Abstract
This article responds to a book edited by Prof PGJ Meiring in 1996 on the religions of South Africa. It appreciates the integration between the fields of Religious Studies and Theology of Religions in the book, but suggests that a missiological approach should explore the inter-religious encounter, rather than merely what others believe or what we believe about the possibility of their being saved. An approach of “encounterology” requires: a) a holistic and reflexive process that considers seven different dimensions of the encounter; b) a dialogical approach in which a Christian enters into a journey of mutual witness with a follower of another faith. The article uses a seven-point praxis cycle to indicate what such an encounterology could look like.
Highlights
The best way to honour an intellectual is to enter into dialogue with him or her
I came to know him over the years as a loyal, friendly and committed colleague, who made a significant contribution to South African missiology, through his publications, his lectures and postgraduate students
What I appreciate about Suid-Afrika, land van baie godsdienste (Meiring 1996b) is that it combines in one book what is often treated in two different academic disciplines, namely Religious Studies and Missiology, the area of Missiology that is called the “theology of religions”
Summary
The best way to honour an intellectual is to enter into dialogue with him or her. I use this opportunity to show deep appreciation for my colleague Piet Meiring by contributing to this volume. I came to know him over the years as a loyal, friendly and committed colleague, who made a significant contribution to South African missiology, through his publications, his lectures and postgraduate students. His participation in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission placed the issue of reconciliation as key dimension of Christian mission firmly on the missiological agenda. In this paper I honour Piet Meiring by taking up some issues flowing from a publication that he produced on interreligious relationships With six colleagues he edited a textbook that introduces Christian students to the most influential religions of South Africa, entitled Suid-Afrika, land van baie godsdienste (Meiring 1996b)[1]. This paper is primarily an exercise in missiological method
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