INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE: An Asian Christian Response to Religious Pluralism
Keywords:
Culture of Dialogue, Inter-religious Dialogue, Pilgrimage, Reign of God, Religious Pluralism, Religious Fundamentalism, SpiritAbstract
The present article is an attempt to find an adequate Christian response to the religious pluralism in Asia. Religion has a unifying power that promotes peace and harmony and also divisive power which devalues the diversity and generates violence in the society. The author suggests inter-religious dialogue as a creative and positive response to bridge different religions and promote its unifying power and to prevent the divisive forces from using religion for one’s own interest. The requirements for the effective inter-religious dialogue are the rootedness in one’s own religion, relatedness to the followers of other religions and openness to the Spirit. Based on the experiences in Samanvaya Vidya Dham in Rishikesh, the author proposes a progressive model of inter-religious dialogue as tourists, pilgrims and seekers of God experience. The article concludes with a recommendation to develop a culture of dialogue that is open and inclusive through a dialogue of life, prayer, discourse and action.
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