The Adventure of Dialogue

• Dialogue and cooperation work best when participants respond to the fact of diversity in thinking, believing, and doing by

Respecting our common humanity. Participants are not required to respect every belief or every practice of every tradition, but they are expected to respect every person. Common ground in a particular discussion may include many specifics as well.

Understanding differences. Religious differences are sometimes exploited in conflicts driven by social, economic, and political factors.

Appreciating the wonderful, unique personality of each person. Individuals are not merely representatives of groups. Focus on group differences must not obscure common humanity and unique personality.

• Openness to dialogue and cooperation is not to be confused with

relativism, the position that any idea that some person or group asserts should be regarded as valid.

an attempt to create a new religion by mixing current traditions into a homogenized blend.

the requirement that dialogue participants must leave their own convictions at the door. We can express positively what we have found without attacking other traditions or other expressions of our own tradition. Dialogue does not suppress the asking of hard questions, but it does ask them in a certain spirit.

• Truth is many-sided, and it is important to remain open to scientific investigation of what one regards as fact and to philosophic interpretation of what one regards as truth. The only attitude that is inconsistent with a community of inquiry is the one that claims a monopoly on truth and excludes contributions from other areas. Thus no one position has to be totally accepted or rejected.
• It is not necessary for people to agree on ideas in order to cooperate effectively and to enjoy spiritual unity. It is possible to experience profound respect for persons without accepting their particular beliefs.
• Focusing on goals rather than on creeds improves the chance of finding common ground.
• Enduring peace requires that religions be at peace, and for religions to be at peace requires each religion to renounce striving for sovereignty over the others. Those who believe in God must relinquish sovereignty to God alone. They will find spiritual unity in the worship of God. Religion is related to, yet distinct from, social, economic, and political teachings. Religion inspires social service, economic fairness, and responsible citizenship. Religion enhances family life and encourages believers to conserve what is worth conserving and to make wise and progressive changes. Those who recognize a limited right to national self-defense should also recognize that nationalism is the chief barrier to world peace. Religion teaches patient and non-violent means to conflict resolution.
• While ever ready to learning lessons from the past, progressive religion places primary emphasis on looking forward.

[The following document is from the National Conference for Community and Justice; 475 Park Ave., 19th floor; New York, NY 10003 (www.nccj.org)]

For true dialogue to occur it needs to take place within a protective environment of mutually accepted rights and responsibilities, rooted in two fundamental values: respect for the human person and trust in the process of dialogue. Dialogue works best when the participants are willing to develop certain skills that facilitate the process.

Comparison of Dialogue and Debate

The following list is adapted from a paper prepared by Shelly Berman, based on discussions of the Dialogue Group of the Boston Chapter of Educators for Social Responsibility (ESR). Other members included Lucile Burt, Dick Mayo-Smith, Lally Stowell, and Gene Thompson. For more information on ESR's programs and resources using dialogue as a tool for dealing with controversial issues, call the national ESR office at 617-492-1764.

• Dialogue is collaborative: two or more sides work together toward common understanding. Debate is oppositional: two sides oppose each other and attempt to prove each other wrong.
• In dialogue, finding common ground is the goal. In debate, winning is the goal.
• In dialogue, one listens to the other side(s) in order to understand, find meaning, and find agreement. In debate, one listens to the other side in order to find flaws and to counter its arguments.
• Dialogue enlarges and possibly changes a participant's point of view. Debate affirms a participant's own point of view.
• Dialogue reveals assumptions for reevaluation. Debate defends assumptions as truth.
• Dialogue causes introspection on one's own position. Debate causes critique of the other's position.
• Dialogue causes introspection on one's own position. Debate causes critique of the other's position.
• Dialogue opens the possibility of reaching a better solution than any of the original solutions. Debate defends one's own positions as the best solution and excludes other solutions.
• Dialogue creates an open-minded attitude: an openness to being wrong and an openness to change. Debate creates a closed-minded attitude, a determination to be right.
• In dialogue, one submits one's best thinking, knowing that other peoples' reflections will help improve it rather than destroy it. In debate, one submits one's best thinking and defends it against challenge to show that it is right.
• Dialogue calls for temporarily suspending one's beliefs. Debate calls for investing wholeheartedly in one's beliefs.
• In dialogue, one searches for basic agreements. In debate, one searches for glaring differences.
• In dialogue, one searches for strengths in the other positions. In debate, one searches for flaws and weakness in the other position.
• Dialogue involves a real concern for the other person and seeks not to alienate or offend. Debate involves a countering of the other position without focusing on feelings or relationship and often belittles or deprecates the other person.
• Dialogue assumes that many people have pieces of the answer and that together they can put them into a workable solution., Debate assumes that there is a right answer and that someone has it.
• Dialogue remains open-ended. Debate implies a conclusion.

