Dialogue to Bridge Christian And Islamic Studies
By
Fr. Midhun J Francis Kochukallan, SJ, New Age Islam
26 February
2022
On 23 February 2022, the dean of the faculty of Missiology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Prof. Bryan Lobo SJ, presented the book “A Call to Dialogue: Christians in Dialogue with Muslims”. It was edited by Prof. Ambrogio Bongiovanni and Joseph Victor Edwin SJ. Professor Ambrogio Bongiovanni is a professor at the faculty of Missiology at the Gregorian University and Joseph Victor Edwin SJ teaches at the Vidya Jyoti College of theology in Delhi. Call to Dialogue is a volume of essays gathered from the last forty volumes of Salaam, a journal of the Islamic Studies Association, Delhi. It commemorates the fortieth anniversary of the Islamic Studies Association, Delhi.
Dean Bryan Lobo introduced the book by
focusing on the qualities that the title had pulled his attention to. He
continued, “on the one hand, I see that the term ‘dialogue’ is commonly used in
church. The concept of getting into another world and going out, of calling to
dialogue, is still relevant today. Pope Francis’ description of the church as
an outgoing church, a summons to leave one world and enter another, has a
challenge in it, as well as a commitment to mission. Furthermore, he explained that the mission is
not just to make friends, but to also deal with numerous challenges on many
levels, and not just intellectually. However, the authors are also talking or
writing things on a practical level, and therefore, in the dean's remarks, he
said, “I have seen the blending of four forms of dialogue”. This was already
said in the document in 1984, and it was also mentioned in the book's
introduction by Ambrogio. These articles, in some ways, push us to these
various levels with our Muslim friends.
The Book “A Call to Dialogue: Christians in Dialogue with Muslims”
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The preface
to the book was written by Diego Ossario, the President at Pontifical Institute
for Arabic and Islamic Studies (PISA). In his talk, he emphasized the
activities of the Islamic Study Association in Delhi, India, which is renowned
not only for its history, but also for establishing a bridge between Christian
and Islamic studies. The Second Vatican Council calls us to moral principles,
peace, and liberty in praise of those who come together to defend and promote
together. Furthermore, he said we talk about dialogue between Christians and
Muslims from a Catholic perspective, guided by the mission and teaching of
Vatican II that bring us together to promote and defend the moral values of
peace and freedom, as the Council invites us to do. Among the papers included
in the book we are discussing today are a selection of articles published in
the Salam magazine of the Islamic Studies Association between 1981 and 2020.
There are no fewer than 48 essays written by different authors in this volume
of about 600 pages.
He was also
thankful that many authors in this volume were associated in a variety of ways
with PISA, where he had the honor of serving. As President of the institution,
but far more fundamentally, this is beyond any personal thanks and a testament
to my deep conviction gathered in this book. It contains many infections and
reflections that will show inspiring profit work today in the area of
relationships. As Christians, we are
addressing a variety of topics, putting together the various backgrounds and
interests of the authors who have contributed to this volume. In addition, this
volume has one important feature in common: all the essays are written by
people who have solid intellectual backgrounds, often in the context of the
mystical experience of contact with Muslims in India and elsewhere. In fact, he
mentioned some of the authors as they were his professors during his academic
career, while others have been and continue to be a source of inspiration for
him, both through their works and their commitment to fostering friendship,
collaboration, and mutual understanding between Christians and Muslims. In short,
the majority of the authors whose work is collected in this book are not only
Christian scholars, but also Christian-Muslim dialogue practitioners. Their
reflections are often based on field-based experiences that add value to the
argument. Additionally, he expressed special appreciation to Muslim brothers
and sisters, emphasizing how their spiritual experiences are enhanced when they
trust in God and allow Him to enter theirs, thus merging them into one.
Fraternity's dignity and human freedom serve as guiding principles for moral
behaviour and social existence. Such
Muslims are the true believers of Islam, and they are disturbed when the Holy
Name of God is invoked to justify violence and oppression.
According
to Mong. Indunil J Kodthuwakku, from Colombo, the title is a good summary of
the volume's goal and content. He says that it was a valuable service to
present concrete examples of Christian-Muslim relations and understanding in
the Indian context in order to illuminate and to encourage others working in
similar capacities elsewhere. Further, he stressed the teachings of Vatican II
and later magisterial teachings on interreligious dialogue. As a response to
this call to dialogue, the Salam journal and the Islamic Studies Association
were established. During his 2017
address, Pope Francis emphasized the importance of quoting Three basic
orientations, as well as associated faiths, that can inspire discussion: The
courage of truth, the sincerity of intentions, and the duties of identity. Our
religious identity is essential for interreligious dialogue, but so is our
social identity and how others see us, because religious beliefs influence our
identity, attitudes, and behavior. Religious identification can therefore
facilitate or hinder interreligious communication. The result is that both
formal and informal education can help shape and reshape an individual's
identity. It was Thomas Michael’s
initiative at the dialogue site that provided the first breakthrough understanding
of the beliefs and efforts of other faiths in light of the church's teaching on
the redemption of non-Christians. Catholics and Muslims do not share a single
identity or approach to interreligious dialogue, but everything in this
collection contributes to the formation of inclusive identities.
Prof.
Ambrogio Bongiovanni, one of the editors, thanked everyone who assisted and
highlighted the humble beginnings of this book-publishing project. He mentioned “In recent years, Victor and I
have shared paths and the core of our friendship in the training dialogue we do
with other friends from the seminar courses, which are itinerant in a number of
countries, notably in Asia, and we generally organize itinerant seminars on
dialogue subjects”. He recalled how the fruit of this voyage arrived one
evening as Victor and he sat having dinner in the center of Delhi. Initially,
the project was to publish a sort of theology in which the testimonies of life
were included in a dialogue of life. When he came across the job of going to
see these 40 years of work, the work had become huge. When he did for the
moment, then we saw the possibility of publishing.
Professor
Victor Edwin, SJ, the editor of the book, explained the diversity of Indian
culture, in which the context within which both groups of believers find
themselves determines their relationship. Founded on the principles of
secularism and democracy, India is a socialist, secular, and democratic
republic. Nevertheless, the democratic foundation of India was threatened right
from the start by the minds of right-wing fundamentalists. Mahatma Gandhi, the
father of the nation, along with thousands of fathers and mothers who were
killed, was a victim of this group. The author also noted that the rules
governing the Iranian and Turkish forms of Sufism share points of affinity with
the monastic traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism. Moreover, he said that Indian Christians who
wish to engage in dialogue with Indian Muslims should be aware of this
diversity. “A Call to Dialogue: Christians in Dialogue with Muslims” is an
invitation to both Muslims and Christians to respond to the will of God and
submit fully to it.
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Midhun J Francis Kochukallan SJ is a
Jesuit priest from the state of Kerala in India. He is a research scholar
specializing in Christian-Muslim interaction at the Pontifical Gregorian
University in Rome. He has a master's degree in philosophy from Tilk
University, Pune, a licentiate in systematic theology from JDV in Pune, a
postgraduate diploma in Islamic studies from the Henry Martyn Institute in
Hyderabad, as well as diplomas in Arabic and Urdu. He works with the South
Asian Jesuit Conference on the Christian-Muslim relationships. He also
contributes to a number of English and Malayalam magazines and newspapers.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/books-documents/dialogue-christian-islamic-studies/d/126458
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