Inter-faith Dialogue

• Social Cohesion

  When there is a strong sense of belonging and feeling valued with common aims to promote a peaceful society
• What are the 4 features of a coherent society

  1. Harmony
  2. Protection of the individual
  3. Respect for others
  4. Common goals and a public good
• Redemptoris Missio identifies 4 types of dialogue that might take place during inter-faith dialogue and each is appropriate in it's own context. These are:

  1. The dialogue of daily life
  2. The dialogue of common good
  3. The dialogue of mutual understanding
  4. The dialogue of spiritual life
• The dialogue of daily life

  Meeting people at the checkout or on the doorstep.
• The dialogue of the common good

  Working together to benefit the community
• The dialogue of mutual understanding

  Trying to understand each other in more formal ways
• The dialogue of spiritual life

  Encountering people in prayer and worship.
• Both Sharing the Gospel of Salvation and Redemptoris Missio identify the importance of working together with other communities for the common good. StGoS states that any evangelism must happen with the appropriate context.
• Where a pluralist approach is taken social cohesion is promoted
• Social action projects have led to strengthened local communities
• Inter-faith dialogue over shared experiences build relationships that last
• Work from charities such as A Rocha use an inter-faith model to promote shared drives to look after our environment
• As society is predominantly secular, there is limited impact on it when only faiths communicate with each other.
• Even if Christian’s are willing to participate in inter-faith dialogue, there is no impact until large numbers of members of other faiths are willing to participate.
• There is too much division within Christianity to have effective inter-faith dialogue and so there is no impact on communities.
• Whatever the teachings say, interfaith dialogue leads to attempts to convert people, this can break down relationships and trust.