Interreligious Relations Research Articles

The Roman Catholic Church and Interreligious Dialogue

Pope John Paul II contributed more than any other Pope in Christian history to interreligious dialogue. This article reviews the pastoral approach of Pope John Paul II (1978-2005) to interreligious dialogue (IRD) and its application in the Archdiocese of Mombasa, Kenya. The Roman Catholic Church (RCC) embraced IRD during the Vatican II Council (1962-1965) convened by Pope John XXIII, who passed on in 1963. While his successor, Pope Pius VI, guided the council and laid grounds for IRD by shifting from its exclusive theology of the pre-Vatican period, Pope John Paul II directed and shaped the pastoral approach of the RCC on IRD and social cohesion. This article analyses Pope John Paul II's magisterium and encyclicals on IRD and its pastoral application by the Archdiocese of Mombasa in moderation of religious and social extremism. It argues that the Archdiocese of Mombasa adopted interreligious dialogue to strengthen interreligious relations and build social cohesion.

Human Security and Peaceful Coexistence in Islam

Abstract This article contributes to the broader debate on interreligious relations and nonviolence in Islam by examining references to the concept of covenant (ʿahd and mīthāq) in the Qurʾān and specific covenantal documents attributed to Muhammad, the prophet of Islam. Covenants include solemn agreements, bonds, pledges and treaties, and are central to the Qurʾānic narrative of human existence and coexistence as well as the diplomacy of the Prophet, though they are understudied and underrepresented in discourses about Islam. Content analysis is used to identify the commands, narratives and themes concerning covenants in Islam’s primary, preeminent sources. The article shows that covenants in the Qurʾān and Sunnah establish human security and peaceful coexistence as the normative basis of relations between Muslims and non-Muslims, which influenced early interreligious relations but were neglected over time. While Islamic covenants establish a principle of nonviolence, the use of armed force is permitted, in self-defence, in response to armed aggression and treaty violation that threatens peace and security. These findings have profound implications for our understanding of interreligious relations and the legitimate use of force in Islam.

Potential For Religious Exploitation of Conflict in Indonesia

In Indonesia, the problem of inter-religious relations seriously needs attention. Conflicts that use religious sentiment mostly exploit religious diversity to hide the real intention. The exploitation of religion in the form of falsifying religious identity is used as an effort to destabilize Indonesia, and religious interpretations are used as justification for discriminating against and dominating other religious groups, which is often found in conflicts in Indonesia. Potential adversaries likely use hybrid war to break unity and trust among Indonesians, to disintegrate the Republic of Indonesia and ultimately to control Indonesia's natural resources. Cross-institutional and civil group cooperation is needed to strengthen tolerance and affirm harmony in diversity, where Indonesian people embrace mutual understanding, care for diversity, and strengthen unity between people of different religions.

Interaction and Confrontation of Islamic Civilization with Christian Civilization Post Eastern Roman Conquest in Europe

<em>For Christian nations, the fall of Constantinople symbolized the collapse of their defensive stronghold and highlighted the threat posed by the Islamic Ottoman Empire. This event marked the transition from the center of Christian civilization to Islamic civilization, sparking a process of adaptation and interaction between the two civilizations. This paper examines how this interaction took place, including the integration and conflicts recorded in history and their impacts up to the present day. The research method used is a literature study, where the author traces relevant documents with a focus on the study. After finding the relevant sources, the researcher reads and critically analyzes them to understand their content, evaluate their validity, and reliability. The research results show that the relationship between Islam and Christianity during the Ottoman Empire demonstrated complex dynamics, with a mixture of tolerance, cooperation, and conflict. Policies of tolerance and cultural exchange had a positive impact on the development of civilization in the region. However, confrontations between the two religions arose from various factors, such as: Differences in beliefs and traditions became sources of tension, especially in the Balkan region. Political rivalry between the Ottomans and European Christian powers impacted inter-religious relations. Both Christian and Islamic parties discriminated against minority religions. The conflicts and tensions that emerged are also part of history that needs to be studied to understand the complexity of inter-religious relations in the past.</em>

