Christianity in Dialogue with World Religions

By: Chelse Melina
Posted In: News

In a world in which there are numerous religions and beliefs, and even more variations of particular beliefs inside even those religions, it is vital to have communication between various religious groups. Communication facilitates understanding, consequently preventing tension and conflict between religions.

Abbot Mark Serna, from Portmouth Abbey, discussed a number of ways to create dialogue between religions and the benefits that the communication yields on Thursday, February 17, 2005. In order to enable communication and dialogue, the speaker suggested the following steps and/or suggestions:

● The people in dialogue must be firmly and confidently rooted in Christianity if you are a Christian, or whichever religions affiliation they belong to

● The people in dialogue must have a personal maturity, in that they are not narrow minded and can consider other ideas and beliefs, rather than disregard other people’s beliefs

● The people in dialogue must have a deep thirst or desire to know about other religions and their tendencies (how they pray, what they believe in, etc)

● The people in dialogue must have an openness to strangers and the ability to reveal inner emotions, passions and beliefs

● The people in dialogue must lead lives of prayer and be willing to discuss their prayer life with others

In an attempt to create a “dialogue-friendly” atmosphere, the Monastic Interreligious Dialogue committee has organized an upcoming conference which will focus on the concept of hospitality. During this upcoming conference, the idea of dialogue through hospitality will be explored, including how dialogue can happen.

Abbot Serna stressed the importance of hospitality by reminding his audience, Salve Regina students, faculty and staff as well as a few members of the public, of Matthew 25:31-46, which tells the story of the sheep and the goats.

Abbot Serna spoke of Matthew 25:41-46 specifically, as he quoted, “41”Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ 44″They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ 45″He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ 46″Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

During the conference, various members of different religions will discuss what hospitality means to each group and will practice hospitality by living and praying together for one weekend.

Abbot Serna also stressed the importance of transcendence by paralleling certain beliefs to the beauty of the world around us, which create, as he put it, “Christian like experiences.” For example, he spoke of beautiful, breath taking things – such as the Grand Canyon, staring into a beloved’s eyes, standing in an open field of flowers or gazing into the sky. He stressed that no matter what a person’s faith, all people have the ability to recognize the beauty before them and know that there is something out there besides them.

In sharing the aforementioned beautiful things, religious groups share silence together, which assists them in experiencing a “profound steaming of human heart that aches for human connection.” When that human connection is made, there is a possibility for interreligious dialogue.

As Abbot Serna closed, he stressed the importance of individuals opening themselves up to the idea of communication. He said, “Go confidently and visit other religious ceremonies as a Christian. One by one, city by city, state by state and country by country is how relationships and dialogues are created.”