Inter-religious Relations

Inter-religious dialogue in North Africa and West Asia nearly always refers to the relationship between a Muslim majority and a Christian minority. Christianity and Islam have existed side-by-side in this region since the seventh century, and there is a long tradition of kalam, apologetic theology that offers a logical explanation of one’s religious beliefs. The numerous local and international conferences and workshops on Middle Eastern Christian-Muslim dialogue in recent decades have tended to overstress commonalities in a well-intentioned effort to find ways to coexist peacefully. True interfaith understanding cannot be achieved, however, without deep theological and epistemological understanding of the other faith’s content and worldview, including its distinctives. In order for inter-religious dialogue to truly reflect the region’s diversity, the circle of conversation partners also needs to be widened to include Judaism as well as Sunni-Shia relations.