Editorial

This issue of Current Dialogue reflects our diverse network through the many contributions.  It spans a good part of the world; it communicates stories on different topics and in different contexts. It straddles the meaning of living as a Christian minority in Indonesia or as a Jew in Iran. It deals with the question of Gospel and Culture in Africa or the vitality of African religion in the midst of imported faiths such as Christianity or Islam. It mirrors the interaction of Christian faith with philosophia perennis and post-modernism. There is a contribution by your editor from a conference in Tehran on the topic “Islam – a Victim of Terrorism”.  It portrays Gandhi and the quest for Satyagraha and active non-violence.

There is a short report from a meeting organised by the Office on Interreligious Relations and Dialogue (IRRD) and the International Council of Christians and Jews (ICCJ). Here Jews were invited to comment on a document by Christians about the significance of the nature and mission of the church. It might seem as if there would not be very much for Jews to comment on given the intrinsically Christian topic.  However, the report will give you some idea of how much Jewish questions and comments prompted a discussion among Christian theologians and also challenged the Jewish participants. It is true that dialogue certainly provides insights and knowledge about the other but often it prompts the one participating in dialogue to ask questions about him/herself. In this issue there is also a report from the European Network of Buddhist-Christian Studies.

Two contributions are particularly important. One highlights the effort by some Christians in India to address the controversial issue of proselytism and conversion, in no uncertain terms. The topic is high on the agenda of the program, now renamed Inter-religious Dialogue and Cooperation in the new structure. Since 2006 we have been involved in a project to run for several years with the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (PCID) on the topic of conversion as a problematic issue in interreligious relations. Our goal is to produce a code of conduct on conversion, which we hope we could discuss and share with the constituency of the World Council of Churches, the Roman-Catholic Church, Evangelical Christians as well as Pentecostal Christians.

In mid-August, there will be an intra-Christian gathering of Christians from these constituencies in Toulouse, France.  They will deliberate on how a code of conduct could be conceptualised, what it should contain, and how we could further the making of such a code of conduct.   It is also important to determine how it could be communicated and owned by Christians throughout the world as a sign of respect for the integrity of people of other faiths and as a sign of commitment to our calling as disciples of Christ. In all this, we need to rethink some of our most cherished notions. Robert Traer shares some reflections on the question of Truth.

The Inter-religious Dialogue and Cooperation program has not only acquired its new name. It also stresses a particular emphasis: co-operation. We welcome two new staff members to this program. Ms. Rima Barsoum has been appointed Program Executive with a particular responsibility for Christian-Muslim relations. She introduces herself in this issue of Current Dialogue. Ms. Marietta Ruhland will strengthen the administration of the office.  A director is to be appointed by the Executive Committee in September to lead the program.

Hoping you enjoy reading this issue,

Hans Ucko