Multicultural relation between religious communities in Indonesia

Indonesia is a nation with different religious affiliations and this diversity has substantial implications for inter-religious relations. The multi-religious context presented challenges in the form of potential horizontal conflicts. Therefore, this study aims to analyse the significance of cultivating an attitude of openness and engaging in constructive dialogue among different faiths to address the challenges effectively. Traditions in Minahasa show various important values for religious moderation, which have the potential to contribute ideas to issues of relations between communities. This article is a qualitative descriptive analysis method. Several references such as articles, books and other related sources are the backbone to construct the ideas and insights of this work. The results show that the multicultural reality accompanied by fundamentalist attitudes has an impact on interreligious relations. This can be prevented and reduced with the concept of dialogue from the values and philosophy of si tou timou tumou tou and torang samua basudara.Contribution: This article serves as a valuable contribution to the religious discourse within the Indonesian community, particularly by incorporating the rich local values derived from Minahasa. It adds depth to the ongoing religious dialogue, fostering a nuanced understanding that embraces the diverse cultural and spiritual perspectives present in Indonesia.

Interreligious Relations Among the Igala people

The three main religions practiced in Igala territory are Christianity, Islam, and African traditional religion. Consequently, the study looks at the relationships between the Igala people's various religions. An approach to qualitative research was adopted in this paper. With some contribution from my own experience as an Igala and as a missionary who has served pastorally in the Idah Diocese, the study was mostly based on library research. The study's conclusions demonstrated that, despite their differing religious perspectives, there are numerous examples of cooperation, support for one another, and a single, coordinated effort towards a common goal. The nation's two main religions, Islam and Christianity, are mostly cooperating in the fight against religious radicalism, discrimination, and anti-religious sentiment. The mutual mistrust, hostility, and animosity that have marred Nigeria's past in addition to violence and bloodshed seem to have overshadowed the positive sides of contacts between Christians and Muslims. The study suggests that rather than placing blame, each religious tradition should focus more on fostering effective religious development. For this type of instruction to be effective, it may begin with religious authority and work its way down. First, this instruction will help one form a firm understanding of their own faith, which will subsequently enable them to adopt the proper perspective about it.

The role of Muslim organizations in North Ossetia in the development of interfaith relations in the republic in the early 1990s and late 2010s.

This article is devoted to the study of the specific features of the participation of North Ossetian Islamic spiritual organizations in the development of interreligious relations in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania in the late twentieth and the first decades of the 21st centuries and their role in the development of the spiritual sphere of the republic’s public life and the stabilization of the political situation in this territorial subject of the Russian Federation. This study examines the features of the peacekeeping activities of the Muslim community of North Ossetia in the republic and in the North Caucasus as a whole. This article examines the role of the chairman of the Spiritual Board of Muslims of North Ossetia A.H. Evteev, H.M. Tavkazakhov and H.H. Gatsalov in the formation and the development of interfaith dialogue in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania.

Theological Values in Inter-religious Relation Verses : A Study on Tafsir Marah Labid

<p class="06IsiAbstrak"><span lang="EN-GB">Building interreligious relations was often viewed merely from social perspectives. It actually contains theological values. This research attempts to analyze the theological values in the tolerance and interreligious relation verses of the Qur’an that are interpreted by Syaikh Nawawi Al-Bantani. This descriptive-analytical study employs thematic methods by Al-Farmawi. The collected data are then analyzed in terms of its theological aspect. Marah Al-Labid is chosen for it’s written by an Indonesian scholar connecting classic and modern era. In addition, Marah Al-Labid is of Sufistic tafsir. Therefore, it is interesting to know how an Indonesian scholar viewed interreligious relation and its spiritual and theological values in the context of Indonesia. It can be concluded that having interreligious relation is lawful. Muslims are allowed to have social relation with Ahlul kitab or the people of books such as to get marry with them, to eat the meat of the animals they (Jews and Christians) slaughtered, and to have debate and discussion with them in the best way.</span></p><p class="07KatakunciKeywords"> </p>

Theorizing Interreligious Relations

Abstract This article is an attempt to think through how interreligious relations might be theorized. It will show how conventional assumptions about interreligious relations can be traced to colonial understandings of the category religion, which determine what we classify as interreligious. I argue that interreligious relations, as we understand it today, developed through the rise of secular nationalism, when religion and politics were purportedly separated as a means of reordering European power structures aligned with Christianity during the formation of the modern nation-state. This rearrangement of power gave rise to Christian ecumenism, which helped pave the way for an evolving secular governance that eventually developed into multicultural pluralist societies in a postcolonial world. This article shall demonstrate how the assumptions that underlie contemporary interreligious relations have little to do with the relationships of people with different religious identities, as one might expect, but instead serve to promote national narratives of pluralism that uphold the liberal ideologies authorizing Western multicultural societies today.

