THE JERUSALEM COMMUNITYIN DIALOGUE

Jewish-Christian dialogueSome members of the community haveparticipated for many years in Jewish-Christian dialogue in various establishedgroups in Jerusalem. Among these are theEcumenical Fraternity, the Rainbow Cluband the Interreligious Coordinating Councilin Israel (ICCI). Meetings on an academiclevel are held almost every month andusually include a presentation of a relig-iously related topic followed by discussion.Once or twice a year the FBI hosts thesemeetings. Most of those attending areEuropeans and Americans, a largeproportion of whom are Protestants, withan occasional participation of non-LatinChristian churches, e.g. ArmenianOrthodox, Coptic, Ethiopian, Melchite,Syrian-Catholic and Greek Orthodox.Under the aegis of ICCI, a think-tank groupconsisting of five Muslims, five Jews, andfive Christians meets once a month. Onemember of St. Ignatius community is amember. The discussions are held inHebrew. In addition to the above activities,one member of the community teachescourses at the Hebrew Union College inHebrew and gives talks to the JewishMessianic Guides. The Latin Patriarchatein Jerusalem is considering the possibilityof a secretariat or commission to promoteand coordinate its dialogue with Jews. It isthe first Catholic Church in the Middle Eastto consider this option. There may be inthis an opportunity for Jesuits tocollaborate more closely with thePatriarchate in a specifically interreligiousway.

Muslim-Christian dialogueSince 1974, various Jesuits, including thelate Antoine Roussos and George DeNapoli, and Jan Bronsveld, presentprovincial of the Near East Province, havelived and worked in Bethlehem incollaboration with the Christian Brothers.Fr. Roussos, a Jesuit of Greek origin, alsocarried out a "worker-priest" apostolate in

Haifa as a day laborer in an Israeliconstruction firm, together with Jewish,Christian, Druze, and Muslim co-wokers.Today, one member of the St. Ignatiuscommunity continues to reside inBethlehem and teach at BethlehemUniversity. Since most of the teachers andstudents at the university are Muslims, hehas many opportunities for the dialogue ofdaily life and for studying together withChristian and Muslim Palestinians thecommon problems that they must face.On some occasions, members of the St.Ignatius community attend meetings ofMuslims and Christians organized by, forexample, the Sabeel Conference and Al-Liqa. Other dialogue groups exist on asmall scale, in which members of thecommunity occasionally participate.

Ecumenical dialogueMost contacts are on the informal level andinclude interritual gatherings and Ecumen-ical Bible prayer groups. Several membersof the community attend the interritualprayer services during the Christian UnityOctave and other special occasions. WithProtestants, there is an effort to promoteconferences on prayer.

The Needs of the Jerusalem CommunityThe focus of most of the discussions of thecommunity during the year 1995-96centered on exploring the needs in theJerusalem /Israel area which are not beingadequately met, and to which the Societymight make a contribution. Some actuallyemerged from requests made by specificgroups including the Latin Patriarchate andthe Patriarch himself, whereas othersemerged from the community discussionand experiences. Several of these are listed.1. Insertion into the Israeli and thePalestinian cultural and religiouscommunities. Traditionally, the PBI haspursued its own goals, tied closely to thoseof the PIB in Rome. Except for theexamples stated above, we have not becomeinvolved in the local community,

(cont. p. 6)

THE MISSION STATEMENT OfSAINT IGNATIUS COMMUNITY

A mission statement is an enunciation of a general principal.Details of how it is to be realized are spelled out only later

under the category of implementation.

Since its founding in 1925 the mission of the Jesuit community at the PontificalBiblical Institute has been to serve academically, spiritually and socially the studentsand professors from the Roman Biblical Institute. In addition, for many years theJesuit community has been at the service of the universal Society in providingaccommodations, lectures, spiritual and biblical renewal programs for Jesuits. TheSaint Ignatius community will continue to serve in this capacity as a dimension of itsmission.

In 1989, Fr. Generaleffected a distinctionbetween the PontificalBiblical Institute andthe Saint IgnatiusCommunity. Thisseparation openedthe way for anexpansion andclarification of aseparate mission ofthe communitydistinct from althoughrelated to that servingthe Biblical Institutein Rome. GC34, inits document OurMission andInterreligiou sDialogue ,recommended toFather General "toexplore the possibility

The Mission Statement

The apostolic mission of the Saint Ignatiuscommunity at the Pontifical Biblical Institute:

in Jerusalem while maintaining its historicaland traditional service to the students,professors, and Jesuits who come to studyand renew themselves in the Holy Land is toencourage, support and in so far as possiblefacilitate and collaborate in the cultural andreligious dialogue among Christiancommunities and between Christians, jewsand Muslims in Israel and Palestine.Early preparatory formation of youngerJesuits committed to this mission, and willingto serve long periods of time, should ideallyprovide them with adequate facility inHebrew and/or Arabic languages, as well asEnglish, and a familiarity with these differentcultures so that they may be comfortableliving out a substantial period of theirapostolic mission among them.

of expanding thescope of theapostolate of the Jesuitcommunity of thePontifical BiblicalInstitute in Jerusalem,so that, in dialogueand in concert withother Christiancenters in Jerusalem,the Jesuits theremight exploreprograms in inter-religious dialogueamong Jews,Christians andMuslims, along withtheir continuing workof Biblical and spiritualrenewal of Jesuitsfrom variousprovinces" [par. 157,OMID, 20].

In the light of the recommendation from the General Congregation, the presentcommunity at the Pontifical Biblical Institute engaged in many meetings between1995 and the first part of 1997 to explore the possibilities of this mission. Thetentative and preliminary statement, as formulated and summarized by the Supeior,is the result of these discussions.

The St. Ignatius Community, Jerusalem

Christian or otherwise. There is a greaterneed of this now on the part of SaintIgnatius Community, especially in light ofthe proposed peace process, and for theadequate implementation of its mission.2. Jewish-Christian dialogue. Althoughthere are many established groups for thisdialogue, most are academic and involvelargely European or American expatriates.There is a need for dialogue on the 'grass-roots' level. This area of dialogue raisessome questions regarding the some Jesuits'stance on Judaism. Do residual anti-Jewishsentiments exist in some Jesuits? Is there atendency to screen out the positivereligious dimensions in Judaism, stressingthe negative political, military and juridicalhistory between Israelis and Palestinians inthis land?3. Muslim-Christian dialogue. TheSociety is expressing energetically the needfor dialogue with the Muslims. Not unlikethe question raised above about someJesuits' stance on Judaism, does a similarattitude exist towards Muslims? Canresidual anti-Muslim sentiments be foundin some Jesuits? Is there a tendency toscreen out the positive religious dimensionsin Islam and stress the negative political,military and juridical history betweenIsraelis and Palestinians in this land andbetween Muslims and Christians in otherparts of the world?4. Can the Society facilitate dialoguebetween and among Orthodox and LatinChristians as well as among Protestants?There is a patent need here. Such adialogue could be in collaboration with thePontifical Oriental Institute in Rome. Aprogram might be envisioned for itsstudents to spend time in Jerusalem duringwhich they would be in touch with all theEastern Christian churches.5. Language. Although much can beachieved using English, French and Italian,in order to meet some of the above-mentioned needs an Arabic and Hebrewspeaking member of the community isneeded.

