Christian-Muslim Dialogue

Religious Pluralism in Recent African Constitutional Reform

by M. Christian Green

Journal of Law and Religion (accepted for publication, forthcoming Spring 2013)

Something unexpected has been happening in Africa—and not just Northern Africa, which, along with the Middle East, has... more Something unexpected has been happening in Africa—and not just Northern Africa, which, along with the Middle East, has seen a winter and spring of revolution in 2011. Over the last several years, several sub-Saharan African nations have managed to conduct elections, produce new constitutions, and even partition themselves in relative peace, despite the often dire predictions of foreign governments, media, and election-monitoring organizations. In each of these cases, religion and religious freedom were high-profile concerns, but despite conventional assumptions about the propensity for religious contestation to lead to conflict, the constitutional procedures seem, at least in the near term, to have unfolded peacefully and productively. While the specter of rising Islamist movements in North Africa has led some to view the specifically religious dimensions of the revolutions with caution, religious actors are playing important and often positive roles in the referenda and new constitutions. Even so, as detailed in this paper issues of religious freedom, sharia courts, Muslim-Christian relations, and the relation of religion and state have been key concerns in the new constitutionalism. Countries in focus include Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia, with brief reference to developments in Nigeria and South Sudan.

The Common Word for a Common Humanity: The Underlying Essence of the Message as Rooted in the Holy Scriptures of Islam and Christianity

by Nadim Pabani

In this study, we will firstly examine The Common Word initiative and its formative roots. Secondly, we will overview... more In this study, we will firstly examine The Common Word initiative and its formative roots. Secondly, we will overview some of the subsequent reactions from religious leaders and academic scholars in both the Christian and Muslim communities. While acknowledging that negative responses to The Common Word have arisen, we will rather focus on the perceptions of the majority which reflect more favorably on the impact of the initiative. Finally, we suggest that it is possible to view The Common Word initiative as having been derived from the basic essence of both the Qur’anic and Biblical teachings in regards to the building of one’s social conscience through pluralism, humanism and universalism

Rowan Williams as Hegelian Political Theologian: Resacralising Secular Politics

by Carys Moseley

Published in Heythrop Journal 53(3), May 2012: 362-381.

Schiitische Polemik gegen das Christentum im safawidischen Iran des 11./17. Jahrhunderts

by Dennis Halft OP

“Schiitische Polemik gegen das Christentum im safawidischen Iran des 11./17. Jahrhunderts. Sayyid Aḥmad ʿAlawīs Lawāmiʿ-i rabbānī dar radd-i šubha-yi naṣrānī”, in Adang, Camilla / Sabine Schmidtke (eds.), Contacts and Controversies between Muslims, Jews and Christians in the Ottoman Empire and Pre-Modern Iran (Istanbuler Texte und Studien 21), Würzburg 2010,
273-334.

Returning To Roots. The Christian Question about The Muslim Question

by Maria Lichtmann

Between Suspicion and Trust

by Ahmed Afzaal

Kreuzzüge aus muslimischer Sicht. Die Darstellung der "Franken" in Usāma ibn Munqiḏs Kitāb al-Iʿtibār

by Elif Gömleksiz

Charles de Foucauld a-t-il été un pionnier du dialogue islamo-chrétien ?

by Dominique Casajus

Published in Écrivains et intellectuels français face au monde arabe, Catherine Mayaux, Paris, Honoré Champion, 2011 : 209-218

The man the Catholic Church solemnly beatified on November 13th 2005 was a controversial figure. Charles de Foucauld... more The man the Catholic Church solemnly beatified on November 13th 2005 was a controversial figure. Charles de Foucauld was slaughtered at Tamanrasset on December 1st 1916, at the height of the Senoussist insurrection. For a long time, he was held to be a figurehead of colonialisation. At present, some see him as a pioneer of Islamic-Christian dialogue. This article confronts this new image of Foucauld with what we know of his relationship with Islam.
–
(L'homme que l'Église catholique a solennellement béatifié le 13 novembre 2005 fut longtemps une figure controversée. Charles de Foucauld avait été abattu à Tamanrasset le 1er décembre 1916, au plus fort d'une insurrection où se préfiguraient les luttes anti-coloniales qui allaient jalonner le siècle. En 1927, l'évêque de Ghardaïa avait ouvert le procès destiné à statuer sur ses vertus et sa renommée de sainteté, puisque c'est par là que doit s'entamer le processus au terme duquel un homme peut éventuellement être admis au nombre des bienheureux. Ce processus est en général semé d'embûches, mais dans ce cas-là il l'avait été particulièrement. En 1956, les évêques d'Afrique du Nord avaient même demandé qu'il soit interrompu, jugeant inconvenant qu'on envisage en pleine guerre d'Algérie de béatifier un homme qui leur paraissait avoir été compromis dans la colonisation. De fait, Foucauld avait été jusque-là, selon le mot d'un biographe de l'époque, le " saint de la colonisation ". Aujourd'hui, certains veulent voir en lui un pionnier du dialogue islamo-chrétien. L'article met en regard ce nouveau visage de Foucauld et ce qu'on sait de son rapport à l'islam.)

