Previous issues of "Current dialogue"

Current Dialogue is the World Council of Churches' journal on interreligious dialogue, offering a platform for debate to those who want to build bridges across religious divides and to their partners of different faiths.

Since December 2019, Current Dialogue is published annually by Wiley on behalf of the WCC as a special issue of The Ecumenical Review, and is available as part of a subscription to The Ecumenical Review.

 

Issues published from 2020 are available in the Wiley Online Library

 

Previous issues published by the WCC before 2019 may be downloaded from the links below:

 

Current Dialogue 60

December 2018 issue of the Current Dialogue journal.

Current Dialogue 59

This issue of Current Dialogue deals with one of the most vexing topics of our times: religion and violence. Seeking to move beyond the fatalism that often sees religion as a problem, the journal explores how religion can offer solutions to the common yearnings of pilgrims on the path of justice and peace.

Current Dialogue 58

At the close of the 50th year since promulgation of Vatican II’s declaration on Christian relations with other religions, relations between Christians and Jews, and between Christians and Muslims, are freshly explored in the just-released issue 58 of Current Dialogue.

Current Dialogue 57

Issue 57 of Current Dialogue explores the phenomenon of “multiple religious belonging,” in which people participate or identify with the practices and beliefs of more than one religious tradition. Articles address the theme from diverse perspectives as they attempt to engage with the theological, pastoral and missiological challenges that the phenomenon poses to churches.

Current Dialogue 56

Along with key documents from the WCC 10th Assembly, the issue includes several strong pieces addressing some thorny issues in contemporary inter-religious encounter and dialogue, including the recent Malaysian prohibition of Christian use of the name Allah for God, the relationship of ecumenism and inter-religious dialogue, the particular difficulties in dialogue among the Abrahamic traditions, and the limits of dialogue itself.

Current Dialogue 55

This special issue for the WCC 10th Assembly seeks to engage with the assembly theme “God of life, lead us to justice and peace”. In a kaleidoscopic manner, a very diverse ecumenical group of authors have explored different aspects of the theme.

Current Dialogue 54

The present issue covers activities that have taken place in 2012 and 2013, including a consultation on Christian self-understanding in the context of Hinduism, and another, smaller one, which explored the topic in relation to indigenous religions.

Current Dialogue 53

This is the third of our special issues of Current Dialogue which have focused in turn on consultations exploring Christian self-understanding in the context of Buddhism, then Islam, and now Judaism. It presents the report and papers of a consultation held in Istanbul in June 2010.

Current Dialogue 52

This edition focuses on another one of the intra-Christian consultations held over the last few years, exploring Christian self-understanding in relation to a particular faith – in this case Islam. Partly because the Islam consultation, held in October 2008, was the first in this series a number of the papers at this consultation in relation to Islam also explore wider aspects of Christian interreligious engagement.

Current Dialogue 51

This issue focuses on a consultation on "Christian Self-Understanding in the context of Buddhism" which took place in 2009. It includes most of the papers given at that consultation.

No 50, February 2008

This issue is devoted to conversion as an issue in interreligious relations. This topic has for many years been a matter of conversation in staff meetings between the offices of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (PCID) and the Programme on Dialogue and Cooperation of the World Council of Churches (WCC).

No 49, July 2007

The Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation programme has not only acquired its new name. It also stresses a particular emphasis: co-operation. The many contributions in this issue reflect a diverse network that spans a good part of the world.

No 48, December 2006

This issue will highlight the relationship, which is likely to dominate the agenda of interreligious relations and dialogue of the WCC: Muslim-Christian relations.

No 47, June 2006

"People involved in the World Council of Churches (WCC) live in a time, which is still coloured by the Assembly in Porto Alegre, what it was, what it communicated and what it might mean for the future." The major part of this issue is dedicated to the 9th Assembly.



No 46, December 2005

The forthcoming assembly in Porto Alegre in Brazil 14-23 February 2006 "God, in your Grace, Transform the World" has required much work in the Office on Interreligious Relations and Dialogue (IRRD). The WCC and its Assembly Planning Committee have given ample space to interreligious relations and dialogue.

No 45, July 2005

This issue follows in the wake of the Critical Moment conference, an interreligious event, which the World Council of Churches (WCC) organised between June 7-9, 2005 involving some 130 participants of different faiths. It was the first time that the WCC manifested its commitment to be involved in the present and future of interreligious relations and dialogue in this way.

No 44, December 2004

This issue covers a September 2004 multifaith consultation in Addis Ababa, Rashied Omar's presentation at this summer's Visser't Hooft Memorial consultation "Religion, Power and Violence", and the WCC general secretary's greetings at the second forum of the Global Network of Religions for Children. The article "Christological and Soteriological reflections in the wake of half a century of Intense and Improved Jewish-Christian relations" was one of the interesting contributions at a consultation in December that addressed the question on how and whether Jewish-Christian dialogue has affected Christian self-understanding.

No 43, July 2004

This issue reflects, beyond articles written by friends in the Interfaith Dialogue Movement, some of our activities this year in the Office on Interreligious Relations and Dialogue (IRRD).

No 42, December 2003

This issue gives a particular emphasis to Christian-Buddhist dialogue, addressed from a couple of different perspectives.

No 41, July 2003

This issue reflects on issues relating to interreligious dialogue in different places throughout the world.

No 40, December 2002

This issue presents as its pièce de résistance a new document of the Office on Interreligious Relations and Dialogue: "Guidelines for Dialogue and Relations with People of Other Religions." It also contains a report from a Christian-Muslim dialogue, held under the auspices of the WCC in October in Geneva.

No 39, June 2002

This issue of Current Dialogue is mainly devoted to the theme of religion and violence.

No 38, December 2001

This issue pays homage to Stanley Samartha - a great man in the history of the ecumenical movement, in the life of the WCC and in the world of interfaith dialogue and relations.

No 37, June 2001

The multifaith process on 'Thinking Together' and the contribution of Africa to the religious heritage of the world.

No 36, December 2000

Focus on Christian-Muslim dialogue and relations.

No 35, July 2000

The role of women in religious education and instruction.

No 34, February 2000

This issue contains articles on the theme "What difference does religious plurality make?"

No 33, July 1999

Interreligious contributions on the Harare Assembly theme Turn to God -- Rejoice in Hope.

No 32, December 1998

A mix of articles dealing with the nature and authority of scripture: implications for Hindu-Christian dialogue, interreligious relations: a Sihk perspective, Jewish-Christian relations and mission, etc.

No 31, December 1997

This issue contains articles on new religious movements, interreligious prayer and Hindu-Christian dialogue.