John Crocker, S.J.

SJ community members andguests on archeological visit

WHAT SHOULD YOUNGJESUITS KNOW BEFORE

UNDERTAKING THEJERUSALEM APOSTOLATE?

One member of the St. Ignatius communitysummed up the qualities that should be foundin Jesuits interested in taking up the GC34call to dialogue in Jerusalem.Young Jesuits who are interested in thismission should realize that their formationwill require a serious commitment overalong period of time, and comprises severaldimensions:- facility in Hebrew and/or Arabic, as well asin English,- familiarity with the local cultures, so thatone is reasonably at ease working and livingwith the people,- a certain degree of political sophisticationon justice issues, so that one does not fallvictim to rash judgments, propaganda,exploitation, or one's own unexaminedfeelings,- sensitivity to the religious sensibilities andbeliefs of Jews and Muslims, and especiallyto the forms, feasts, and traditions of theEastern Churches. Peter Du Brul, S.J.

REFLECTIONS ON A VISITTO JERUSALEM

In March of this year, I visited the St.Ignatius Community. The main purposewas to meet the community as theyfinalized their mission statement and toexplore with them what needs to be done toimplement the statement.The St. Ignatius community is consciousthat responding to the recommendation ofGC34 will depend to a great extent on thepersons who make up the community in thefuture. Efforts at dialogue are alreadybeing made by the local church and therather extensive expatriate churchconcentrated in the holy cities of Jerusalem,Bethlehem, and Nazareth. Moreover, theway local Jews and Muslims view efforts atdialogue is not always the same asChristians. The challenge is to notreduplicate what is already being done andto respond to the needs as they areperceived by Jews, Christians, andMuslims.In order to get a better understanding of thevarious viewpoints, the Jerusalem Jesuitsarranged for me meetings with leaders ofthe local church (the Latin and Melkitepatriarchs, the new Maronite bishop, thestaff of the Latin seminary in Beit Jala,Bethlehem University), Palestinian laity,expatriate religious (White Fathers,Daughters of Charity etc.), Muslims, andrabbis and Jewish laymen involved ininterreligious projects. I also met, thoughbriefly, other minority communities: a daywith the Bahais at their WorldHeadquarters in Haifa and several longdiscussions with Druze who are, in fact,more numerous in Israel and Palestine thanChristians.

The Biblical Institute JerusalemThe Jesuits in Jerusalem agree on thecentrality of their commitment to serve thestudents of the PBI-Rome and Jesuitsvisiting on Biblical courses and tours. Thelongstanding agreement with the Hebrew

University, while subject to criticism(students complain that some of the coursesgiven at FBI in Rome are better taught,with better content, than those of HU), isnot in need of reevaluation at this time. Inaddition to the second-semester Biblicaltours which have been offered for manyyears in Italian, a highly successful coursefor Spanish Jesuits was undertaken thisyear. The possibilities of an English-language course for next year are beingexplored. On the other hand, some Jesuitsfelt that so much of the energy of theJerusalem community is presently beingtaken up with running the "hotel" forBiblicum students and foreign Jesuits thatthey lack time for any significantapplication of the GC34 recommendation.

The St. Ignatius Communityand Dialogue

The GC34 document speaks of "expandingthe scope of the apostolate" of PBIJerusalem to "explore programs ininterreligious dialogue among Jews,Christians and Muslims" (OMID, 20). Thecommunity, in their mission statement,reflected on what must be done toimplement this recommendation and on theforms this implementation might take.Dialogue is seen as something broader thansimply initiating theological discussionswith Jews and Muslims. It indicates adeeper involvement with and insertion intothe realities of Israeli Jewish life as well asparticipation in the ongoing mission of thelocal church towards Christian-Muslimencounter. A condition for accomplishingthis at any depth would seem to be thepresence in the St. Ignatius community ofJesuits conversant in Hebrew and Arabic.Jesuits limited to European languages canmake important contributions within theexpatriate communities, to pilgrim groups,and among Jewish and Muslim scholarscomfortable with those languages, but forany deep involvement in the lives of JewishIsraelis and Palestinian Muslims andChristians, knowledge of the locallanguages is essential. Moreover, a sound

background in Judaism and/or Islam isimportant.Given the highly secular nature of much ofIsraeli society, community membersstressed that Jesuit engagement should notbe limited to "religious Jews," but manyareas of collaboration and study, in areassuch as human rights, legal aid, and moralvalues, can be pursued with secular Jews.This apostolate would not differ greatlyfrom the involvement of many Jesuits inEurope and North America with "post-modern secular humanists" in thoseregions.

Christians of various rites and churches (themajority of Palestinian Christians areOrthodox).The great concern of the Palestinian churchis the continuing exodus of Christians fromthe country. Better educational preparationand financial resources result in greateremigration of Christians than Muslims to afreer, more tranquil life. As a result,traditional Christian centers likeBethlehem, Nazareth and Ramallah aretaking on a greater Islamic color. Therecent Islamic involvement in thePalestinian nationalist struggle is an added

Because of the common cultural heritageand their shared experience of loss,dialogue between Palestinian Christiansand Muslims appears to be somewhat easierthan in countries where the two religiouscommunities regard each other from posi-tions of majority-minority, strength-weakness, and dominance-dependence. ThePalestinian Christians I met affirmed that"they have no problem living withMuslims," and that sharing at various levels- social, intellectual, occupational - is thenorm rather than the exception. The Jesuitsin Jerusalem also feel called to contributeto ecumenical dialogue among local

Sharing the Passover meal

concern to some Christians, although thosewith whom I met tended to downplay theimportance of this factor.Some ecumenical and interreligiousorganizations e.g., the EcumenicalInstitute at Tantur, Al-Liqa') promoteChristian - Muslim dialogue, but withlimited success. However, from my briefstay, I got the impression that many morepossibilities for collaboration and study areopen to well-prepared Jesuits. Forexample, I was invited to address thestudents at the Islamic College in Umm al-Fahim. A Palestinian Catholic professor atBethlehem University reported that her

experiences in an Islamic teacher-traininginstitute have been positive and rewarding.The Latin Patriarch said that he wouldwelcome greater Jesuit involvement in thespiritual life of the Arabic-speaking church.He is interested in providing theological,Biblical, and spiritual formation foreducated Christian laity. Jerusalem offersmany opportunities for courses and lecturesby resident and visiting scholars inEuropean languages, but the possibilities inArabic are relatively few. To respond tothis need, the hope was often expressed thatgreater forms of collaboration with theNear East Province could make theexpertise of members of that provinceavailable to the Jesuit apostolate inIsrael/Palestine.