Review of Marlies ter BORG, Sharing Mary: Bible and Qur'an side by side (2010)

by Diego Sarrio Cucarella

Sarrio, Diego R. "Sharing Mary: Bible and Qur'an side by side." Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations 22, no. 1 (January 1, 2011): 108-109.

La reescritura del Libro de la escala de Mahoma como polémica religiosa

by Ana Echevarria

Inter-Religious Dialogue in Syria: Politics, Ethics and Miscommunication

by Edith Szanto

Political Theology 9 no. 1 (2008): 93-113.

“¿Podemos rezar juntos? La práctica de la oración interreligiosa,” Encuentro Islamo–Cristiano 349 (Madrid: Darek-Nyumba, 2001).

by Diego Sarrio Cucarella

Islam-Christian Interreligious Dialogues: Peacemaking Activity by Pope John Paul II and by Sheikh Allahsukur Pashazade

by Sándor (Alexander) Földvári

Proposal for a 30 minute Paper Presentation at the 2nd
International Conference on Religion and Spirituality in Society, to be held in Canada, Vancouver, between 2012/02/20 and 2012/02/22.
Keywords:  Dialogues, Interreligious Communication, Political Activity of Church Leaders, Islam, Catholic Church, Christian-Muslim Contacts
Stream: Sociology and Anthropology of Religion, Religious Practices, Rites and Institutions

Dialogues between Christians and Muslims have been carrying since the early 2nd millennium, though their value have... more Dialogues between Christians and Muslims have been carrying since the early 2nd millennium, though their value have remained in the shadows because of terrible wars. The situation improved due the flourishing culture at the court of Abbasid caliphs. We give examples of dialogues by Abu Qurra in Damascus.
In the 20th century Egypt and Syria played an important role. President Mubaraq not only invited, but personally highly respected Pope John Paul II. Another case, when the Pope came to Damascus, the calling by muezzins – in Arabic the ‘adhān ( أذان ) – was ceased to sound while the pope was speaking.
A brief survey of activity by the former pope Blessed John Paul II in the field of the Islam-Christian contacts, including the political alliance with Bhenazir Bhutto the then president of Pakistan and other Muslim leaders for the Cairo conference in 1994 where the Pope together with famous politicians from the Islam World protested against the USA policy for frameless legalisation of the abortion. Due to his beatification, the very positive revaluation seems to be given to his apostolic journeys and intercultural dialogues held in Assisi, thus the author of this paper works on a book in the topic, too.
Another famous person in religious and political scene is the Muslim leader of Azerbaijan and the entire Caucasus region. In recent years, the city of Baku has also joined these great centres of Islam and plays a leading role in interfaith dialogue. We give feedback about the meeting, which occurred in Baku, April 26 of the past year.
Believers must remain to be the hope of the world: such was the appeal of Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, just returning from Baku, where the Cardinal participated in a meeting of religious leaders at the top – as Cardinal Tauran spoke to the correspondent of The Radio of The Vatican.
The Vatican hierarch said in his speech that he stressed the fact that globalization did not automatically meant the fraternity. On the contrary, this requires that the believers were talking among themselves, that they knew each other better, they were discussing what they could do together to strengthen interfaith dialogue that could promotes the values and the public good; while avoiding the two evils: relativism and intolerance. I had tried to illustrate the specific contribution of believers in the maintenance of peace, said the cardinal.
He confirmed that Muslims in Azerbaijan are remarkable for their tolerance. The head of the Muslim community, who was co-chair at the said meeting, was "a very kind man, well related to the Catholics and believers in general, and especially to the Holy See." In the presence of the representative of the Holy See, on several occasions, he spoke of the Pope, expressing his respect. "I think he is a model of harmony," says Cardinal Tauran.
In the final document, it was referred to the issue of terrorism. Participants stressed that religious leaders should not allow the use of religion to justify any kind of violence.
The rich historical tradition, through which Baku has became one of the main cultural centres of Islam, is also to be surveyed in the paper.

