Fostering Interreligious Encounters in Pluralist Societies

This book calls attention to ways of fostering dialogue among members of different religious traditions in an era of cultural and religious pluralism. To achieve this, the author analyzes the results of an ethnographic study of Ihievbe, a town in Midwestern Nigeria that is religiously pluralistic. Emphasis is given to hospitality and friendship-two key relational, cultural, philosophical, and theological virtues-as tools for constructing healthy interreligious dialogue that is relevant for our times. A critical study is done on the importance of these two dialogical virtues in the religious expressions of Roman Catholicism, Islam, and Ihievbe Traditional Religion. Preference for ethnographic studies is based on stressing the relevance of context in articulating useful practices of interreligious dialogue. Finally, the book articulates ways the fruits of interreligious dialogue can be celebrated in the liturgical rituals of each religion, especially the three religions that are addressed here.

Auteur

SimonMary Asese A. Aihiokhai is Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology at the University of Portland, USA.

Contenu

Chapter 1: Introduction.

Chapter 2: A Short Secular and Religious History of Ihievbe Town.

2.1: A Short History of the Roman Catholic Church in Ihievbe Town.

2.2: Expressions of Culture and Religion(s) among Ihievbe People.

Chapter 3: Factors Shaping Religious and Cultural Identities in the Ihievbe Community.

3.1: Cultural and Religious Descriptions of Hospitality in Ihievbe Language.

3.2: Cultural and Religious Descriptions of Friendship in Ihievbe Community.

3.3: A Short History of Interreligious Living Among Ihievbe People.

Chapter 4: Philosophical and Christological Arguments for Hospitality as a Dialogical Model.

4.1: Christ's Hypostatic Identity as Divine Hospitality.

Chapter 5: A Case for Hospitality in the Era of Religious Pluralism.

5.1: Practical Ways for Applying Hospitality as a Tool for Interreligious Encounter Chapter 6: The Philosophy of Friendship and Its Place in Constructing Interreligious Encounters.

6.1: Christology and Interreligious Friendship.

6.2: The Nature of Dialogue in Friendship in Islam.

6.3: The Place of Friendship in Ihievbe Traditional Religion.

6.4: Interreligious Friendship and Religious Identity.

6.5: Critique of the Roman Catholic Church's Call to Mission

Chapter 7: Expressions of Relationality and Alterity in Contemporary Pluralistic Cultures: A Case Study of Ihievbe Community. 7.1: An Ihievbe Sense of Social Harmony as Grounds for Interreligious Dialogue.

7.2: An Ihievbe Reading of Christian Salvific History as Grounds for Validating the Religious Other.

Chapter 8: Ethnographic Findings Justifying the Relevance of Hospitality and Friendship as Tools for Interfaith Dialogue.

8.1: Reflection and Analysis of the Survey Questions and Responses for Roman Catholics in Ihievbe Town.

8.2: Reflection and Analysis of the Interview Questions and Responses for Roman Catholics in Ihievbe Town.

8.3: Reflection and Analysis of the Survey Questions and Responses for Muslims in Ihievbe Town.

8.4: Reflection and Analysis of the Interview Questions and Responses for Muslims in Ihievbe Town.

8.5: Reflection and Analysis of the Survey Questions and Responses for Traditional Religionists in Ihievbe Town.

8.6: Reflection and Analysis of the Interview Questions and Responses for Traditional Religionists in Ihievbe Town.

Chapter 9: Conclusion