The FBI and Other Locations in IsraelAn issue often raised was whether a smallcommunity (or small communities) ofJesuits in Israel and Palestine couldsupplement the apostolate of FBIJerusalem. The Latin Patriarch confirmedthat the PBI, located in a strongly Jewishpart of Jerusalem, is not an attractivlocation for Palestinians. Perhaps alocation in the Old City of Jerusalem couldbe found where Jews, Christians andMuslims would all feel comfortable.Outside Jerusalem, one Jesuit is living in anArab university environment in Bethlehem.In the past, other Jesuits have lived in TelAviv, Haifa, and elsewhere. However, thecommunity realizes that such plans willdepend upon the talents and interests ofJesuits who will make up the community inthe future. It is premature to explorepossibilities of other houses andcommunities until the Jesuits alreadyresident in Israel/Palestine are freer topursue other forms of apostolate and untilother Jesuits are sent to join in the work ofdialogue.

Importance of the Mission in JerusalemThere are many Jesuits around the worldwith deep academic and experientialknowledge of Judaism and Jews, as well as

many who have gone deeply into Islamicstudies and dialogue with Muslims. It isextremely rare, by the nature of things, foran individual Jesuit to be able to delvedeeply into both religions and cultures. Asa result of their studies and life experiences,most of these Jesuits tend to "tilt" towardsJudaism or Islam and to view theological,sociological and political issues fromperspectives sensitive to the concerns oftheir interlocutors.Moreover, there are still anti-Jewish andanti-Islamic prejudices in the Society whichmust be overcome if we are to bear theattitude of Christ to all. Jerusalem (and,more broadly, Israel and Palestine) offersthe Society the possibility of Jesuits livingtogether in one community who are deeplyinvolved in local expressions of Judaismand Islam. The internal dialogue of Jesuitsinvolved in these apostolates could help thewhole Society arrive at a broader and moreintegrated approach to Jewish-Christian andMuslim-Christian dialogue. Finally, therespect that Jesuits enjoy in academic andecclesiastical circles permits us to makesignificant contributions both to thebilateral dialogues and to the extremelydifficult but much needed commitment tothe "Abrahamic dialogue" of the threefaiths.

Thomas Michel, S.J.

WE ARE ALL NEIGHBOURS NOWReflections for an Interreligious Dialogue

Who is my neighbour? This is the questionthat evoked the parable of the GoodSamaritan, where Jesus unambiguouslytells us that the neighbour is not just theone in need, who is near to me, but the onein need to whom I must be near. Theneighbour, then, is not so much a matter ofgeography as of concern, and commonconcerns make common neighbours. Aschildren of the same God, the God ofAbraham, our common concern is the faith,which makes us brothers and sisters andneighbours.

But our common humanity too makes forcommon concerns. Thus both faith in thedivine and concern for the human are thefoundation of our neighbourliness. Theseare not opposed but complementarydimensions. If the immediate basis of ourconcerns is ourselves, the ultimate concernfor believers, for persons of faith, must beGod. 'Man is the measure of all things,'the ancient Greek philosophers taught us,but God, the creator of all things visibleand invisible, is the one who measureshumans, for God has given us our measure.

However, we cannot avoid the grim realityof divisions that mark our societies in spiteof our desire to be better and more unitedneighbours. If common human concernsbring us together, different social interestsset us apart, just as faith in God unites,whereas differing beliefs divide us. Wecannot wish away such differences, nor canwe impose a uniformity over them orenforce a consensus on them. The usualway of settling such differences was byconfrontation and controversy, whereineach party tried not only to prove its ownposition, but at the same time to demolishthat of the other.

To my mind, the age of controversy settlednothing, nor did the religious wars itprecipitated. Particularly in matters ofconscience, human beings cannot be forcedor imposed upon for an indefinite length oftime. Yet there remains the temptation tofall back on such inhuman and 'finalsolutions'! History witnesses to numeroussuch instances, even into our own era.Today in a globalising world, conflictingeconomic interests are being interpreted asthe 'clash of civilisations' withirreconcilable religious world views. In aunipolar world, such an understanding onlyinvites the dominant cultures to suppress orassimilate the subaltern ones.

Repression and force make for unstable andpotentially violent situations. In our worldtoday, pluralism is an inescapable given,

whether ideological, religious, orotherwise. In the modern world, we haveevolved a whole doctrine of humanfreedom and the dignity of the humanperson, but we have still a long way to goto make these a reality in the lives of ourpeople.

Differences are not only between theindividual and the group, but also betweengroups and peoples. Such differences at thelevel of the group can be even moreintractable and uncompromising than thoseat the individual level. Religion is certainlyone of the most primordial of these andfraught with a huge potential for explosiveconflict. We are still coming to terms withthe implications of religious freedom andcultural rights for different groups within asingle society. We are beginning to realisethat uniformity is not the only or the mostcreative response to difference. It oftenforces differences underground and whendivisions disappear at one level theyreappear at another, often in even moredivisive and volatile expressions. Nor ismere co-existence a viable answer in anever-shrinking world.

Hence we are coming to value diversity assomething potentially enriching and evenuniting at a higher level of union. This iscertainly true of the rich religious traditionsof India, when they are not manipulated fornarrow political gain of subversive com-munal interests. Such an enriching unionmust inspire us as neighbours to reach outto each other in a common concern and inshared faith, a union that brings us togetherwith our differences into a unity indiversity, one that does not negate ourpeculiarities, but rather one that accepts andrespects, yes, even celebrates them.

In other words, the reality of pluralismtoday is not to be isolated as anunnecessary evil to be repressed before itengulfs us further, or tolerated as anecessary evil to be kept at a distance sinceit cannot be dismissed. Rather it is a

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challenge which will not go away. It mustbe constructively and creatively met or itwill exhaust and perhaps even destroy us.Nowhere is this truer than of religiousdifferences and diversity.

We cannot any more settle religiousdifferences within, much less between,religious traditions through violence andcontroversy. Too much blood and tearshave already been shed on this. The onlyway open for us now is that of toleranceand dialogue. No truly religious person candisagree with this. Only a fewfundamentalists would, those whosereligious world-view is closed andexclusive. With such as these we must stillexercise tolerance and attempt dialogue.But lest what we are urging seems naiveand simplistic we must clarify ourunderstanding of these concepts so that thelimits of tolerance and the conditions fordialogue can be addressed at some depth intheir complexity.

ToleranceIn our understanding, tolerance cannot havemerely a negative or passive meaning.Rather it must also imply an active andpositive response to coping with ourdifferences. Thus we can distinguish levelsof tolerance from reluctant forbearance tojoyful acceptance.

Following Raimundo Panikkar (Myth,faith and Hermeneutics, 1983), we candistinguish four levels of tolerance.

1) tolerance as a practical necessity, i.e.,bearing with a lesser evil for the sake of agreater good. This amounts to passivelyaccepting necessary evils, and is little morethan political pragmatism.

2) the realisation that the human grasp ofany truth is always partial and nevercomplete. Certainly this is true of religiousor revealed truth. Such a philosophicalrealisation makes us cautious inabsolutising our own 'truth,' and even more

so in rejecting that of those with whom wedisagree. From such philosophicallyfounded tolerance will come respect.

3) ethical or religious tolerance derivesfrom the moral imperative to love others,even those different from us, even ourenemies. This is far more demanding thanacceptance and respect at the earlier levelsof tolerance. Yet the different 'other herestill the 'object' of one's love. Such lovecan make us celebrate our differences, butit cannot overcome or transcend themcompletely in a higher unity.

