Interfaith Dialogue

Interfaith Dialogue

The Australian National Dialogue of Christians, Muslims, and Jews

The NCCA is a founding partner in this dialogue on behalf of member churches. Our dialogue partners are:

The Dialogue was officially ‘launched’ in March 2003 after 12 months of formal preparation, which was preceded by informal contact and discussions between the NCCA, AFIC, & ECAJ.

Five appointed persons from each faith community participate in the dialogue, which rotates between Jewish, Muslim and Christian venues in Sydney. The chairing of the meetings is also rotated.

In 2003 the Dialogue examined key concepts in each religion which have led to misunderstanding and tension, e.g. Jihad, Zionism, and the Trinity. Subsequent Dialogue meetings have shared and discussed issues such as the meaning of peace, festivals and prayer.

The dialogue is also connected with the three faith Journey of Promise initiative in which young people of each faith share in experiencing each other’s religion and growing in their understanding. Click on the link for further information. This initiative is being overseen by the Decade to Overcome Violence unit.

Purpose and Objectives:

Purpose and Objectives:
Based on a document prepared by the Christian group, the Dialogue accepted the following as its Purpose, Objectives, Proposed Strategies and Possible Actions. Discussion considered carefully the reasons that the group was founded and the limitations on its resources and mandate.

Purpose
To provide opportunity for the national bodies of each faith to come together to build understanding and harmony in the Australian context.

Objectives

  • To be a model of how different faiths can live harmoniously together in Australia
  • To build understanding, good will and a sense of community between people of different faiths
  • To explore and learn about each other and our faith traditions
  • To share our knowledge and insights with others
  • To work together to achieve common goals in Australia
  • To support each other in times of difficulty

Proposed Strategies

  • To inform our respective faith communities of the work and understandings that we reach
  • To use our meetings to increase knowledge and awareness of the issues that face each of the faith communities
  • To report back to our respective national bodies
  • To address community issues together where possible
  • To encourage common projects among the faith communities
  • To use our meetings to inform the wider community of our commitment to each other
  • To encourage interfaith dialogue at all levels

Possible Actions

  • Regular meetings
  • Media releases
  • News stories for our own communities
  • Public forums
  • Creation of educational resources

WCC explores Christian self-understanding in context of Hindu religion

With the rise of religious fundamentalism
and religious extremism in the world, as well as recently emerging tensions in
India over the issues of conversions, a genuine need exists to review
Christian-Hindu relationships afresh, according to the participants of a
consultation organized by the World Council of Churches (WCC) on Christian
self-understanding in the context of Hindu religion.

The consultation took place at the Bossey
Ecumenical Institute in Switzerland from 12 to 15 October, with thirty
participants of diverse Christian backgrounds from India, Nepal, Bangladesh,
Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Indonesia, where Christians live with Hindus in close
proximity.

The discussions focused on “Christian
self-understanding in relation to Hindu religion” emphasizing dialogue of life
and action. Mapping these changes, as well as exploring historical contexts was
a focus of the consultation.

Recalling the challenges of churches, the
WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit in his opening address urged
churches to “make creative responses to religious plurality, to foster harmonious
relations between religious traditions, and to explore in greater depth the
significance of religious plurality to Christian theology, practice and
self-understanding”.

The consultation emphasized the importance
of recognizing, affirming and enhancing the ongoing “dialogue of life” which
had been prevalent and continues to be the bedrock of Hindu-Christian relations
over the centuries.

The participants also affirmed the need for
“dialogue of action”, where the adherents of Hindu and Christian religions join
forces in their struggle for justice, peace, human dignity and issues of common
concern to the community.

Dr Mathews George Chunakara, director of
the WCC Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, in a presentation
on “Hindu nationalism and politicization of religion” stated that “proponents
of Hindutva ideology represent only a small sector within the Hindu
community. However, the increasing trend of politicization of religion becomes
a hindrance to the spirit of nurturing the long tradition of religious
tolerance and communal harmony in India”.

While acknowledging “the rich traditions of
spirituality and tolerance of Hindu religion” the participants agreed that
“they do not equate Hindutva ideology with that of the Hindu religion”.

The consultation also called for alliances
across the religious and secular divides in search for greater justice for all,
especially in a context that Hindu social structure and organization on the
basis of caste hierarchy marginalize a significant segment of the population as
“outcastes”.

A communiqué adopted at the end of the
consultation says, “A genuine encounter with the spiritual dimensions of
Hinduism can enlighten and enrich Christian experience and theology.  In
this regard, recovering the spiritual dimensions and the interiority of
Christian life as a community of Jesus, and a renewed emphasis on the Reign of
God, were seen as important to the life of the church in the Hindu context”.

The WCC has been engaged in exploring
Christian self-understanding amid religiously plural world. This includes
strengthening interreligious trust and respect through dialogue efforts with
other faiths.  The consultation was one of such efforts.