QUEST FOR SELF-IDENTITY IN A PLURALISTIC SOCIETY
Keywords:
Dynamics of Living in a Pluralistic Society, Fundamentalism or Fanaticism, Overload of Nationalism and Revivalism, Building on the ‘Conversion’ FearAbstract
“I feel within me a crisis between identity and openness!” This is a confession from Monsignor Pietro Rossano, the secretary of the Pontifical (Vatican) Commission for Inter-Religious Dialogue. This frank confession occurred in a Meet of the coordinators and directors of inter-religious dialogue, held in the Shivanandashram of Rishikesh, in North India, in November 1980. This meet was organized by the Commission for Dialogue of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), and I was the secretary of the Commission. After an hour of inter-religious songs, mediation and prayers the participants were sharing their expectations, fears, and hopes in the paths of interfaith pilgrimage.
References
“Ban on ‘Thookkam’: Tension at Elavoor,” The Hindu, April 23, 2004, 1; “Bid to Perform Elavoor ‘Thookam’ Foiled,” The Hindu, April 24, 2004, 1.
“Declaration of the Interfaith Meet on Harmony and Non-Violence,” organized by WFIRC, at Renewal Centre, Kochi, Kerala, India, on December 13-16, 2004.
“Declaration, no. 5,” in Albert Nambiaparambil, ed., Religion and Man (Proceedings of the World Conference of Religions, November 15-21, 1981), Kochi: WFIRC, 1982, 130.
A. Pushparajan, ed., Pilgrims of Dialogue (A Collection of Essays Presented to Fr. Albert Nambiaparambil in Honour of His 60th Birthday), Kochi: Vianny Printings, 1991, 179.
Albert Nambiaparambil, Pilgrims on the Seashore of Endless Worlds, Bangalore: ATC, 2002, 130-131.
Amalorpavadass, ed., The Church in India (Proceedings of the National Seminar, held at Dharmaram College, Bangalore, India in 1970), Bangalore: NBCLC, 1970.
Arun Shourie, Missionaries in India: Continuities, Chances, Dilemmas, New Delhi: ASA Publications, 1994, 215.
Benjamin, “Apartheid in India” 21 April, 2004, in Rediffnews.
CBCI, Guidelines for Inter-Religious Dialogue, New Delhi: The CBCI Dialogue Commission, 1989, no.104.
Encyclopaedia of Philosophy, s.v. “Ludwig Wittgenstein” by Norman Malcolm.
Rgveda 1.164.46.
