In the contemporary world, ecumenism must include dialogue between Christianity and world religions. This course will examine not only Christian attitudes to world religions, but also attitudes of world religions to other belief systems. Lectures, discussion, paper.
Course Objectives
To help students become literate in the faith of others as a preparation for life in a multi-faith society/world
To help students become aware of the need for multi-faith literacy for doing theology
To promote mutual understanding and collaboration between religions
To educate students preparing for ministry in multi-faith contexts (such as in prisons and hospitals, and in dealing with interfaith marriages, funerals, etc.)
To help students reflect on the issue of religious commitment and human rights in multi-faith contexts
To help students reflect on the close relationship between religion and culture
To help students become aware of non-theological factors in interreligious dialogue
To acquaint students withtheories of truth and revelation in the encounter of world religions
To help students think through the meaning of their faith in relation to those who share that faith and those who do not
To familiarize students with the attitudes of Christians, Catholic and Protestant, to those of other faiths through the centuries
To acquaint students with models of salvation for dialogue between Christians and adherents of other faiths
To familiarize students with non-Christian perspectives on Christianity
To help students acknowledge the demonic elements in their own tradition
To provide students with fresh insights into the creative possibilities of their own faith in dialogue with others
To help students become aware of the part that religion plays in international conflicts and how these tensions affect relations among people living in local religiously diverse communities
To help students become aware of pluralist values in the religious
To help students talk across the space, geographical and spiritual, that separates members of the religions
To help students with an opportunity to develop an authentic and mature faith in the challenge of religious pluralism
Course Schedule
A detailed course schedule is available for download.
