If you ask me: what is the biblical evidence, if any, for the importance of interreligious dialogue? I would admit that it is impossible to find the term “interreligious dialogue” in the Bible because it is a modern terminology. However, the spirit of interreligious dialogue is able to find in several places in the Bible. This spirit marks the importance of how the Bible relates to the needs of non-Christians and how Gospel is proclaimed to the world.
Luke 2, 41-53 talks
about Jesus’ visiting at the temple; the verse 46 is that, “Then, after
three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers,
both listening to them and asking them questions.” At the age of twelve, Jesus sat among the
teachers listening to them and asking questions of them. Even Jesus was just a young boy, he earned the
respect of the Jewish Teachers. Jesus’ discussion with the teachers really
shows a so-called spirit of dialogue. Moreover, Jesus raised religious topics to the
Jewish teachers, and they were amazed by his understanding and his answers. The
important point is that Jesus and those teachers created an atmosphere of conversation with respect
and listening to one another. In this context, Luke also wanted to make known Jesus to others. He brought them along to understand more about Jesus. In this sense,
the proclamation of the Good News might be emerged in an “early interreligious
dialogue”.
In
the Acts of the Apostles 17: 17-23, (Paul
at Athens), Paul met many different people at the synagogue. Although they were not in the same
community with him, he still engaged in a conversation with them. “So he was reasoning in the synagogue with
the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles and in the market place every day with
those who happened to be present. And
also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him.” He was humble himself to observe and learn their
different religious practices. He did
not intend to preach to them, but to be with them first. He tried to have a direct
communication and interaction with those religious practitioners
to understand their ways of worship deeply. From his observation and experience, he looked
for the suitable way to communicate the Gospel according to
their own traditions. This is quite clearly in verse 23, "For while I was passing through and
examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription,
'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD' therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim
to you.” This verse shows that
Paul’s spirit of interreligious dialogue was very clear. It was a change that Paul came to be with those non-Christians, to understand, and walk with them.
The encounters above could be one of the motivations that the Church has found herself on Interreligious Dialogue as an important mission. Clearly, specific contributions that texts such
as Nostra Aetate and Dialogue and Proclamation have made a great effort to a Catholic theology of
interreligious dialogue. Perhaps, the greatest contribution of Nostra Aetate is the Church’s recognition of her
relationship to other religions, especially a new spirit of her relationship to
Judaism. This contribution is considered as an opportunity to heal the wounded
memories between Jews and Christians. The idea is not only meant in relationship with
Judaism, but also touches all the religions as positive contributions to global
solidarity and religious harmony. We can see that the
dialogical spirit of Nostra Aetate is clear in its opening words, “In
her task of promoting unity and love among men, indeed among nations, she
considers above all in this declaration what men have in common and what draws
them to fellowship. (1)” This emphasizes on a
new understanding of the Christian-Jewish relation which encourages a mutual
respect, unity, and friendship. An author
reflects on Nostra Aetate, saying that, "For
nearly 40 years, Nostra Aetate has promoted a rich dialogue between
Christians and Jews to encourage mutual understanding and respect for each
other's faith and religious convictions."
In the same spirit,
“Dialogue and Proclamation” (1991) continues to contribute a deep sense of
interreligious dialogue, not just stopping at understanding and respect for each
other’s faith, but sharing the noble values of each other’s
traditions. In this engaging dialogue, participants are called to
listen to different spiritual and religious values and explore to the richness of
each religious tradition. In this way, Christians can deepen other
religious traditions, and the Gospels may be proclaimed to other believers as well. This spirit of “Dialogue and Proclamation” is made concrete in No 40, “It
reaches a much deeper level, that of the spirit, where exchange and sharing
consist in a mutual witness to one's beliefs and a common exploration of one's
respective religious convictions. In dialogue, Christians and others are
invited to deepen their religious commitment, to respond with increasing
sincerity to God's”.