The Role of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Relations with Muslims from 1920 to 2020

Relations between Orthodox and Muslims in the Western Balkans often become a world-class topic due to the interest of international factors actively involved in this process. The Serbian Orthodox Church is a key factor in the development of interfaith dialogue, to which it has made a significant contribution through its primates, bishops and priests. Her role came to the fore in the post-war years, when, despite great sacrifices among Orthodox believers, she called for interfaith peace and coexistence, thereby contributing to the stability of the Western Balkans. In historical retrospect, the article examines the relations of peoples and representatives of different religions in one common state in political circumstances. The facts presented in the article allow us to draw conclusions about the level of interfaith dialogue and the contribution of representatives of various faiths to interfaith reconciliation. The article is an experience of a comprehensive scientific study of interreligious relations between Orthodox and Muslims in Serbia: when writing it, the researcher turned to various sources: Christian and Muslim religious and apologetic literature, history, sociology, journalism, etc., aiming at an impartial presentation of the most accurate and diverse information on this topic.

Every Wholly Other: Postsecular Pluralism in Isabel Rocamora'sFaith

In this article, I undertake a close reading of Isabel Rocamora's 2015 film installation Faith, which shows, on three separate screens, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim men simultaneously performing their morning prayers in three distinct, historically significant sites in the Judean desert. Setting the cinematic and installation properties of the work into dialogue with a number of philosophers (Levinas, Derrida, Cavell), film theorists (Bazin, Deleuze, Chion), and art theorists (Fried, Elkins), I argue that it adopts a postsecular approach to religious pluralism. That is, without being a religious artwork, Faith nevertheless deconstructs the conventional liberal secular approach of universalist neutrality towards inter-religious relations and instead configures the relations between the human figures in the work according to an alterity that requires not cognitive certainty but inter-human faith. The work is thereby consistent with Derrida's notion that tout autre est tout autre (every other is wholly other).

Navigating Interreligious Differences in Spiritual/Pastoral Care: An Empirical Study on Turkish Muslim and German Christian Spiritual/Pastoral Caregivers

As an outgrowth of globalization, religious globalization has significantly transformed the religious landscape worldwide. Contemporary societies exhibit religious pluralism, posing challenges for services such as spiritual or pastoral care. This study aimed to investigate how pastoral/spiritual caregivers of divergent cultural and religious backgrounds navigate religious diversity and how their religious location influences their inter-religious relations. Data were gathered through a standardized open-ended interview protocol. The study sample consisted of German Christian pastoral caregivers and Turkish Muslim spiritual caregivers from Germany and Turkey, respectively (N = 67). Overall, the entire sample expressed a generally positive attitude towards providing spiritual/pastoral care (S/PC) to individuals of other religious affiliations. German participants emphasized a human-centered approach towards individuals from diverse religious and cultural backgrounds, whereas Turkish participants placed greater emphasis on the qualifications of the caregiver. Turkish participants exhibited less exposure to other cultures/religions compared to their German counterparts, yet both subsamples responded positively to requests for care from individuals of different faiths. Both subsamples adhered to standard procedures during S/PC visits. German participants were more inclined to incorporate elements from other religions/cultures into their S/PC work compared to Turkish participants. The majority of participants regarded their respective institutions (Church/Diyanet) as responsible for addressing the spiritual needs of others. However, the German subsample displayed greater reluctance towards the employment of pastoral caregivers from different religious backgrounds by their institution, as opposed to the Turkish subsample.

Practical Mechanisms for Implementing Measures to Combat Extremism

The article analyzes the practical mechanisms for implementing measures to combat extremism. In fact, extremism has become something of a “plague” in the modern realities of humanity. An indefinite number of people, society, the state, and the world community may suffer from extremist activities. The information and telecommunication network «Internet» contributes to the spread of extremist ideas. Today the World Wide Web is the main information and propaganda channel practically of all international and national extremist organizations and groups. Paying considerable attention to this challenge, the author gives a list of measures to prevent the spreading of extremist ideology in the information network. The analysis of the regulatory framework on the issues under study allowed the author to conclude that there is weak interaction between the bodies designed to carry out the prevention and fight against extremism. To change the negative trend, it is necessary further to improve the legislative framework of the state regulating the activities of competent organizations, its focus on ahead of possible illegal actions in this area. In the context of the multinational nature of the Russian state, there is also a need to intensify explanatory and propaganda work aimed at preventing extremism in the field of interethnic and interreligious relations. The education of the younger generation of traditional spiritual and moral values, raising the level of education of the population and civic culture, citizens’ welfare should also be considered as essential components of preventive work in the fight against extremism and its manifestations.