4) "a mystical experience of tolerance".Here tolerance "is the way one being existsin another and expresses the radical inter-dependence of all that exists". In the finalanalysis, it is only this kind of mysticaltolerance that can overcome and transcendthe contradictions and conflicts betweenreligious traditions, bringing them into ahigher communion.

In each of these dimensions - the political,philosophical, religious, and mystical - wecan distinguish two levels of understanding,or rather pre-understanding. Ourcomprehension can be in terms of a more orless explicit meaning that is conceptuallygrasped or, in the context of pre-understanding, of implicit prejudgmentsand presumptions, in terms of ameaningfulness that can be onlysymbolically represented. These are thelevels of'myth' and 'ideology'.

From mythos to logosMyth is "the horizon of intelligibility or thesense of Reality" (ibid. p. 101). It isexpressed in the 'mythic narrative' with itsvaried themes and disclosed in the 'livingvoice, the telling of the myth'. In sum,"myth is precisely the horizon over againstwhich any hermeneutic is possible" (ibid.p.4). It is taken for granted, unquestioned,part of our preunderstanding, something weaccept in faith, as that dimension in Manthat corresponds to myth (ibid. p. 5).

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Once it is rationally articulated, myth isdemythicised and so is our faith, in a"passage from mythos to logos" (ibid. p.21) from myth to reason, as the articulatedconscious word. This then develops into an'ideology': "the more or less coherentensemble of ideas that make up criticalawareness, i.e., the doctrinal system thatenables you to locate yourself rationally...aspado-temporal system constructed by thelogos as a function of its concrete historicalmoment."

These distinctions have crucial implicationsfor our understanding and practice oftolerance. The more coherent and cogentthe articulation of an ideology is, the morelikely it is to reduce other understandings toits own terms, or reject them if they cannotbe fitted into its own horizons. Of course,we need ideologies, for we need toarticulate and rationalise our understandingin the various dimensions of humanexperience. But ideologies must be able toaccept such alternative understandings andopen themselves out into broader anddeeper perspectives. This must depend onthe myth, the preunderstanding, from whichit derives. The more extensive and intensethe myth's meaningfulness, the richer anddenser its symbolism, hence the more openand accommodating the ideology that canbe built on it.

We can conclude with Panikkar: thetolerance you have is directly proportionalto the myth you live and inverselyproportional to the ideology you follow[emphasis in the original] (ibid. p. 20.)What we need is a metanoia of our mythsto escape and be liberated from theparanoia of our ideologies - religious,political or other. Both myth and ideologyare found in all the abovementioneddimensions of tolerance, though there isobviously a greater affinity for ideology inpolitical and philosophical tolerance, asthere is for 'myth' in the religious andmystical dimensions.

Religious 'faith' is essentially at the pre-rational, not irrational, level of "myth",while religious 'theology' is necessarily atthe level of "ideology". This makes foragreater complexity and challenge in praxisas an action-reflection-action process, adialectical interaction between theory andpractice. It is our conviction that theconstructive potential of such a dialecticcan be fully realised only in a creativedialogue between myth and ideology. It isonly in the mutual encounter of myths thatthey are deepened and enriched, and it is inthe reciprocal exchange among ideologiesthat these become more open and refined.

Rudolf C. Heredia, S.J.

JEPASAAnnual 1997

In the first issue of theBulletin, we presentedthe final statement ondialogue of JEPASA,the organization ofSouth Asian Jesuits inparish ministry. Thoseinterested in learningmore about JEPASAcan find a variety ofinformation in thespecial JEPASA annualof 1997 entitledJEPASA Conception.Write to: Jerry Rosario,JEPASA Coordinator,Lazarus Church,Chennai 600 028,INDIA.

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RELIGIOUS FREEDOMAND HUMAN RIGHTS

It is almost a banality to talk about thenecessity for religious freedom in thecontemporary world. People discusscertain guarantees, legal standards of thatfreedom but freedom itself is not called intoquestion. Previous chairman of WCCNinan Koshy wrote that "not a day passeswithout some reference in the media toreligious freedom somewhere around theglobe".

Vatican II declared that "the human personhas a right to religious freedom", and thatthis right "has its foundation in the verydignity of the human person and thisdignity is known through the revealed wordof God and by reason itself. Jesuits areparticularly asked by Holy Father to makeinterreligious dialogue the apostolicpriority for the third millennium.

The General Congregation encourages allJesuits to promote peace, justice, harmonyand human rights, of which a big part is theinterreligious dialog. In the conclusion ofthe chapter "Our mission and interreligiousdialogue" in GC 34 Decrees, we read "ascompanions of Jesus sent into today'sworld, a world characterized by religiouspluralism, we have a special responsibilityto promote interreligious dialogue". Theopportunities for such a dialogue are many,not only in societies where manydenominations live together.

I would like to present one of thoseopportunities. It is a project of the Centerfor the Study of Human Rights at ColumbiaUniversity "Religion, human rights andreligious freedom".

The main aim is to promote collaborationbetween the world's religions and thecontemporary human rights movement,especially to help develop self-perpetuatinginstitutions that promote religiousinteraction in countries around the world.

The project organizes annual exchange andresearch programs for human rightsadvocates and religious figures. Theymostly come from Poland, Romania, theformer Yugoslavia and the former Sovietstates.

Each year there are nine funded fellows,appointed as visiting scholars at ColumbiaUniversity. The first part of the fellows'program consists of a four-month academiccomponent during which the participantsstudy religious freedoms and human rightsin their social context, together withnational and international standarts,policies and practices.

All participants are also required to take abasic course on human rights andinternational affairs as well as a course ona religious tradition other than their own.The academic courses are complemented byweekly training workshops on selectedadvocacy skills. Following the four-monthacademic program, the fellows disperse towork for three months with organizationsaround the world that specialize in religiousfreedom and religious tolerance.

In March, 1997, the Center for the Study ofHuman Rights organised in Budapest aSeminar on "Religious Organisations andthe Human Rights Movement". TheConference gathered together scholars,human rights activists and religious leaders.I, a Polish Jesuit was privileged to takepart.

Some of the topics of discussion were:equality and religious preferences, freedomto proselytize, recognition and registrationof religious organizations, selfdetermination and the right to secession ofreligious minorities under international law,legal advocacy and religious rights, socialaction and religious faith, churches,nongovernmental organizations and socialreform, protection of minority religions,aspects of tolerance, democracy in Islam,etc. (cont. p. 16)

