Abstract:
In this paper, the need for interfaith dialogue in the contemporary world has been emphasized in the light of the rise of ISIS and other takfiri movements. This necessity has been understood both by political and religious authorities in the Shiite world and by Christian religious authorities. It will be shown that the central message of all Abrahamic religions is theism; that is, the worship of God and justice as opposed to egotism or self-worship. Then, it will be explained how, in the context of interreligious dialogue, relativism as opposed to realism is a main philosophical barrier, and exclusivism as opposed to inclusivism tends to be a major dogmatic barrier.
Machine summary:
83-94 The Necessity of Inter-Religious Dialogue and Its Philosophical and Dogmatic Obstacles Jafar Morvarid 1 Received: 25-03-2017 / Accepted: 29-06-2017 In this paper, the need for interfaith dialogue in the contemporary world has been emphasized in the light of the rise of ISIS and other takfiri movements.
One such example is a dialogue between Islam and Christianity and the forming of a society called Safa Khanah (literally, "the House of Happiness") in the multicultural and multi- religious city of Isfahan during the first decade of the twentieth century (Hasani 2014).
Today, mindful of the religiously plural contexts in which Christian life and witness is set within our world, we ask of ourselves: "Who do we say that we are?" Christians in every age have implicitly asked this question, for it is the point of deep self-reflection where, taking seriously the contemporary needs of witness and mission, we discover whose we are and whom we serve.
It is God who is the ‘host’ of salvation" [Religious Plurality and Christian self-understanding, WCC, 2005].
(World Council of Churches 2014, 12) Abraham, the Father of the Abrahamic Religions The Qur’an and Justice: In sacrificing his son Ismail (a), Ibrahim (a)—the father of Abrahamic religions—displayed his reliance on God and his obedience to Him. Instead of worshipping the self, he chose to worship God. If we do not accept fideistic interpretations of people like Kierkegaard and rationalistic interpretations of this event, we can still conclude that the reliance on God and the abandonment of selfishness is in the true essence of all monotheistic religions.
" (Qur’an 3:64) Thus, one of the prerequisites of religious dialogue is the rejection of sophistic relativism and the acceptance of Socratic realism.