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” ---- 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. ---- 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. 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