Christian Perspectives on Transforming Interreligious Encounter


Book Description

Christian Perspectives on Transforming Interreligious Encounter underscores the urgency of interreligious dialogue for contemporary society, aiming to foster interfaith understanding, justice, and peace. The initial section focuses on novel approaches to engaging with the religious Other through non-Christian sacred texts. Contributors explore the Jewish-Christian relationship, offer Christian interpretations of Hindu, Buddhist, and Confucian scriptures, and discuss the Qurʾān's potential to refine Christian theology. The dangers of comparative theology are warned against, and alternative perspectives, such as Asian liberation theology, are proposed for situating religion critically, as well as share the insights on Christian engagement with Zen practice. The second part explores the transformation of key Christian doctrines through interreligious encounters. Contributors delve into topics such as the conditions for faith and divine revelation, formulating a Christology in dialogue with Asian traditions, and understanding the Spirit as a source of questioning. They investigate the communitarian dimension of religious faith, discuss the Catholic Church's stance on interreligious dialogue, examine the role of biblical hermeneutics in decolonizing theology, and reflect on the existential threat of ecological destruction. The third part pays tribute to Leo Lefebure, emphasizing his impact on Catholic theology and comparative theology, and concludes with Lefebure's epilogue, providing him with the last word.




How about That!


Book Description

"How about that! the life of Mel Allen is the first biography on perhaps the most famous sports broadcaster ..."--Jacket.




My Neighbor's Faith: Stories of Interreligious, Encounter, Growth, and Transformation


Book Description

This groundbreaking volume gathers an array of inspiring and penetrating stories about the interreligious encounters of outstanding community leaders, scholars, public intellectuals, and activist from the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. With wisdom, wit, courage, and humility, these writers from a range of religious backgrounds share their personal experience of border-crossing, and the lessons learned from their interreligious adventures. We live in the most religiously diverse society in the history of humankind. Every day, people of different religious beliefs and practices encounter one another in a myriad of settings. How has this new situation of religious diversity impacted the way we understand the religious other, ourselves, and God? Can we learn to live together with mutual respect, working together for the creation of a more compassionate and just world? Contributors include: Mary Boys, Rita Nakishima-Brock; Arthur Green; Ruben Habito; Paul Knitter; Michael Lerner; Eboo Patel; Judith Plaskow; Paul Raushenbush; Arthur Waskow; and many more.




Monopoly on Salvation?


Book Description

In a world where religion often fuels ethnic and racial conflicts, and where passionate allegiance to rival creeds engenders violent antagonism among members of the same family, dwellers in the same neighborhood, citizens of the same country, no one can doubt the need to rethink the universalist claims of temple, church, and mosque. For the past few decades, Christian theology tended to regard religious difference as a "problem" to be overcome. More recently there has been an effort, however tentative, to view the different religious traditions as rich legacies to be shared by the entire human community. Monopoloy on Salvation? Re-examines missionary history to provide examples of how Christians have engaged across religious boundaries in the past--among them, Paul's letters, the Acts of Thomas, the colonial encounters of Christopher Columbus and Bartolome de las Casas, the missionary engagements of Francis Xavier, Roberto DeNobili, and Matteo Ricci, and modern missions in Africa and India. These representative accounts are seen not only through Christian eyes but also from a perspective of people of other faiths. All this provides the theoretical foundation for a Christian partnership in coequal religious dialogue. But practical resources, as the author shows, are necessary to effectively structure the conversation. A feminist analysis of human identity as multifaceted and intrinsically hybrid provides the insights for engaging across different religious visions without erasing distinctiveness. The culmination of the book is a theology modeled on the life, practice, and witness of Jesus of Nazareth that is open to the many patterns of diverse religions as gifts to humankind.




Teaching Interreligious Encounters


Book Description

Divided into five components of teaching interreligious encounters--Theory, Design, Textual Analysis, Practice, and Formation--this volume guides both new teachers and seasoned scholars in addressing the sometimes challenging questions raised by contact between divergent faiths.




Encounters in Faith


Book Description

With Christianity as a counterpoint, Feldmeier explores the spirituality and theology of Christianity, mysticism, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Zen, the Chinese spirit, indigenous traditions, and the New Age movement. The text provides a model for how religious traditions are more powerfully experienced and learned in interrelationship than in isolation. In the process, Feldmeier provides opportunities and inspiration for investigating and reflecting on one's own religious beliefs.--From publisher's description.




