not just to a ‘unity in diversity’, that accept and respects differences, but rather to a ‘diversity in unity’, that appreciates and celebrates difference. (Kothari 1988:20)

Only then we can experience a metanoia in ourselves that will free us from the paranoia we have of each other.

what is dialogue?

What is Dialogue? Dialogue and conversation are intrinsic to the human condition, The very language of our existence, The essential hermeneutic of all our experience

Dialectic Vs Dialogue Dialectics is one position against the other? Dialectic is the optimism of reason, Dialogue is the optimism of the heart

Dialectic Vs Dialogue Dialectical dialogue is the encounter of ideologies Dialogical dialogue is the meetings of hearts/myths

Historical background

Christian Beliefs and Attitudes that shaped our relationship with other religions are:

Outside the Church no salvation

Persecution of Jews

Clash of Empires

Colonialism

Legacy Mistrust Suspicion Animosity Unresolved feeling

Early initiatives

P.d.devanandan

Stanley samartha

Wesley Ariaraja In fact, anyone who has a realistic assessment of the world we live in would see the urgency of a wider ecumenism of religious traditions. Historically religious traditions have contributed to the fragmentation of the world. Often their history with each other has been marked by rivalry, mutual exclusion, conflict and outright wars.

Pope John XXIII

Ecclesia and Synagoga Notre Dame de Paris

Cardinal Bea and Rabbi Heschel

Vatican Council II 1963-1965

Nostra Aetate October 28, 1965

Basic thoughts

Exhortation to Dialogue “The Church, therefore, exhorts her sons, that through dialogue and collaboration with the followers of other religions, carried out with prudence and love and in witness to the Christian faith and life, they recognize, preserve and promote the good things, spiritual and moral, as well as the socio-cultural values found among these men.” (2)

Exhortation to Reconciliation “Since in the course of centuries not a few quarrels and hostilities have arisen between Christians and Moslems, this sacred synod urges all to forget the past and to work sincerely for mutual understanding and to preserve as well as to promote together for the benefit of all mankind social justice and moral welfare, as well as peace and freedom.” (2)

Exhortation to Justice “The Church reproves, as foreign to the mind of Christ, any discrimination against men or harassment of them because of their race, color, condition of life, or religion.”

Our involvement

Notable interventions

Unity of the Human Family: Assisi Prayer for Peace

Unity of the Human Family: Ground Zero

Recognition: Growth in the Knowledge of the other

Encounter

Interchange: Sharing Wisdom

Witness to who we are

Witness to who we are together

Dialogue as Evangelization Shir Hadash and St Paul Lutheran

Critiques

Interfaith dialogue is not a movement Interfaith dialogue is not a movement. It is at best a collection of scattered efforts.

Idea of interfaith dialogue is different from practice of interfaith dialogue

Doctrinal matters cannot be negotiated/compromised Doctrinal matters cannot be negotiated/compromised. So, why does much interfaith activity focus on such matters?

Interfaith dialogue is too much of a head thing and not a heart thing

Are we searching for communal harmony or truth?

Can we truly claim to represent ‘our own’ communities/’religions’, or do we represent only ourselves when we engage in ‘interfaith/inter-community dialogue’?

Is this intellectually honest? Tendency to deny the uniqueness of each religion and to create misleading image that all religions are in harmony, that they are the same & that they teach the same things or are different paths to same goal. Is this intellectually honest?

Are we theologically faithful? Does this make us feel we need to compromise on what we believe to be Absolute Truth and to claim that all truth-claims are the same or that truth is relative? What does this mean for our faith commitment? What impact can it have for our life of faith Are we theologically faithful?

Are we 'politically correct'? Does a dominant form of interfaith ‘dialogue’ make us feel compelled to water-down our faith commitment and our conviction in the uniqueness of our faith in order to create an image of ‘harmony’ and appear ‘politically correct’? Are we 'politically correct'?

Cost-benefit analysis: What is invested (money, time, energy, human resources) in our interfaith efforts & what is the output?

Challenges

Why not dialogue on other issues—such as issues of common social/human concern—where both unity as well as compromise/negotiation are possible?

Multi-faith living, rather than seminars about dialogue—is that the way both for harmony and for silent proclamation? Contrast this with ‘too much’ talking of standard interfaith activities and no shared living

Is interfaith as practiced an elitist affair, restricted to seminars, workshops and, engaged in by so-called ‘experts’?

How to make it part of one’s own spiritual growth, rather than just an intellectual exercise?

What about making it more mass-based—in terms of location of events and participants?

Success of any action—including interfaith efforts—depends on intention of those engaged in it. Why are we engaged in it? Is it a spiritual quest or a project that needs to be implemented?

Seventh Ten questions

HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT WE KNOW IS TRUE? 1 HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT WE KNOW IS TRUE?

We believe in God Do we know God?

2 WHO AM I?

3 HOW DO I LOOK AT OTHERS?

How do we look at "others" Enemy of God?

How do we look at "others" Superstition?

How do we look at "others" Primitive practices?

How do we look at "others" Potential Converts?

How do we look at "others" Aliens?

How do I put my Scripture among other Scriptures? 4 How do I put my Scripture among other Scriptures?

How do I put my GOD among other gods? 5 How do I put my GOD among other gods?

How do I put my saviour among other saviours? 6 How do I put my saviour among other saviours?

How do I put my Church among other worship places? 7 How do I put my Church among other worship places?

How do I put the Kingdom of God among other Kingdoms? 8 How do I put the Kingdom of God among other Kingdoms?

Can we have multiple belongings? 9 Can we have multiple belongings?

We in India live in different centuries

10 Can we move from orchestrated engagement to Accidental encounrter

We are invited to respond........

Three Challenges ‘In Our Time’ Countering the Superficial developmental aggression Solidarity with the suffering Care for the environment

Refugee Crisis

Our Common Home

Culture of Dialogue

We are not invited to.......

We are not invited to "live together separately"

We are not invited to be "honest"

But "brutally honest"

In his speech Pope Francis to pre-conclave general congregation of cardinals, he left us a compelling image of Jesus of this Church-for-the-world, "in which Jesus knocks from within so that we will let him go out."

Thank you