SOURCES ON INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE

The following list was compiled by Dale Cannon, Western Oregon University, found in the AAR syllabus project website on 28 Apr 00: http://www.wlu.ca/~wwwaar/syllabi/cannon/r204anbb.htm#interreligiousref

Bokser. Judaism and The Christian Predicament. BM535 .B6

(An account of, and correction to, the history of misinterpretations of Judaism by Christianity.)

Brown. Meeting in Faith: Twenty Years of Christian-Muslim Conversations . . .

(What the title says: twenty years of dialogical efforts between Christians and Muslims.)

Casey. The Undivided Heart: The Western Monastic Approach to Contemplation

(An excellent source for understanding the way of mystical quest at the heart of Western, especially Benedictine, monasticism.)

Falaturi, et al. Three Ways to the One God: The Faith Experience in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam BM 42 .D6713 1987

(A collection of presentations from a conference about 10 years ago which sought to bring about dialogue between major representatives of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam on the theme of the experience of faith in each tradition.)

Gort, et al. On Sharing Religious Experience: Possibilities of Interfaith Mutuality

(A collection of essays exploring the possibilities of mutual understanding and respect between different religious traditions.)

Griffiths. Christianity Through Non-Christian Eyes BR 127 .C47428 1990

(Essays by major representatives of the great non-Christian religious traditions on how Christianity is characteristically seen and understood from within their traditions.)

Grose and Hubbard, eds. The Abraham Connection: A Jew, Christian, and Muslim in Dialogue BM 535 .G595 1994

(One of the finest records of a sustained attempt on the part of a major representative from each of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam to come to mutual understanding of each other's faiths.)

Hick. Truth and Dialogue in World Religions BL51 .C635 1970

(A collection of essays on the nature and significance of dialogue between the great religious traditions, and specifically reflecting on the problem of truth, given the conflicting nature of diverse religious claims.)

Hick & Meltzer. Three Faiths -- One God: A Jewish, Christian, Muslim Encounter BM 601 .T48 1989

(A collection of presentations and responses from a conference in 1984 which sought to bring about dialogue between major representatives of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam on a variety of topics.)

Kuschel. Abraham: Sign of Hope for Jews, Christians, and Muslims

(An attempt to understand the conflicts and tensions between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam and identify a way that representatives from each tradition can find a way forward to mutual recognition and appreciation without compromise to what is essential.)

Lapide and Moltman. Jewish Monotheism and Christian Trinitarian Doctrine BM535 .L2913

(A remarkably successful attempt by a Jewish theologian and a Christian theologian to dialogue about the respective understandings of God in each tradition.)

Schimmel and Falaturi. We Believe in One God: The Experience of God in Christianity and Islam

(A collection of presentations from a conference about 10 years ago which sought to bring about dialogue between major representatives of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam on the theme of the experience of God.)

Talmage. Disputation and Dialogue: Readings in the Jewish-Christian Encounter BM 535 .D53

(A collection of writings for and about the encounter between Judaism and Christianity.)

Watt. Muslim-Christian Encounters BP 172 .W33 1991

(A history of Muslim-Christian relations, misunderstandings, attempts to dialogue, and failures at dialogue.)

Islam and Dialogue

The project on Islam requires you to engage in conversation with a Muslim (if you are not Muslim yourself). This is not the same as attending the Friday service of prayer and worship (usually at 12:30 or 1:00). Call to let them know that a visitor is coming and to confirm the time. If the travel involved would be a hardship for you, you may find use an internet chatroom to find a conversation partner, but try to be discerning. You will probably want to converse outside the chatroom.

In the Kent area, the main, new mosque is on Steeles Corners Road (go west from Kent: Crain to Fairchild, which becomes Graham, to right turn north on Route 8 to first exist Steeles Corners road a half-mile (?) on the left, next to Word of His Grace church. Their service is at 12:30.

There is also a 1:00 service at the Kent Mosque 325 E. Crain 330-678-4252).

In the Cleveland area: the Islamic Center of Cleveland, 6055 West 130th Street, in Cleveland 216-362-0786.

Lorain Islamic Association; Friday, 1:00 p.m. prayer; 1300 Reid Ave., Lorain; 440-244-1361.

Bedford: Baitul Ahad Mosque, 297 Warren Ctr. Road, Bedford; Friday 1:00 p.m; 440-439-4448

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