Death of a Prime Minister: The Assassination of Boutros Ghali and Mediating Sectarianism in Egypt, 1906–1911

ABSTRACT When Egypt’s first Coptic Christian prime minister, Boutros Ghali, was assassinated by a Muslim affiliate of the Nationalist Party (al-Ḥizb al-Waṭanī) in 1910, it triggered a nationwide debate over more than just the spectre of political violence. The assassination, the first of a prominent politician in twentieth-century Egypt, exposed latent sectarian tensions that consumed public discourse and private speculation through the press, conferences, and demonstrations. While Ghali’s killing has been analysed more commonly in reference to its implications for the British occupation or the Egyptian nationalist movement, it has yet to receive equal attention for its role in generating discourses about sectarianism in Egypt. This article argues that the death of the prime minister highlighted national anxieties about inter-religious relations during a period of contestation over the parameters of Egyptian identity and belonging. Ghali’s death, the politics of his commemoration, and a recourse to charitable citizenship are crucial nodes for understanding the historical development of sectarianism in twentieth-century Egypt.

RITUAL CHENG BENG DALAM MASYARAKAT KHONGHUCU DAN KETERLIBATAN MASYARAKAT ISLAM DI KELURAHAN TEBING TINGGI

This study discusses the Cheng Beng Ritual in the Confucian Society and the invention of the Islamic Society in Tebing Tinggi Village. Ritual is a habit of religious ceremonial procedures that are owned by various religions and have differences in each religion or tribe, in this discussion we take the Cheng Beng Ritual which uses the Theory of Religious Rituals from Emile Durkheim. In this study the authors used qualitative research methods by observing, documenting, and interviewing the research locations directly. Durkheim said in his book The Elementary from on the Agamauos life, which reviews social phenomena in depth, including the practice of religious rituals which Durkheim divides into two parts: 1. Negative ritual practices, which aim to form prohibitions in a religious ritual. 2. Positive ritual practices, aiming to manifest oneself with solemn faith. Durkeim also said that the rituals also make the relationship between families close again. Likewise with the cheng ben ritual which makes families gather to visit their ancestors. Meanwhile the Cheng Beng that occurred in the city of Tebing Tinggi did not only show harmonious relations in the Confucian society, but this Cheng Beng also became harmonious because the Islamic community of Tebing Tinggi Village participated in this Cheng beng event, there were several forms of harmony and involvement of the Islamic community in Cheng Beng, among others, assisting Cheng Beng ceremonies such as cleaning meals, giving circles to burn offering papers, selling around the tomb, joining the Cheng Beng YASOBAS Committee. With the aim of gaining profit and increasing the economic income of the Islamic community around the Chinese Cemetery and also for everyday life and making inter-religious relations harmonious.

Shiʿa Smartphone Communities: Trends of Continuity and Change

Abstract This article investigates trends of continuity and differentiability between primarily Italian Shiʿa communities online and offline. Here, “online community” is adopted for groups formed on WhatsApp, Telegram, and Zoom, both before and after the outbreak of covid-19. The similarity and differences between Shiʿa activities in the online and offline spheres are investigated in three main areas: interreligious relations, gender roles, and relations with religious authorities. These fields have been selected because they are where Shiʿas face significant life challenges in a non-Islamic context. Online ethnography and interviews with members of Shiʿa communities were employed to gather data. The results confirm that women’s issues remain resistant to change, even in the online sphere, whereas relations with out-groups, as well as relations with Shiʿa religious authorities, reveal elements of novelty.

Thematic diversity of brief news items in British newspaper The Guardian and journal The Economist

