Interreligious Dialogue
Interreligious Dialogue
Interfaith dialogue is an increasingly popular
response to religious conflict and religious
nationalism. While practitioners employ a variety of
approaches, the underlying purpose of all interfaith
dialogue projects is to enhance religious tolerance
and promote peaceful coexistence.
Founder of Interreligious
Dialogue
MARTIN BUBER
was a prominent twentieth
century philosopher, religious thinker,
political activist and educator. Born in
Austria, he spent most of his life in
Germany and Israel, writing in German
and Hebrew.
WHAT AND WHY
What year was the
What year was the interreligious dialogue
interreligious dialogue established in the
established? Philippines
1990
1964 It was created by the Catholic
Bishops Conference of the
Philippines (CBCP)
Why is interreligious
dialogue important?
can unlock the power of religious traditions and
provide the inspiration, guidance, and valida-
tion necessary for populations to move toward
non-violent means of conflict resolution. Such
dialogues have become an increasingly important
tool for those who seek to end violent conflict
worldwide.
History of Interreligious Dialogue
The origins of formal interreligious dialogue in the modern period can be traced to the 1893
World’s Parliament of Religions that brought together people of different religions from the East
and the West and was held as part of the Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The Indian Swami
Vivekananda made a particularly strong impression there. His interpretation of Hinduism
influenced both people’s perceptions of that religion and of the aims and mode of interreligious
dialogue for many years afterwards.
History of Interreligious Dialogue
The first half of the twentieth century saw a few significant figures that were committed to
interreligious harmony. The most famous was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869 – 1948),
the mahatma or “great soul” of modern India. He was deeply influenced by the same inclusive
interpretation of Hinduism that had inspired Vivekananda, but also by the Quaker faith of
friends in Pretoria, South Africa, and by the Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy’s Christian pacifism
(they exchanged letters in 1909 and 1910). Even so, Gandhi was distrusted by many Muslims.
Types of Interreligious Dialogue
• Polemical
• Cognitive
• Peacemaking
• Partnership.
Polemical
it as “the art or practice of disputation or controversy”, is a living issue in matters of religion,
and is a major object of research for scholars in religious studies and theology.
Cognitive
• It is considered: theological, spiritual, human (Buberian), truth-seeking dialogue, theology of
religions, theology of interreligious dialogue, comparative theology.
Peacemaking
• are considered: theological, spiritual, human (Buberian), truth-seeking dialogue, theology of
religions, theology of interreligious dialogue, comparative theology. It
• describe different types of interreligious dialogue in a complex, systematic and interrelated
way.
Partnership
Partnering is a critical aspect of interreligious dialogue. It allows to collaborate for greater scale
and more sustained positive impact on the different religions and their communities. It is
privileged to serve and partner with communities of faith for the well-being of the different
religions all around the world, as well as with global faith-based organizations..
Importance of Interreligious Dialogue
The objective of interfaith communication is not to resolve our faith-based differences but to
appreciate others' faiths. ... A religiously diverse democracy can help create spaces, organize
social events, and foster friendship among people of different faiths to share a common life
together.
Practicing Interreligious Dialogue
1) Dialogue, not debate
While engaging friendly (or unfriendly, as the case might be) debate has its place, it doesn’t tend to be in the realm of
interfaith conversations. This is not to say that we don’t want folks to stand up for particular perspectives and deeply-held
beliefs—absolutely do so! However, don’t do so merely for the sake of argument.
2) Use “I” statements
While it’s easy to slip into speaking in generalizations (e.g. “Catholics believe that,” “atheists think that,” etc.), it’s always
good practice to keep statements anchored in concrete personal experience so we don’t accidentally say something that
might very well be untrue of others’ personal experiences.
3) Step up/step back
Ever have a conversation among a group where the same few people speak up while the same few people sit quietly? Its
good practice to be aware of this and to empower people to “step up” if they haven’t shared their own perspective, as well as
to encourage folks to “step back” if they’ve had many opportunities to share.
Practicing Interreligious Dialogue
4) Oops/ouch
Even though all of the frameworks provided for interfaith conversation avoid the possibility for anyone
to feel hurt or personally offended, it happens! When it does, folks should feel free to say so (ouch), and
the other party can have the opportunity to clarify meaning (oops).
5) Assume good intentions
In the spirit of guideline #4, it’s possible that someone might feel offended by what another person says
when engaging interfaith conversation. Even so, it helps to assume good intentions. If someone chooses
to attend an interfaith conversation with their free time, odds are it’s not because they have it out for
anybody. Keeping this in mind brings an air of understanding to the conversation that will keep things
civil and productive.
Practicing Interreligious Dialogue
6) Controversy with civility
Think of this as a response to the common saying “agree to disagree.” When we agree to disagree, difference is not
engaged and is instead dismissed—therefore, no learning actually occurs. Allowing controversy with civility means that
opposing viewpoints can be engaged respectfully as means to learning from one another.
7) Own your intentions and your impact
While we do expect people to assume good intentions, that doesn’t mean we should disregard the fact that what we say
has an impact. For example, if a cisgender person honestly shares that they don’t understand how anyone can be
transgender, this remark would indeed have an impact on a transgender person. Own the good intention, and own the
impact it will still have on others.
8) Examine “challenge by choice”
“Challenge by choice” is the idea that participants can choose if, and to what extent, they will participate in a given
activity. That’s a good idea! However, we don’t think the reasons someone might choose to abstain from a particular
conversation should go unnoticed. If there’s an interfaith conversation on, say, the #blacklivesmatter movement and
you find yourself sitting quietly—why do you think that is? Think about how you can learn from these types of
moments.
Practicing Interreligious Dialogue
9) Examine “be respectful”
This whole “examination” thing is pretty hip. In this case, we still want folks to be respectful of one another (of
course, right?). “Respect,” though, can mean different things to different people! Let’s not just glaze over the
command to be respectful, but take a moment to ask ourselves what that actually looks like. Ask participants,
“When people are being respectful of one another, what is happening specifically?”
10) Offer reminders during moments of challenge
If and when tensions do get high and it feels like the conversation is taking a turn, remind participants of the
space that was agreed upon before the conversation began. There’s no shame in saying, “Let’s hit the pause
button for a moment and take some time to remind ourselves of the guidelines.” In a make-or-break moment of
conversation, doing this allows the room to take a breath and forge ahead with both bravery and sensitivity.
