Dialogue
Since coexistence and survival of mankind are at stake and since
religion is a most potent source of human strife in this world, a religious
dialogue is a must. Religious pluralism as in India context thus has only one
answer: dialogue in depth with all religions. Such a dialogue must include a
positive respect for all religions, and Christians must be humble enough to
admit their limitations. It is only dialogue which preserves the good in all
religions. And the message can be dispersed with wide spectrum of rays in such
a meaningful dialogue.
S.J.
Samartha, a primary spokesman for the
theology of dialogue in WCC in 1971. He thinks of two principal attitudes for
any dialogue: openness and commitment. First commitment.
Unless one is committed to a particular set of beliefs he cannot dialogue. Thus
he exhorts that only committed Christians, those who are fully committed to
Christ, can have the courage to have the dialogue. But commitment is not
sufficient unless it is coupled with openness, which is the second
important aspect. One should be open not only to understand what the other has
to say in dialogue, but be open enough to change one’s own position in the
light of the dialogue; only then it is true openness. And dialogue does not
take place between structures, i.e., religions or theologies, nor at the
intellectual level, but it takes place at the human level. That is why WCC
sub-unit is called dialogue with men (later, people) of other faiths and
ideologies. This is certainly healthy.
Since
dialogue takes place in community there are two aspects to it. First the
Dialogue within the community: “the building up of relationships expressing
mutual care and mutual understanding”. Among the Christians this must lead to
communication. Secondly dialogue between communities: “For the sake of a
wider community of peace and justice”. Common purpose in society are important
here. This may lead to international consensus or inter-religious dialogue.
Without the first the second becomes shallow sentimentalism, but without the
second the first becomes narrow exclusivism.
What
does dialogue do? a) it clarifies the meaning of terms used in dialogue; b) it
makes possible “a more coordinated theological reflection on the relationships
between religions”; c) it provides a theological framework within which
questions can be asked from all sides. Thus, a theological dialogue is
necessary, says Samartha.
Russell
Chandran asserts that it is a way of
communicating Christ to others, but not a relativisation of the Christian
gospel. In dialogue, there must be a give-and-take attitude in all
participating religions. Chandran makes the following four assumptions
concerning inter-religious dialogue:
1. Only those
who are committed to Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour can enter any meaningful
dialogue between religions.
2. There must
be willingness to reformulate our faith in the light of other faiths, listening
is thus an essential element in dialogue.
3. Each
religion must be understood from its own point of view.
4. Every
participant must be open to the result of the dialogue.
With
such an approach to religions it is natural that Chandran affirms that the
polarization is between light and darkness, since these two are found in all
religions.
Asian
Christians need to study in depth and sympathetically the cultures and
religions of Asia — after all Asia is the birthplace of religions and cultures.
This means: “Inter-religious dialogues can be quite valuable in several
aspects”. It can create openness and friendship between peoples and help the
participants understand the basic essentials of one another’s faith. It also
highlights the dissimilarities. Since in Asia culture and religion are closely
linked together, all our lifestyle and thoughts have religious overtones.
In 1975, M.M.
Thomas, the then Moderator of the World Council of Churches' central Committee (1968-1975), spoke of the need for a "spirituality of
combat" and he stressed on theological dialogue in confronting the
principalities and powers of this life. What is needed today is a spirituality
of engagement that takes hold of real-world as well as personal challenges, and
will not let them go unresolved. Such a
spirituality of engagement may begin in a profound encounter with the self, yet
from the beginning we must be prepared to move beyond self into close
community, and from there into action in the world God loves. In the solitude
of self, we experience a yearning for companionship; in community, we find the
desire and commitment to help build a more just and caring world. In our
interaction with the world and its people, the Holy Spirit will affirm our
identity as followers of Jesus Christ.
Thomas is always concerned to find a
basis for the living together of different faiths and ideologies in a working
harmony which can secure the wellbeing of all people. His concern was to relate
between ultimate faiths commitments which end to separate people. He speaks of
the need for Christians to put their faith alongside other faiths and different
faith commitments must be placed alongside one another. Thus he developed
theological frame work for dialogue among religion and secular ideologies to
develop a common secular anthropology as the basis of common action in
politics, economics and society in our religiously pluralistic situation; and
to understand the creed and cultures of each other’s religion life, for the
understanding of the depth of the mystic of other religions.
Thomas also speaks of
three different levels of dialogue at which dialogue with People of other faith
must be carried on. And among the three Thomas’ own special interest is in the
first type, where Christian and people of other faith meet together in the
context of modern, secular India in order to find common fields of action and
service for the good of the nation as a whole and of individual ‘persons’. Thomas also argues that dialogue for mutual
understanding is necessary also at the level of the cultic life. There should
be more openness to invite adherents of other faiths, to participate in public
functions related to christening, initiation, marriage and funeral. In fact,
creed and cult of any religion should be understood in relation to the
core-faith and the core-experience, if the understanding is to be at spiritual
depth.
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