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ilii

SPW-lnstitute for Creation ofSpiritual Consciousness in Politics and the Economy

Lasalle-Haus Bad Schonbrunn was acquired by Swiss Jesuits in 1929 and functioned asa center for spiritual exercises until it was rebuilt in 1970 as a site for various trainingprograms. In the 1994 the training center received a new function and a new name:Lasalle Haus. The Jesuit priest Hugo Enomiya Lasalle (1898-1990), a Zen teacher withan intimate knowledge of Christian spirituality, was known as a mediator between Easterand Western thinking. His work among the poor in Tokyo and the creation of a Churchof Word Peace in Hiroshima are examples of his devotion to the cause of justice andpeace in the world. The name "Lasalle" thus evokes the central goals of the program atBad Schonbrunn. The Lasalle-Haus program is based on three time-tested spiritual paths,each with a rich tradition: spiritual exercises, Zen and contemplation. Here are ways thatdo not simply lead to a passive inwardness. Instead they lead us back to the "marketplace" of everyday life, finding their fulfillment in social action. These aspects receive clearemphasis as central themes in our fasting and healing courses as well as in the activitiesof the newly founded Institute for Creation of Spiritual Consciousness in Politics andthe Economy.Tasks and Aims of the ISPW: I) Create guidelines for dialogue and help people -regardless of their religious beliefs - to put these guidelines into practice in everyday life.2) Hold regular symposia and conferences which encourage dialogue among religionsand among nations.3) Work toward a culture which encourages dialogue among religions.4) Make people awake of tfie need for a world ethos and aid them in realizing that ethos.With the founding of the Institute for Creation of Spiritual Consciousness in Politics andthe Economy, we wish to supply more room for the matter of interreligious spiritualitywhile also doing justice to its political, economic and ecological dimensions. The institutehopes to make a contribution to a spiritual-cultural transformation without which, in ouropinion, the urgent problems at the beginning of the 2 Ith century cannot be solved.

ISPW Lasalle-Haus Bad Schonbrunn CH-6313 Edilbach/Zug, SwitzerlandTel. 041 -757.14.14 - Fax 041 -757.14.13

G.E.X.E. -Christian-Jewish Ecumenical Group

G.E.X.E. began in Milan, Italy, as a study and documentation center. Its purpose is to promote, ina climate of respect and free discussion, mutual knowledge, understanding, and friendship betweenthe Christian and Jewish worlds. This is done by the organization of meetings, conferences, roundtable discussions, study seminars, courses, and the promotion, publication and diffusion ofresearch, acta, documents and bulletins. G.E.X.E. has a specialized library of more than 4800volumes, various archives open to scholars and interested persons.

G.E.X.E., Via Leone XIII, 12 - 20145 Milano - Tel. 02/480.1 I 1.79 Fax 02/4800.9979

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Interreligious Dialogue and theIrish School of Ecumenics

Readers of the CG 34 decrees and of lesuits in Dialogue: The InterreligiousDimension, may be asking themselves where to go either for a Sabbatical or for a fourthyear of Theology in order to study Interreligious Dialogue. One answer among othersis The Irish School of Ecumenics (ISE), Milltown Park, Dublin 6, Ireland.What are the disadvantages in going to ISE? The main one is that Ireland is a countrywhose culture is predominantly Christian: but jews and Muslims are increasinglysignificant minorities, especially in Dublin.

What advantages are there in going to ISE?1) Founded in 1970 it has many years of experience already behind it and InterreligiousDialogue is part of the programme.2) It is affiliated with Trinity College, Dublin (Dublin University) and therefore can offerthe postgraduate degree of M. Phil. For 12 month's study.3) It also offers courses in Ecumenism and in Peace Studies. So three of the mainfeatures of the CG 34 vision are included in the ISE programme. In ISE the study of'interreligious dialogue', although distinct from, is integrated with the study ofEcumenism and with Peace Studies. According to its Mission Statement ISE 'exists topromote...the unity of Christians, dialogue between religions and work for peace andjustice in Ireland and abroad'.4) ISE is Jesuit in origin and continues to be Jesuit-linked: the Irish Jesuit Provincial is aTrustee and President of Academic Council.5) The student body is international and interdenominational and small (56 in theacademic year 1996-7).6) the programme includes a fieldwork component as well as classwork and researchwork.7) There is the opportunity of visits to Northern Ireland (only a few hours away by roador rail or bus) to see how in conflict situations religion is often part of the problem andhow it can become part of the solution.

Michael Hurley, S.J.

if

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*Seva Niketan"Even before the mandate of GC 34, Seva Niketan foresaw the significance of the interreligiousapostolate. Conducting various interreligious seminars and workshops, Seva Niketan is paving wayto take upthis workas its regional apostolic expression. The future challenge lies in getting to knowand love the religious cultures of our Muslim brothers and sisters who are the majority surroundingSeva Niketan. Our "magis" beckons us saying: "You may know them but have you loved them andseved them enough?"

Seva Niektan - Sir J.J. Rd., Byculla - Mumbai, India, 400-008Tel. 30.92.934 - Fax: 3093257

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The situation in the East-Central Europe isnot united in the matter of religiousfreedom. This freedom is mostly securedthrough the special bills. These laws, whichdefinitely break away from the years ofrepressive and anti-religious actions,revolve around three key concepts: thefreedom of conscience, the secularity of thestate and the equality of religiousorganizations. With their newly acquiredlegal status , religious organizations nowhave the right to exist legally as well associally through the possibility to contract,to engage in legal actions and, mostimportantly, to own property. Difficultiesexist on the juridical and social level, e.g.certain imprecision in the terms of law,wide interpretation, delay in theadministrative procedures in theregistrations of foreign religiousorganizations, lack of balance betweencertain denominations after Stalin terror,different restrictive regulations in thematter of foreign missionaries. The clergyis not always able to undertake a dialogue.The critical financial position of indigenouschurches contrasts with better possibilitiesof foreign missionaries.

In the former Soviet countries the problemsare: excessive dependence of the Church onthe protective walls drawn by the state, lackof an Orthodox theological response to thechallenge of democracy and human rights,the problem of strict Orthodox values notopen to change.

Big problems have been noticed in theUkraine. Should churches which are inopposition to Ukrainian independence andactively advocate the reunion with Russiabe tolerated equally with those which areloyal to Ukrainian independence?Polish problems concentrate on the state-church relations (guarantees of religiousfreedom in preparing the constitution, otherbills, recognition by the Parliament ofconcordat with Vatican) as well as equalityof opportunity of other denominations inthe Catholic-dominated country.

Sharing and discussions during theconference showed differences in mentality,vocabulary, ways of describing of theproblems connected with common humanneeds: the need for freedom of conscienceand its external aspects. The Center for theStudy of Human Rights has specialists ofinternational law and legal standards ofreligious freedom. It is a pity that dialogueof religious experience and theologicalexchange are weak.

Dariusz Dankowski, S.J.

MUSLIM-CHRISTIAN RELATIONS:a view from Zimbabwe

As you approach Kwekwe you could beexcused for thinking you are no longer inZimbabwe but in Zanzibar. An impressivemosque bestrides the road. We hear thatIslam is increasing rapidly in Africa yetfigures do not suggest any immediate take-over of the continent. One might expectthat Burkina Faso, on the rim of the Sahara,would be 80 or 90 percent Muslim. In factit is 35%. In Chad it is 46%. In Kenya 7%.Yet it is true that Islam is spreading itsmessage further and further south in Africa.Little mosques, like the one on the way toSt Monica's in Seke, are appearing in citiesand towns.