The article is dedicated to the study of thematic diversity in quality British press: newspaper The Guardian and journal The Economist. The aim was to compare the percentage of certain themes in The Guardian and The Economist. To reach this aim the percentage of articles on certain themes was calculated: firstly for The Economist, secondly for The Guardian. Afterwards the percentage was compared. The following themes were studied: politics, economy, the mixture of economy and politics, culture, sports, science, technology, brexit, health, nature, crime, ecology, art, laws, mind set, trade war, natural catastrophes, international relations, protests, migration, inequality, Russian meddling, elections, catastrophes, terrorism, harassment, education, space, drugs, resignations, royalty, obituary, international affairs, food, intelligence, nuclear power, ousts, leaks, war, new position, goods, prosecution, persecution, authoritarianism, interreligious relations, justice, tracks, separatism, merging companies, demography and tariffs. After analyzing brief news items from The Economist and The Guardian, it was found that in The Guardian there are more articles with the following themes: politics, culture, sports, technologies, brexit, health, nature, crime, ecology, trade war, natural catastrophes, protests, migration, catastrophes, terrorism, harassment, education, space, drugs, royalty, food, nuclear power, prosecution and justice. At the same time in The Economist there are more articles with themes like a mixture of economy and politics, economy, art, laws, mind set, international relations, inequality, Russian meddling, elections in different countries, resignations, obituaries, international affairs, intelligence, ousts, leaks, wars, new positions, goods, persecutions, authoritarianism, interreligious relations, merging companies, demography and tariffs. It is necessary to note that there’s a wider diversity of themes in The Economist. The following themes are present only in The Economist: interreligious relations, persecution, tracks, merging companies, demography and tariffs (without retaliation of the other side). At the same time only the theme of food is absent in The Economist.

The Akan Indigenous Concepts of Religion and Nyame (the Supreme Deity) and the Promotion of Inter-religious Relations in Ghana

This paper in revealing that the adoption of foreign religions has not eradicated the lingering influence of indigenous spiritual and religious values, explores the coexistence of Christianity, Islam, and indigenous Akan religious values among the Akan people. The study, employing a mixed-methodological approach, including interviews with three respondents and ten focus group discussions in Ghana’s Central Region, delved into the Akan conception of religion as a prevailing system. It highlighted the Supreme Deity’s role as the Great Ancestor, emphasizing how these concepts foster apathy towards religious differences and cultivate a trans-religious attitude among the Akan people. The findings suggest that Akan’s general indifference to religious disparities not only contributes to a tolerant society but also potentially serves as a model for interreligious harmony. This resilience is evident in the face of efforts by some Christians and Muslims to discourage trans-religious practices among the Akan. This showcases the enduring nature of Akan inclusivity in matters of religion. Keywords: Akan, Indigenous Religions, Christianity, Islam, Interreligious Encounters, Dialogue

Covenants in the Qurʾān

Covenant (‘ahd and mīthāq) occupies a central place in the Qurʾān but has been understudied and underrepresented in discourses about Islam. This article contributes to redressing this lacuna by conducting a content analysis of the Qurʾān, specifically the terms ‘ahd and mīthāq that refer to the concept of covenant. It applies the Maqāṣid Methodology and Framework developed by Jasser Auda to examine the concepts, objectives, values, commands, universal laws, groups, and proofs associated with covenants in the Qurʾān. Reading the Qurʾān in light of covenants provides a new perspective on issues of human existence and coexistence, including interreligious relations, coexistence with non-Muslims, and conditions governing the legitimate use of armed force in Islam. The article highlights the centrality and significance of covenants in the Qurʾān and contends that the study of covenants in the Qurʾān and sunnah ought to be integrated into Islamic studies curricula.

ЕВРИСТИЧНИМЙ ПОТЕНЦІАЛ ГРОМАДЯНСЬКОГО СУСПІЛЬСТВА В РЕАЛІЗАЦІЇ СТРАТЕГІЇ ЄВРОПЕЙСЬКОЇ ІНТЕГРАЦІЇ УКРАЇНИ: КОНЦЕПТУАЛЬНІ ВИМІРИ

The radical transformations that modern Ukrainian society is experiencing in the conditions of full-scale aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and its acquisition of the status of a candidate for the EU require a proper, in-depth and comprehensive analysis of Ukraine’s humanitarian development strategies, the implementation of the European integration vector of its development. The humanitarian strategies of Ukraine’s development in the context of full membership in the European Union are studied. It is shown that they should be determined by the national interests of the entire society, ensuring the rights and freedoms of citizens, and updating the system of fundamental values of the Ukrainian people. Paradigmatic European values include Ukrainian civilizational identity (spirituality), state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, high level of human development, democratic society, full standards of living, gender equality, etc. The focus of the research is: artifacts of totalitarian society and their overcoming; European experience and the Ukrainian way in forming a system of values; civil society and state institutions; synergy of interaction in the European integration context; formation of collective memory and rethinking of Ukraine’s past in a European perspective. Special attention is paid to the dynamics of the processes of democratization and decommunization, cultural and linguistic policy, interethnic and interreligious relations, etc.