6-31 JULY 2009
Responding to the Challenges of Our Time
Multi-faith and multicultural contexts have become the evident marks of our time all over the world. People of different faiths, cultures and races live side by side and struggle together with the many challenges. Faced with these new realities, churches and many other faith communities have started to reflect afresh on Christian identity as an identity in relation to others and to the whole of creation. To respond to such challenges, Bossey is offering annually a one-month-long programme entitled Building an Interfaith Community.
Goal of the Course
The goal of this course is to learn about each other and to challenge and overcome stereotypes. While fully respecting and affirming each particular faith identity, the overall question to be explored is: What can we, as people of faith, do to respond and to overcome the pressing challenges of our time and build together a mutually accountable society based on respect and cooperation?
The Structure of the Programme
a) Spiritual exposure and sharing: Every day will begin with devotion and meditation, for which each faith group will organize its own “sacred” space and taking turns, each will lead morning devotions in the presence of the others.
b) Study of the sacred scriptures: selected texts related to the theme of the course from the sacred scriptures of each faith community will be studied in turn.
c) Lectures, panels and workshops: formal lectures will be given by specialists from Christian, Jewish and Muslim communities. Further reflections will be done through plenary discussions, through panels, group discussions and workshops with the particular participation of the students.
The Ecumenical Institute will be sensitive to special food requirements and will offer adequate spaces for prayer according to the needs of each of the participating faith communities. Intentional efforts will be made to help all students feel at home, comfortable and safe. For the whole period, they will be accompanied by an appointed animator/facilitator knowledgeable and well experienced in inter-religious dialogues and encounters.
Participants
About 30 participants, aged 25-35, from Christian, Jewish and Muslim communities from different parts of the world are expected to participate. For one month, the students will live together within the Bossey community.
This course is co-organised by the Ecumenical Institute, the WCC Programme on Inter-religious Dialogue and Cooperation, the Inter-knowing Foundation (Muslim) and the Racines et Sources Foundation (Jewish).
Cost:
administrative fees 350.-
student allowance 100.-
contribution to tuition 950.-
study visits 200.-
health insurance
100.- board & lodging & city tax 1’600.-
total 3’300.-
In certain cases the travel expenses can also be provided.