The Dialogical Imperative


Book Description

What is dialogue? What are the goals of dialogue between faiths? Are they attainable? Are they compatible with Christian faith? This important book addresses the issue of dialogue from a different, even unique, perspective: as the relationships, in social and historical context, between faiths. David Lochhead first differentiates between several ideological stances (often categorized as simply "exclusivity" or "inclusivity") that have defined Christian attitudes toward other faiths. He considers the sociological as well as theological dimensions of these stances, concluding that a theology of interfaith dialogue "must ultimately be grounded in a theology of the world." Lochhead brings fresh insights to a reading of Barth on the theological significance of religion. He argues that, while generally considered otherwise, Barth's view is not inherently hostile to interfaith dialogue. Rather, Barth poses questions of the utmost importance to reconciling dialogue with Christian faithfulness. Based on this, Lochhead proposes a stance of "faithful agnosticism"--the refusal to make a priori valuations of other faiths--as the attitude most conducive to constructive interfaith relationships. Exploring the notion of dialogue as a means to truth Lochhead then discusses Plato and Buber from the dialogical perspective and addresses the question of whether a doctrine of revelation must be universalized in order to permit interfaith dialogue. After examining several views of the ultimate goals of dialogue (as understanding, as negotiation, as integration, or as activity) Lochhead concludes by explicating the import of the dialogical imperative for Christian theology and mission. A clear, concise treatment of the nature and goals of interfaith dialogue, The Dialogical Imperative affirms the dialogical approach from within the Reformed Protestant tradition.




Ecumenical and Interreligious Identities in Nigeria


Book Description

This book proposes that dialogue brings about transformation. Set within the context of Nigeria, Ikenna Paschal Okpaleke contends that this dialogue-induced transformation applies not only to individuals but also to groups, and not only to dialogue in general but also to ecumenical and interreligious dialogue.




Celebrating God's Love


Book Description

This collection of essays offers a framework for reflection and study by United Methodist laity, clergy, and seminarians seeking to live into our faith’s commitment to ecumenism and interfaith relationships. The vision and voices of writers from around the world are indispensable in understanding the biblical, historical, and theological basis for ecumenical and interreligious work. The writers are Warner H. Brown, Jr. Sudarshana Devadhar, Gaspar Joao Domingos, Adam Hamilton, Benjamin L. Hartley, Hee Soo Jung, Gladys Mangiduyos, Glen A. Messer II, Bruce R. Ough, Stephen Sidorak, Jr., Mary Ann Swenson, and Rosemarie Wenner. Read what others are saying... “This sparkling book celebrates the wide-armed embrace of God’s love. Drawing from personal stories, historical narratives, texts of the Wesleyan and United Methodist traditions, and biblical witness, the authors challenge people to ponder ecumenical and interreligious relations. They offer perspectives and questions that are deeply biblical and Wesleyan and are urgent in a world torn by conflict. They shine light on polarizations and possibilities in the United Methodist Church, the Christian Church universal, and the whole human family. The book is an invitation to reflect but, more important, to pause and appreciate the largesse of God’s love that binds people across chasms of difference.” —Dean Mary Elizabeth Moore Boston University School of Theology “This book is a wonderful resource for all who take seriously the prayer for unity Jesus prayed in John 17:20-21. The authors represent a rich diversity of voices from across the globe, all calling us to focus on that which binds us together in love. I heartily recommend this book to all who are interested in building bridges of unity.” —Dr. Clayton Oliphint Senior Pastor, First United Methodist Church, Richardson, Texas "I urge all United Methodists to read Celebrating God's Love in preparation for the 2016 General Conference, because it serves as a valuable reminder of our commitment to ecumenical and interreligious relationships and dialogue." —Jim Winkler President and General Secretary National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA




Critical Perspectives on Interreligious Education


Book Description

The editors of Experiments in Empathy: Critical Reflections on Interreligious Education have assembled a volume that spans multiple religious traditions and offers innovative methods for teaching and designing interreligious learning. This groundbreaking text includes established interreligious educators and emerging scholars who expand the vision of this field to include critical studies, decolonial approaches and exciting pedagogical developments. The book includes voices that are often left out of other comparative theology or interreligious education texts. Scholars from evangelical, Muslim, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, religiously hybrid and other background enrich the existing models for interreligious classrooms. The book is particularly relevant at a time when religion is so often harnessed for division and hatred. By examining the roots of racism, xenophobia, sexism and their interaction with religion that contribute to inequity the volume offers real world educational interventions. The content is in high demand as are the authors who contributed to the volume. Contributors are: Scott Alexander, Judith A. Berling, Monica A. Coleman, Reuven Firestone, Christine Hong, Jennifer Howe Peace, Munir Jiwa, Nancy Fuchs Kreimer, Tony Ritchie, Rachel Mikva, John Thatanamil, Timur Yuskaev.