“Islam and Christianity,” in Oxford Bibliographies Online: Islamic Studies, ed. Tamara Sonn (New York: Oxford University Press, 2011)

by Diego Sarrio Cucarella

Co-authored with Daniel A. Madigan

“Carta a un amigo musulmán de Sidón de Pablo de Antioquia,” Collectanea Christiana Orientalia 4 (2007): 189–215.

by Diego Sarrio Cucarella

Presentation and Spanish translation of: “Letter to a Muslim friend in Sidon”, by Paul of Antioch, Melkite bishop of... more Presentation and Spanish translation of: “Letter to a Muslim friend in Sidon”, by Paul of Antioch, Melkite bishop of Sidon. This work, written at the end of the 13th century, gave rise to one of the richest and most complex episodes in the history of Islamic-Christian debate. In it, the author tries to justify the Christian religion by means of basically rational arguments, duly backed up by Koranic texts. This leads him, finally, to attempt a kind of “Christian theology according to the Koran”. The letter of the bishop of Sidon, and its reworking in Cyprus about a century later, led to the publication of at least three important Muslim apologetical works.

الدراسات الدينيّة والتنشئة على التعارف والحوار

by Georges NAHAS

نحّاس، ج. ن. (2008). الدراسات الدينيّة والتنشئة على التعارف والحوار. سلسلة محاضرات الأديان والعنف. مركز الدراسات المسيحيّة-الإسلاميّة . جامعة البلمند.

تهدف هذه المداخلة إلى طرح موضع العلاقة بين الدراسات الدينيّة والتنشئة على التعارف والحوار. يكمن أساس الإشكالية في... more تهدف هذه المداخلة إلى طرح موضع العلاقة بين الدراسات الدينيّة والتنشئة على التعارف والحوار. يكمن أساس الإشكالية في تحديد ماهيّة الدراسات الدينيّة وعلاقاتها بتحديد هويّة المجموعة، وعلاقة المجموعة (ولاحقًا الأفراد) بالمجموعات الأخرى والأفراد الآخرين. فهل الدراسات الدينيّة الهادفة إلى بناء المعرفة تؤدي إلى الانغلاق، أم أنها باب مفتوح لمعرفة الآخر؟ هل من رؤية، وشروط ومعايير ليكون للدراسات الدينيّة دور في بناء الشخصيات الحوارية؟ ما هي الأفاهيم التي تحتاج إلى إعادة نظر جذريّة في هذا الاتجاه؟ ما هي الوسائل الممكنة لبلوغ قناعات فأفعال تقود إلى مجتمع متحاور؟

تسعى هذه المداخلة إلى الإجابة عن هذه الأسئلة من منطلق رؤية للدين، وللوطن، وللإنسان في آن معًا.

Les Chrétiens en Terre d’Orient, Une Exception?

by Georges NAHAS

Nahas, G.N. (février 2011). Les Chrétiens en Terre d'Orient, Une Exception? In Service Orthodoxe de Presse (SOP), No 355, France.

The trinity: Religion, Culture and Identity. The known and unknown

by Julia Maria Koszewska

published in "Coyote" #13 by Council of Europe, 2007.

contributor's note attached:

"Julia Maria Koszewska was born in 1982 in Poland, where she lived for ¼... more contributor's note attached:

"Julia Maria Koszewska was born in 1982 in Poland, where she lived for ¼ of a century. She studied religious studies as well as library and information science. For the years 2006-2007 Julia was a member of the European Team (coordinators) of JECI-MIEC European Coordination. Julia is very active in inter-religious and ecumenical dialogue in Europe. Working as a trainer and being a full-time student for many years, she got into youth reality from two perspectives: as a participant and as a leader. Her life motto is “be brave enough to realise your dreams”, while her hobby is photography.
Online profile: http://www.salto-youth.net/find-a-trainer/801.html"; (p. 64).
keywords: religion, culture, identity, trinity, Europe, youth, dialogue, dialog