There are 850 million Muslims in theworld, mostly in a great swath of the earthfrom Dakar in Senegal to Davao in thePhilippines. What are our feelings aboutIslam? And, more specifically for ourpresent purpose, what are the implicationsfor us as Christians of the assertivepresence of Islam in Africa? What of Islamand our question about relations withChristianity? Muhammad had a specialaffection for Jesus. The Qur'an says:"Those who are nearest in love to believers(Muslims) are those who say 'we are Chris-tians". It was a Christian monk, Bahira,who predicted that Muhammad would be a

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prophet and when Muslims were beingpersecuted in Mecca, Muhammad sentthem to Christian Ethiopia for protection.

If I say the choice is between confrontationand dialogue I give the game away. It wasnot always so simple. In 732, the Frankshalted the Islamic advance into Europe inthe battle of Tours, and in 846 Muslimpirates looted St Peter's in Rome. After afew centuries' lull, the Christians launchedtheir unsuccessful crusades to wrest backthe Holy Places and on the reboundMuslims took Constantinople in 1453. Intheir follow through they were halted at thegates of Vienna and at sea at Lepanto in1571. Yet it was not all war. Mathematics,astronomy and philosophy in Europe allreceived new life through the Arab scholarsof the middle ages. These scholars made agreat contribution to the learning that latercame to shape the enlightenment and theindustrial revolution.

Yet to come to the present, and to befaithful to the Council and ourcongregations, is to come to dialogue.There are two sorts of dialogue: one with ahidden agenda and one without. If I enterinto dialogue with another with the attitudethat, not today, not tomorrow, but some dayI will change that person to my point ofview, then is it really dialogue? But if Ienter with deep respect for that person'sown way to God, searching to understandmyself and perhaps helping him or her todiscover more the riches of their tradition,then I am in dialogue. Von Hugel oncesaid. "I never want to convert any soul thatis practising in good faith the religion itpossesses, I only want to deepen andstrengthen what that soul has already got".

My fundamental attitude is that we haveone Father and as he draws us to himself healso draws us closer to one another. Howand when is not my task, but his. "Werealise that God, who wants all people to besaved, leads believers of all religions to theharmony of the reign of God in ways

known only to him." There is a wholeparagraph in GC 34 on dialogue withMuslims which notes St Ignatius' ownrelationship with them at Manresa and inJerusalem. "The experience of Jesuits whohave approached Muslims with preparation,knowledge and respect has often shownthat a fruitful dialogue is possible".

Sometimes contact is difficult. Recently Imet a Jesuit from West Africa who said aMuslim boy will promise a Christian girl hewants to marry that she will enjoy completereligious freedom. But when they marrypressure from his family leads to theerosion of this freedom.

In our respect for Islam and other faiths arewe losing sight of our belief in Jesus as theunique saviour? Quite the contrary;"genuine dialogue with believers of otherreligious requires that we deepen our ownChristian faith and commitment, since realdialogue takes place only between thoserooted in their own identity" This is nofootball game where there is only onewinner. We are totally out of the realm ofcompetition. "Jesus leads us in our faith".Where we will reach is no clearer than itwas for Abraham when he "set out withoutknowing where he was going."

I end with part the testament of one of themurdered Trappist monks who so loved theMuslims among whom he lived out hisreligious life. He was one who really liveddialogue who saw Muslims not as threats orcompetitors but as fellow pilgrims. Thissurely is the key to dialogue.

If it should happen one day - and it could be today-that I become a victim of the terrorism which nowseems ready to encompass all the foreigners livingin Algeria,I would like my community, my Church, my family,to remember that my life was given to God and tothis country.I ask them to accept that the One Master of all lifewas not a stranger to this brutal departure.My life has no more value than any other.Nor any less value.

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In any case, it has not the innocence of childhood.I have lived long enough to know that I share in theevil which seems, alas, to prevail in the world,even in that which would strike me blindly.I should like, when the time comes, to have a clearspace which would allow rne to beg forgiveness ofGodand of all my fellow human beings,and at the same time to forgive with all my heartthe one who would strike me down.

I could not desire such a death.

I do not see, in fact, how I could rejoiceif this people I love were to be accusedindiscriminately of my murder.It would be to pay too dearly for what will,perhaps, be called "the grace of martyrdom",to owe it to an Algerian, whoever he may be,especially if he says he is acting in fidelity to what hebelieves to be Islam.I know the scorn with which Algerians as a wholecan be regarded.I know also the caricature of Islam which a certainkind of idealism encourages.It is too easy to give oneself a good conscienceby identifying this religious way with thefundamentalist ideologies of the extremists.For me, Algeria and Islam are something different:they are a body and a soul.I have proclaimed this often enough, I believe, inthe sure knowledge of what I have received.I find there so often that true strand of the Gospellearnt at my mother's knee, my very first Church.

My death, clearly, will appear to justify those whohastily judged me naive or idealistic:"Let him tell us now what he thinks of it!"But these people must realise that my most avidcuriosity will then be satisfied.This is what I shall be able to do, if God wills,immerse my gaze in that of the Father,to contemplate with him his children of Islam justas he sees them,all shining with the glory of Christ,the fruit of his Passion, filled with the Gift of theSpirit, whose secret joy will always be toestablish communion and to refashion the likeness,delighting in the differences.

David Harold-Barry, S.J.,excerpted from Mukai, Harare, Zimbabwe

A MESSAGE TO BUDDHISTS:

\. It gives me great pleasure, as Presidentof the Pontifical Council for InterreligiousDialogue, to present to you once again myheartfelt greetings on the occasion ofVesakh, the feast which commemoratesgreat events in the life of GautamaSiddartha Buddha2. This feast of Vesakh offers anopportunity for Christians to visit theirBuddhist neighbours and friends toexchange greetings, and this helps tostrengthen bonds of friendship that alreadyexist and to create new ones. This annualmessage thus becomes like a bridgebetween Buddhists and Christians which isconstantly being built and consolidated. Ithank God for this and pray, on my part,that the relations between Christians andBuddhists may continue to grow stronger.3. In three years time people all over theworld will be celebrating the coming of anew millennium. For Christians the GreatJubilee of the Year 2000 will commemoratethe Birth of Jesus Christ. For us, as PopeJohn Paul II has said, "this time ofexpectation is a time of reflection, invitingus to make an assessment, as it were, ofmankind's journey in the sight of God, theLord of history". Echoing this call of HisHoliness, I would like to invite Buddhistsand Christians to set out together on a truepilgrimage of peace. Starting from theconcrete situation in which we findourselves, let us seek peace along the pathsqfforgiveness by drawing upon the genuinepatrimony of our religious traditions.4. Time and again the Dhammapadareminds us of Buddha's words which areinspired by the logic of non-violence,compassion and love. He says, "Amongthose -who hate, blessed are we who livewithout hatred; in the midst of people whohate, we remain free from hatred" (Dh.197); and again, "the winner engendershatred and the loser dwells in distress;

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peaceful man rests tranquil abandoningsimultaneously both winning and losing(Dh. 201).5. Amidst the situations in our worldmarked by revenge, violent hatred anddestructive wars we need to encouragepeople to ask and grant forgiveness becauseit is by its nature liberating. "Forgiveness,in its truest and highest form, is a free act oflove. But precisely because it is an act oflove, it has its own intrinsic demands: thefirst of which is respect for the truth...Where lies and falsehood are sown, theresuspicion and division flourish... Anotheressential requisite for forgiveness andreconciliation is justice...There is nocontradiction between forgiveness andjustice. Forgiveness neither eliminates norlessens the need for the reparation whichjustice requires, but seeks to integrateindividuals and groups into society, andStates into the community of Nations"(Pope John Paul II, Message for the WorldDay of Peace, \ January 1997). Could wewho belong to the Buddhist and Christiancommunities not meet more often in orderto remind our respective members of theimportant contribution all are called tomake to world peace by becoming peopleof compassion and forgiveness?6. While extending to you, on behalf ofthe Catholics in the world, cordial wishesof peace and joy, I renew the expression ofmy friendship.

