Inter-religious DialogueInter-religious Dialogue

Joshva RajaJoshva Raja

ProblemsProblems

Sharing resources – less Resources – Natural Sharing resources – less Resources – Natural disaster – corruption – a few holding riches disaster – corruption – a few holding riches

Neo-liberal values – life is equated to goods – Neo-liberal values – life is equated to goods – life can be bought and sold – life is cheaper life can be bought and sold – life is cheaper than money – cultural threats – religious fallthan money – cultural threats – religious fall

Political emotionalism – religious and cultural Political emotionalism – religious and cultural games of parties and religious groups – games of parties and religious groups – irritating the minority – blaming the minority irritating the minority – blaming the minority for the majority’s problems for the majority’s problems

Problems with narrativesProblems with narratives

Fixed narrativesFixed narratives Other as enemies and as threatOther as enemies and as threat Literalists and god playLiteralists and god play Minor incidents for proofMinor incidents for proof Myths and rumors about othersMyths and rumors about others Fear of the otherFear of the other Emotional religionEmotional religion

More than religionMore than religion

Linguistic narrativeLinguistic narrative Caste narrativeCaste narrative Regional narrativeRegional narrative Tribal narrativeTribal narrative Ideological narrativeIdeological narrative Cultural narrativeCultural narrative Religious narrativeReligious narrative

Problems other than politicsProblems other than politics

Corruption among Government officialsCorruption among Government officials Suicide among farmers, laborers and workers Suicide among farmers, laborers and workers Hunger death due to scarcity of foodHunger death due to scarcity of food Unwillingness among political leadership to Unwillingness among political leadership to

look into these people and their problemslook into these people and their problems Unwillingness among the media to expose Unwillingness among the media to expose

some these problemssome these problems Many take this as karma and accept the Many take this as karma and accept the

problems as they are – unwilling to changeproblems as they are – unwilling to change

Culture of ConfrontationCulture of Confrontation

Naturally formedNaturally formed Artificially createdArtificially created Instigated at timesInstigated at times Planned and carried outPlanned and carried out

DialogueDialogue

As ProcessAs Process As MeansAs Means As EndAs End As public eventAs public event As ActAs Act As exerciseAs exercise As need As need

God and DialogueGod and Dialogue

God and the oppositeGod and the opposite God and the otherGod and the other God and the peopleGod and the people God and the marginsGod and the margins God and the narrativesGod and the narratives God and the resourcesGod and the resources God and the changesGod and the changes

DialogueDialogue

For action/praxisFor action/praxis For intellectual discussionsFor intellectual discussions For Spiritual enquiriesFor Spiritual enquiries For Spiritual exercise For Spiritual exercise For living together/HarmonyFor living together/Harmony For relationshipFor relationship For understandingFor understanding

Dialogue at GrassrootsDialogue at Grassroots

Why Dialogue is not happening at the Why Dialogue is not happening at the grassroots?grassroots?

Under ignorance?Under ignorance? Do not want to hold dialogue?Do not want to hold dialogue? Fear of giving up their faith, their rights?Fear of giving up their faith, their rights? Majority versus Minority?Majority versus Minority? Being manipulated by someone from the top Being manipulated by someone from the top

ideologically, politically or communally?ideologically, politically or communally?

Dialogue at grassrootsDialogue at grassroots

Possible if you can see in yourself a faith in Possible if you can see in yourself a faith in God, a faith in God’s creation, a faith in other God, a faith in God’s creation, a faith in other beingsbeings

Dialogue within self – recognizing the Dialogue within self – recognizing the opposite self withinopposite self within

Dialogue within God – with the other, with the Dialogue within God – with the other, with the opposite and playing the otheropposite and playing the other

Dialogue of Jesus with the other, within Dialogue of Jesus with the other, within himself, with God – in multiple wayshimself, with God – in multiple ways

Dialogue and theologyDialogue and theology

Earlier Dialogue is understood as if it is to Earlier Dialogue is understood as if it is to hold a philosophical dialoguehold a philosophical dialogue

Bhraminical or Sanskritized dialogue was Bhraminical or Sanskritized dialogue was made which was basically an intellectual made which was basically an intellectual dialogue not understood nor relevant to mass dialogue not understood nor relevant to mass amon Christians and othersamon Christians and others

Such dialogue was not accepted by all Such dialogue was not accepted by all Christians – blamed for syncretism, monistic Christians – blamed for syncretism, monistic and caste approachesand caste approaches

Dialogue and theology IIDialogue and theology II

Secular dialogue – towards action and praxis Secular dialogue – towards action and praxis of human based approachesof human based approaches

Too much non-religious approach –MM Too much non-religious approach –MM Thomas – J R ChandranThomas – J R Chandran

Critical approach – Deconstructing the Critical approach – Deconstructing the Brahminical religion from others perspectiveBrahminical religion from others perspective

Dalit Theology – borrowing liberation Dalit Theology – borrowing liberation methods and so on – a critical dialogue with methods and so on – a critical dialogue with the dominant religionthe dominant religion

Dalit Theology and issuesDalit Theology and issues

A right approach but influenced by ideologies A right approach but influenced by ideologies (Marx and other)(Marx and other)

Becomes exclusive? The same criticism Becomes exclusive? The same criticism applies to this theology as well – a caste applies to this theology as well – a caste theology?theology?

