Table of Contents
Acknowledgments xiii
Acronyms xv
Editor's Preface: Michael Amaladoss, Interreligious Theologian Par Excellence xvii
Introduction: A Call to Continuing Dialogue xxiii
A Communion of Churches xxiii
The Church as the People of God xxiv
A Church in Dialogue xxv
The Mission of God xxvi
The Church's Mission at the Service of God's Mission xxix
Challenges xxxiii
Conclusion xxxv
Part I Rethinking Religious pluralism: Opportunities and Challenges
Chapter 1 The One and the Many 3
The Questions 4
From Creationism to Atheism 5
The One in the Many 6
The Commentators 9
Conclusion: Advaitic Unity 11
Chapter 2 The One Spirit and Many Gods 13
Speaking in Many Voices 13
Many Charisms in One Community 14
Beyond Institutional Borders 15
The Spirit of Freedom 15
The Spirit in Other Religions 16
The Other Religions and the Church 17
Religions and the Spirit of God 19
One God in Many Manifestations 20
Conclusion 21
Chapter 3 Which Is the True Religion? 23
The Dangers of Relativism 24
The Pluralism of Religions 26
Pluralism as a Problem 27
Truth as a Criterion 29
From Their Fruits (Matt 12:33) 32
Vision and Values 33
Conclusion 35
Chapter 4 Are the Scriptures of Other Religions Inspired? 37
Some Questions 37
Christians and Other Scriptures 38
A Unilinear Framework 38
A Pluralistic Framework 39
Our Response to Other Scriptures 40
Some Difficulties 42
Conclusion 43
Chapter 5 Violence or Dialogue between Religions? 45
Violence in the Name of Religion 45
Defending One's Identity 46
Religious Communalism 49
Religious Fundamentalism 49
Religious Violence 50
Sacrificial Violence 51
Religions for Peace 52
Communal Conflicts 52
A Vision of Community 55
Religions and Community 58
Conditions for Dialogue 60
Creative Praxis 62
Conclusion 67
Chapter 6 Responding to Fundamentalism 69
Christian Fundamentalism 70
The Case of the Muslims 72
The Hindu Cultural Fundamentalists 75
Buddhist Fundamentalists 77
Fundamentalism and Terrorism 79
Secular Fundamentalism 80
Promoting Justice 81
A Secular Consensual Democracy 82
The Reform of Religion 84
The Healing of Memories 85
Conclusion 86
Chapter 7 The Utopia of the Human Family 87
Harmonious Nature 88
One without a Second 89
Inter-Being 91
The Universal Community 93
Conclusion 94
Chapter 8 Ethics in a Multireligious Context 95
Error Has No Rights 96
Affirmation of Civil Liberties 97
Natural-Human-Divine Law 98
A Commentary on the Natural Law 99
The Present Situation 100
Moral and Legal 103
Ethics in a Multireligious Context 104
Conclusion 107
Part II Responding to Religious Pluralism
Chapter 9 God of All Names and Interreligious Dialogue 111
Religions in Conflict 112
Search for a Method 114
Collaboration and Dialogue 116
A New Theology of Religions 118
The Church and the Reign of God 120
Jesus, the Liberator 120
A Call to Dialogue 122
Intrapersonal Dialogue 123
Dialogue as Reconciliation 124
Dialogue and Conflict 125
Prophetic Dialogue 125
Dialogue with Ideologies 126
Conclusion 126
Chapter 10 Changing Dialogue-From Religions to Ideologies 129
A Changing Context 130
Ideologies and Religions 131
Cosmic and Metacosmic Religion 132
Metacosmic Is Not Otherworldly 133
Interreligious Encounter 135
Dialogue among Ideologies 137
Religion and Ideology 138
Dialoguing with Ideologies 139
Interreligious Dialogue 140
Conclusion 141
Chapter 11 Do We Need Borders between Religions?: A Reflection on Identity and Difference 143
Religious Identities 144
Respecting Difference 144
Conflict or Communion? 145
Experiencing Identity 149
Identity in Relationship 150
Distorted Relationship 150
Group Identities 151
Religious Identities 152
The Divine Economy 153
Conclusion 155
Chapter 12 Double Religious Identity: A Reflection from an Indian Experience 157
Identity and Belonging 158
Religion and Culture 159
Cosmic and Metacosmic Religions 159
Religious Identity 160
Swami Abhishiktananda 161
A Recent Paradigm 162
A Theology of Divine-Human Encounter 163
The Human Pole 165
A Christian Perspective 167
Double Religious Identity in Practice 168
Is Double Identity Necessary? 170
Conclusion 170
Chapter 13 Hindu and Christian-Conflict or Challenge? 173
Some Examples 176
The Problem 180
Gospel and Culture 181
Cosmic and Metacosmic Religions 183
Interreligious Encounter 185
Religious Identity 186
Multireligious Families 188
A Recent Example 190
Conclusion 190
Chapter 14 From Syncretism to Harmony 193
Popular Religiosity 194
Liturgical Inculturation 195
Methods of Prayer/Sadhana 196
Religion and Culture 197
Reinterpreted on of Symbols 198
Limits to Freedom 200
Religious Symbols 201
The Ritual of Baptism 202
Being Hindu-Christian 203
Beyond Symbiosis 204
Syncretism or Harmony 206
Conclusion 209
Chapter 15 Interreligious Dialogue Fifty Years after Vatican II: Challenges and Opportunities 211
The Inspiration: The Second Vatican Council 212
The Practice and Teaching of John Paul II 213
Some Theological Tensions 214
The Church and the Kingdom 215
The Indian Tradition 217
Challenges of Interreligious Dialogue Today 219
Four Levels of Dialogue 220
Conclusion 222
Epilogue: Pope Francis and Dialogue 225
Pope Francis's Basic Attitudes 226
The Context of Evangelizing Dialogue 228
Social Dialogue 231
Christ and the Spirit 233
Dialogue and Truth 234
Conclusion 236
Index 237