Francis Cardinal ArinzePresident of the PCID

DIALOGUE IN LEBANON:A REVIEW ARTICLE

Recent years have seen a plethora ofarticles on dialogue in the Lebanese press,and regular colloquia on dialogue in severalof the villages and cities of Lebanon. Theword dialogue has suddenly becomefashionable, not only in appeals forinstalling a democratic process, but also inarranging Christian-Muslim relations.

Lebanon has a permanent committee forChristian-Muslim dialogue, which firstappeared in the framework of the GeneralSecretariat of the Islamic Spiritual Summit.Later, in August, 1993, in Bkerke, some ofthe same persons appear in an enlargedcommittee for Christian-Muslim Dialogue.The Eastern Catholic Patriarchs have beenactive in this line also. The preparationsfor the Synod on Lebanon included anIslamo-Christian dialogue committee, andthe Final Message of the Synod stronglysupported dialogue.

A new work in Arabicon Christian-Muslim dialogue

Recently, a new book on dialogue appearedin Beirut which merits consideration. Iwould like to present an overview toindicate how dialogue is conceived inBeirut at present.

The word dialogue was not always asacceptable as it is today. When theUniversity of St. Joseph formed an Institutefor Islamo-Christian Studies, it avoided theterm dialogue because Muslim participantsfelt it was a loaded word which mightcreate misunderstanding. In 1971,Fr.Youakim Moubarac published LesMusulmans: consultation islamo-chretienne (Beauchesne, Paris) in whichseven Muslim intellectuals from NorthAfrica, Egypt, Iran, and India replied toquestions concerning relations withChristians. One respondent considered thatdialogue was for the Christian consciencewhat cooperation was for former colonialistcountries: a new language adopted to thepost-colonialist situation (p. 121).

Now dialogue is proposed as a necessityand, in the volume under consideration, theinitiative comes from Muslims.

An Authoritative ReadingChristian Muslim Relations: anauthoritative reading of history, the presentand the future (Beirut: Center for StrategicStudies, Research and Documentation). The

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book is conceived in a line somewhatsimilar to that of Fr. Moubarac, but theinitiative comes from the Center forStrategic Studies, Research andDocumentation in Beirut, closely tied to theIranian Embassy.

The editor of the volume, Samir Sulayman,conceives that the new world situation putsIslam and Christianity, with their heavenlylaws and their system of organizationemanating from a divine source, in con-frontation with the Occident with itsmaterialistic model of society. Thus, theaim of dialogue becomes rapprochement inorder to wage the battle together.

The result did not come up to hisexpectations. The Christians, he says,attack. They refuse the classic Islamiccharges of infidelity (kufr) anddeformation of their scriptures (tahrif), theyrefuse to be 'protected' people (dhimmis)and they refuse an Islamic state. He findsthe Muslim contributions more defensiveand evaluative.

Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Fadlallah andBishop Khidr both have brief paragraphs ina mystic vein in which one regards theother with a spiritual perception whichdissolves differences.

Fadlallah states that when the believer,Muslim or Christian, lives in a state ofspiritual ardor, divine love and lofty faith inopenness to God, differences betweenpeople melt away and all the manifestationsof life become manifestations of thegreatness of God and a locus of His grace.Creatures, all creatures, are for himmembers of God's families (p. 33).

Bishop Khidr holds that those who fearGod and follow his guidance with a soulthirsting for the truth speak of theguidelines of truth they havewitnessed...This is the dialogue of thepeople of perceptivity following the path toGod, marching in His steps wherever they

may lead. "If I be permitted a Sufi term, itis an aspect of the 'union of witness'. Ifthey grasp the Lordship of God, they graspimmediately those who belong to Him.These all are Muslims according to theQuranic term, or they are the body of Christaccording to the New Testament term (p.205).

Muhammad Husayn FadlailahMuhammad Husayn Fadlallah tries to putthe problem of Christian-Muslim relationswhere he considers they belong. There isno crisis between Islam and Christianity.He claims that in Lebanon "we try to limitthe world to our view," as if the onlyproblem were Islamic integrism. TheLebanese have to realize that the worldsituation is as harmful for Christianity as itis for Islam (p 31). The Islamic Movementis not even 1% anti-Christian; Christianspose no problem save in Lebanon andSudan (p 53).

The real question is a not Islam againstChristianity. It is rather a human question:strong against weak, rich against poor,north against south. Certain powers try topose the problem as one between amoderate Islam and an extremist Islam.The danger is that Christian-Muslim rela-tions may enter the international game ofpolitics where they will be used to exploitold differences.

Here we can grasp the aim of dialogue forMuhammad Husayn Fadlallah: to plan aninternational Islamic-Christian movementto confront Arrogance (the Shi'ite term forimperialism). This Arrogance - political,cultural, economic, security - presses downthe weak (p 39). Consequently, planningfor complementarity or coordination amongbelievers to confront cases of injustice inthe region and the world will make themeeting of Islam and Christianity a vitalquestion (p 41).

Faced with the harsh reality of the worldtoday, Fadlallah is for open discussion -

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thought (fikr) confronting thought - inorder to face together the wicked West.With a notion that recalls liberationtheology, he holds that Christians shouldnot protest against political jihad, for this isprecisely what will convince simplebelievers that religion has their interests atheart. Moreover, the Pope acts like anyother politician; there is no excuse,however, for his recognition of Jerusalem.Muhammad Husayn Fadlallah makes a keypoint which could easily be put down as aprecondition for dialogue: believers whoare aware and educated should revise theway in which they arouse religioussensibilities among their co-believers,because there is such a thing as spiritualviolence which can lead people to give anarrow interpretation to texts which are, infact, open (p 34).

Thanks to our secretaryWe are grateful that many of you havewritten us to acknowledge the first issueof the Bulletin and some have commentedon its attractive, readable appearance.Most of the responsibility for this is dueto our secretary, Sonia Berri. Sonia wasbom in Madrid but has lived almost all herlife in Italy. Sonia has a degree inExperimental Scientific Informatics and,before coming to work for ourSecretariat, worked at the PontificalCouncil for Interreligious Dialogue in theVatican.

He considers that dialogue can beapproached on two levels:1. study jointly the movement of conceptsin the popular imagination. PopularChristian consciousness of the divinity ofChrist may be quite different from thephilosophical concept of theologians. Sotoo, popular Muslim belief in intercessionmay be quite other than the doctrine of theulama.2. Each should try to grasp the culture ofthe other from texts. He sees no problem in

one interpreting the texts of the other (p.35) because dialogue is not makingconcessions nor is it avoiding sensitivepoints (p 41): it is thought confrontingthought - or, thought meeting thought.