Deconstructing without constructing? Not Deconstructing without constructing? Not gone beyond the borders of seminaries? gone beyond the borders of seminaries?

Not accepted by Christians? Violent theology? Not accepted by Christians? Violent theology?

Dialogue at grassrootsDialogue at grassroots

Problem of different narratives – caste, Problem of different narratives – caste, religion, region, linguistic and identityreligion, region, linguistic and identity

Problem of sharing resourcesProblem of sharing resources Problem of ManipulatorsProblem of Manipulators Can dialogue at grassroots address the issues Can dialogue at grassroots address the issues

and problems? Yes a New Methodological and problems? Yes a New Methodological approach is needed for promoting dialogue at approach is needed for promoting dialogue at grassroots!!!grassroots!!!

Dialogue and theologyDialogue and theology

Audience has to be accepted as they are!!!Audience has to be accepted as they are!!! If they are evangelical church members who If they are evangelical church members who

assume that dialogue is against the evangelism assume that dialogue is against the evangelism or Christian mission, it is needed to bring or Christian mission, it is needed to bring about an attitudinal changeabout an attitudinal change

Contacting, relating and understanding the Contacting, relating and understanding the other communities does not mean to accept other communities does not mean to accept their faiths and not to communicate the Gospel their faiths and not to communicate the Gospel to themto them

Dialogue and theologyDialogue and theology

Going to another person’s worshipping place?Going to another person’s worshipping place? When Tsunami came people lost their houses When Tsunami came people lost their houses

and went and stayed in the CSI churches for and went and stayed in the CSI churches for many days – they were Hindus and Catholic many days – they were Hindus and Catholic church members! Are we waiting for another church members! Are we waiting for another Tsunami to bring us together?Tsunami to bring us together?

Just visiting other people in their worshipping Just visiting other people in their worshipping places reaffirms our own faith in God, God’s places reaffirms our own faith in God, God’s Creation and God’s mystery.Creation and God’s mystery.

Christian Theology towards an Christian Theology towards an Interfaith Dialogue at GrassrootsInterfaith Dialogue at Grassroots

A Kind of Three gods (Trinity) within one A Kind of Three gods (Trinity) within one God concept – a mild polytheism within a God concept – a mild polytheism within a strong monotheismstrong monotheism

God’s guiding others – the otherness in GodGod’s guiding others – the otherness in God God’s search and communicating attempt with God’s search and communicating attempt with

the human beings and so narratives of God’s the human beings and so narratives of God’s communication to all!!!communication to all!!!

God communicating with the grassroots rather God communicating with the grassroots rather than only with the leaders and representativesthan only with the leaders and representatives

Jesus and DialogueJesus and Dialogue

Establishing dialogue groups in the Establishing dialogue groups in the churcheschurches

Organize the youth to make friendship with youth of Organize the youth to make friendship with youth of other religionsother religions

Forming an organized groups in schools or colleges Forming an organized groups in schools or colleges or clubs that can have youth from different religious or clubs that can have youth from different religious groupsgroups

Within the church youth have to be encouraged to Within the church youth have to be encouraged to establish contact, make friendship and understand the establish contact, make friendship and understand the other. other.

Have games and other activities together.Have games and other activities together. Have discussions on festivals and try to celebrate Have discussions on festivals and try to celebrate

together without any offence to anyone.together without any offence to anyone.

Dialogue for what?Dialogue for what?

Action – social, political or any other activities that Action – social, political or any other activities that are concerned with the church and societyare concerned with the church and society

Coexistence – to live together peacefully – addressing Coexistence – to live together peacefully – addressing a few core issues of conversion – majority versus a few core issues of conversion – majority versus minority – Ayodhya issues and so onminority – Ayodhya issues and so on

Intellectual exercise – search for God, search for Intellectual exercise – search for God, search for meanings of life – search for truth and so onmeanings of life – search for truth and so on

Spiritual exercise together – experimenting a few Spiritual exercise together – experimenting a few spiritual practices or discussing about the spiritual spiritual practices or discussing about the spiritual searchessearches