Responses to Inter-Faith Dialogue

Religious Studies: OCR A Level, topic 3.8.2

Christian Responses to Inter-Faith Dialogue

Inter-faith dialogue is the sharing and discussing of religious beliefs between members of different religious traditions.

The aim of interfaith dialogue is to better understand people of different beliefs to build better relationships and remove prejudices.
Inter-faith dialogue is NOT about trying to convert people to a different faith or to demonstrate the flaws in other religions.
Inter-faith dialogue has always existed in some form but it has become more prominent as multi-faith societies have emerged.

The Church of England’s document ‘Sharing the Gospel of Salvation’ identifies four strands to inter-faith dialogue. They are covered on the next slide.

‘The dialogue of daily life’ involves informal conversations which naturally occur when people talk about their religious beliefs.
‘The dialogue of the common good’ involves different religious believers working together in ways to benefit the wider community.
‘The dialogue of mutual understanding’ is where religious believers hold formal discussions and debates.
‘The dialogue of spiritual life’ is where religious believers of different faiths come together for prayer and worship.

In his book The Future of Christianity Theology, David Ford argues that two events have led to the growing need and attention on interfaith dialogue:
The events of the Holocaust forced Christians to think about their relationship with Judaism.
The rise in tensions between Islam and the Western World which emerged at the start of the twenty-first century.

Pope John Paul II issued an encyclical called Redemptoris Missio. An encyclical is an open letter sent to more than one recipient.

Redemptoris Missio translates as ‘The Mission of the Redeemer’.
This encyclical focused on the role of missionary work.
Missionary work aims to convert people to a particular faith or set of beliefs and can also involve working for social justice in areas of poverty or deprivation.
Pope John Paul II emphasised that missionary work is still essential for Christians despite the fact we are now living in a multi-faith world.

The Pope stated that belief in Jesus Christ is the only route to salvation and that, empowered by the Holy Spirit, Christians still have a duty to share this message.
He referenced Acts 4:12 to support this message: ‘Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved’.

In relation to the rise of multi-faith societies, the Pope wanted Catholic Christians to appreciate and learn from the beliefs of others with different religions.
For the Pope, the Christian mission works alongside inter-faith dialogue. This is because a loving God wants his revelation shared with all people and all faiths.
All Christians can engage in inter-faith dialogue. From religious officials to non-expert religious believers, inter-faith dialogue can take many forms.

Pope John Paul II stated that interfaith dialogue allows Christians to uncover ultimate truths and that other religions such as Hinduism and Islam contain key truths which develop moral character.
But he said Christianity is unique because it offers the only means to salvation and the Christian duty to bring others to the faith remains.
Pope John Paul II referenced 1 Corinthians 9:16 to support his argument: ‘Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!’

In 2006, a Church of England member, Paul Eddy, asked for guidance on whether or not Christians should be trying to convert people of other faiths.

This question started a discussion. The document ‘Sharing the Gospel of Salvation’ was produced as a result.
The document was issued by the Church of England Synod.
The synod is the legislative body of the Church of England.
The document begins by reminding Christians that British Christianity was born as a result of the Christian mission. As a result, Christians should not feel afraid to continue spreading the message of the Christian faith.

The document clarifies that the Christian mission does not involve seeing non-Christians as ‘targets’.
Any conversion is the work of God and not their own individual success.

‘Sharing the Gospel of Salvation’ reiterates core Christianity truth claims such as Jesus being the incarnation of God and Christianity offering salvation to all who accept it.
Christians should be active in engaging with others in their community about inter-faith dialogue. Whilst they should be sensitive to the views of others, all Christians are called to the duty of discipleship.

What is inter-faith dialogue?
Which two historical events did David Ford say proved the need for greater inter-faith dialogue?
What document did the Church of England issue to clarify it's position on conversion?
What does ‘Sharing the Gospel of Salvation’ open with?