Parallel with this confrontation anddiscussion of differences, the two partiescould teach morality in a unifiedframework. There is the problem ofjustice/injustice; freedom/servitude;arrogance/ weakness (p. 39). In theseareas, there is no doubt but thatcomplementarity and coordination add avital dimension to dialogue (p. 41).

Ridwan al-SayyidAl-Sayyid reviews the history of Islamic-Christian dialogue. In the 1950s and 60s,Western Protestants tried to win Muslims totheir side in the fight against Communism.In the late 60s and 70s, the focus becamesocial problems. Now in the 80s and 90s,the focus is human rights. The Muslims,however, are still stuck in social problems,and Palestine and Muslim minorities are atthe heart of dialogue for them.

He notes a certain development. From the50s up through the 80s, dialogue bore anofficial stamp, save perhaps in Lebanon.Church delegations would come and meetwith official Islamic parties. The Christianparticipants would be specialists in Islamand academicians. On the Islamic side,there was no knowledge of Christianity.The Muslims would cite verses from theQur'an that were favorable to People of theBook and then go home. Many wouldnever admit that they had participated insuch an encounter. Now the Christianswho participate have an anthropologicalrather than an Orientalist approach, andparticipating Muslims know Westernculture, but they still lack a knowledge ofthe developments in Christian theology.

Through all this there is one constant: theMuslim desire to have Christians recognizeIslam as an authentic revealed religion.

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Islamic power was able to quench the sparkof Christian politics throughout the East,but it could not get recognition as a religionin the Abrahamic context in which it putitself.

Because Muslims still crave recognition,whenever a hated Orientalist sayssomething good about Islam, Muslims grabhold of it. They still have need of dialogue,which is a form of recognition. He con-siders, however, that dialogue is possibleonly with Western Christians becauseEastern Christians have their ownproblems. Moreover, the West is wherepolitical decisions are made. Muslims andEastern Christians are both lacking in self-criticism, which is a block to dialogue.Syriac Christians are on the point ofextinction and the Orthodox are caughtbetween nationalism and the revival of non-national authenticity with other Orthodoxin Eastern Europe.

With rather uncommon vision, he sees thatdialogue and communication are necessarytoday more than ever to face the changestaking place in human society. He ends onthis note: Change will burn us all, so let itbe conscious and controlled (p. 70).

The essays of Fahmi Huwaydi and SamiMukaram have value as revealing theattitudes and positions of an Egyptianjournalist who dines at all tables and of aDruze university professor, but they do nottouch on vital points. The essays of TariqMitri and William Qalawah focus onhistory, which is certainly of interest. Theformer presents historic relations with judg-ment; the latter is victim of a conspiratorialreading of Egyptian history, and is muchtoo long (over 100 pages in a book of 362pages).

Of greater interest are the reactions ofBishops Khidr and Bustros, GreekOrthodox and Greek Catholic, neither ofwhom hesitates to enter into publicdiscussion with Muslim religious figures.

Bishop George KhidrWe have already referred to Khidr's mysticvision of a society where believers graspthe Lordship of God and can say 'I,' 'y°u>

and 'we' in a free society - people of theearth with one destiny. Echoing, in a sense,the reflection of Ridwan al-Sayyid, Khidrconsiders that the aim of dialogue is not topierce through the defenses of the other.Quite the contrary, the aim is for each tobreak out of his historical heritage. Hetouches a sensitive point (p. 212) when hereflects that he can repent for the history ofhis religion and ask pardon for the faultscommitted in the name of religion. Hehopes that the Muslim can do the same.

Khidr considers that free discussionbetween Christians and Muslims will not bepossible until Islamic countries reach adegree of economic prosperity andintellectual creativity similar to that in theWest. In Abbasid times, free discussionwas possible because Muslims had noinferiority complex. Today he knows of noplace or system where free discussion ispossible other than in Western democracy.Possibly the period of the MedinaConstitution was similar.

The attitude which reigns in Westerndemocracy is that which should be adoptedin Islamic countries. With completefreedom, the Christians in the East wouldhave no problem accepting Islamic civiliza-tion; they would be sincere citizensengaged in the dialogue of life striving forspiritual perfection and the formation of thenew man (p. 208).

He has no interest in discussing elements ofIslamic rule, but he would like to beassured that there be no application ofhudud punishments to non-Christians, nojizyah or the like, and that Islamists notarrive at power by violence. Nor does heaccept arguments about tahrifwA Christianbelief because the Qur'an says so. TheMuslims have to start applying textualcriticism. He understands why Muslims

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prefer to dialogue with the West; that iswhere political decisions are made. Butdialogue without Eastern Christians will beincomplete. Christian Arabs feelmarginalized.His inventory is rather bleak, but he stillhopes for a time when there will be anumma of Muslims and a church ofChristians practicing brotherhood in a waywhich assures each that he is at home.

Bishop BustrosBishop Bustros is less nuanced. He statesfrom the beginning that the future cannotbe like the past. The Christians of todayare not the Nasara of the Qur'an. The onlyway there can be dialogue is for Muslims todecide that what is in the Qur'an is not atrue expression of what Christians believe.The Muslims have to stop telling Christiansthat their Gospel was deformed.

He refers frequently to Church documentsand, in the spirit of Vatican II, he is willingto focus on common points: unity of God,Creator, Prophets, morals. He appeals tothe role of Christians in shaping Arabcivilization, and he is ready to work withbelieving Muslims in completing God'screation and protecting the honor of man.But he will not discuss an Islamic state.

Bishop Bustros labels as naive one ofFadlallah's favorite themes, that whileChristians have no revealed system ofsocial organization, Muslims do; therefore,Christians should be as open to discussionabout an Islamic state as they are todiscussion of a socialist or a liberal state.Christians, he states, do not accept thatthere are revealed systems; they considerthe Islamic system medieval and static, andthey cannot coexist with it. How can wepossibly build a state with suchcontradictory mentalities? He closes byciting the Greek Catholic declaration of 25September 1985, listing the presuppositionsfor resolving the Lebanese crisis: unity,freedom, and accord.

There are many points of interestoverlooked in this brief review. Thevolume is a success in as much as severalclearly expressed how they and their sidewant to be considered, but the project ofrapprochement on the basis of a 'system ofdivine origin' presented in the Introductionfound no resonance among the Christianparticipants. The political aims of thepersons chosen to speak for the Christianscoincide neither with those of the editor ofthe volume nor of Muhammad HusaynFadlallah. In other contexts, it is possiblethat political criticisms of the present stateof the world might converge, but oncepolitics is framed in symbolism which iscompletely Islamic, there is little wonderthat it finds no resonance among Christians.

Yet, it is possible that a volume like thiscould be a step towards realizing thatframes of thought have to be broadened ifdialogue is to be really serious.

John Donahue, S.J.

DON'T HIDEYOUR LIGHT

UNDER A BARREL!

WRITE and tell us how youare involved in dialogue, theresearch you are working on,the activities of your dialoguegroup, the vision of yourdialogue center. You can alsosend us a photo. Perhapsyour experience and initiativewill inspire others!

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