Tag: interfaith

The Seven Dimensions of Ninian Smart

Ninian Smart (1927 – 2001), Professor of Comparative Religions at the University of California and Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at the University of Lancaster, England, suggested that there are certain aspects or dimensions of religion. In ‘The World’s Religions’ (Cambridge 1989), Smart suggested that there were seven dimensions:

  • The Practical and Ritual Dimension
  • The Experiential and Emotional Dimension
  • The Narrative or Mythic Dimension
  • The Doctrinal and Philosophical Dimension
  • The Ethical and Legal Dimension
  • The Social and Institutional Dimension
  • The Material Dimension

via BBC – h2g2 – Religion – An Introduction.

Nostra Aetate

The Church, therefore, exhorts her sons, that through dialogue and collaboration with the followers of other religions, carried out with prudence and love and in witness to the Christian faith and life, they recognize, preserve and promote the good things, spiritual and moral, as well as the socio-cultural values found among these men.

via Declaration on the Relation of the Church to non-christian religions – Nostra Aetate.

In the context of the Second Vatican Council, His Holiness Pope Paul VI made the proclaimation “Nostra Aetate” on October 28, 1965. It ends with those words:

No foundation therefore remains for any theory or practice that leads to discrimination between man and man or people and people, so far as their human dignity and the rights flowing from it are concerned.

The Church reproves, as foreign to the mind of Christ, any discrimination against men or harassment of them because of their race, color, condition of life, or religion. On the contrary, following in the footsteps of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, this sacred synod ardently implores the Christian faithful to “maintain good fellowship among the nations” (1 Peter 2:12), and, if possible, to live for their part in peace with all men, so that they may truly be sons of the Father who is in heaven.

Various Religious Views about Organ Donations

One common concern people have regarding organ and tissue donation is how their individual religion feels about donation and transplantation. Most religions support donation as an act of giving and caring. Outlined below are brief descriptions of the viewpoints from various denominations.

via Lifeline of Ohio » Religious Views.

Icelandic Unitarians

From its beginnings in 1886 until its gradual decline following World War II, nearly thirty Icelandic Unitarian congregations were organized in Western Canada, the Upper Midwest and Washington state. At its peak in the 1930s, there were eighteen active churches and preaching stations.

via Icelandic Unitarians.

The influence Unitarians had in Iceland and the number of Icelanders in North America that became Unitarians is not well known. Here is an attempt to give some overview.

Islam

Another visit during my stay in Detroit was to a mosque in Dearborn and a visit to an American Arab museum. The fact that not all Arabs are Muslims and not all Muslims are Arabs is obvious but very often forgotten. The website www.discoverislam.com offers some helpful information about the faith. In the context of the US, a fatwa from July 2005 is very important:

Islam strictly condemns religious extremism and the use of violence against innocent lives. There is no justification in Islam for extremism or terrorism. Targeting civilians’ life and property through suicide bombings or any other method of attack is haram – or forbidden – and those who commit these barbaric acts are criminals, not “martyrs.”
The Qur’an, Islam’s revealed text, states: “Whoever kills a person [unjustly]…it is as though he has killed all mankind. And whoever saves a life, it is as though he had saved all mankind.” (Qur’an, 5:32)

Prophet Muhammad said there is no excuse for committing unjust acts: “Do not be people without minds of your own, saying that if others treat you well you will treat them well, and that if they do wrong you will do wrong to them. Instead, accustom yourselves to do good if people do good and not to do wrong (even) if they do evil.” (Al-Tirmidhi)

via Fatwa against Terror (PDF).

Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion

When I attended a course in Detroit in 2008, we meet with representatives from various groups that are trying to change the life of individuals and communities for the better. An example of that is:

We work to address inequity throughout our region through a process of recognition, reconciliation and renewal.  We strive to build relationships that create social justice and build sustainable inclusive communities.

via Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion.

We focused especially on interfaith issues and how the conversation has changed over relatively short time. A resource to look at in the context of interfaith is Interfaith Heroes.

Others do who have no hope*

But we do not want you to be uninformed, dear siblings, about those who have fallen asleep, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.

One must wonder whom Paul refers to “others do who have no hope.” I think it is hardly possible to claim that all outside the realm of the Christian world are without hope. At least if the hope is related to an afterlife. One way to deal with the hopeless others is trying to explain that hope means something more specific or something different than hope, however I am not going there.

The other way to make sense of this is if “the others” is not an attempt by Paul to refer to everyone outside the circle of Christians. If that is the case we are left to figure out who they are this specific group of “the others” in verse 13. We can assume that they were a group known to the Congregation in Thessaloniki. I think Abraham J. Malherbe is on to something in his commentary, when he refers to De Witt, and claims that the others without hope are possibly Epicureans (Malherbe 283).

I would consider this especially intriguing in light of another reference to that group earlier in the fourth chapter where Paul seems to take their philosophy at a face value. If we accept that “the others who do not have hope” are in fact Epicureans, Paul seems to be making the argument that we should behave like them in our daily life, but when it comes to dying and grieving, we part company.
—
Bibliography: Malherbe, Abraham J. The Letters to the Thessalonians: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. New York: Doubleday, 2000.

* This note is from an exegetical paper on I. Thess. 4.13-18

The History of the icon of Panagia Soumela – Pontos World

The existing icon of Panagia Soumela was iconographed by the Evangelist Luke who was both a physician and an iconographer. According to tradition, whenever Luke drew icons of Panagia, the Holy Mother was very pleased and blessed his works. Furthermore, she encouraged him to draw more icons. When Luke died, his disciple named Ananias, took the icon and transferred it to the Church in Athens dedicated to Panagia. The icon was venerated as Panagia Athiniotissa.

via The History of the icon of Panagia Soumela – Pontos World.

Jesus through Muslim eyes

I was in the beginning, and in the beginning was Poverty.
I died that bread may be eaten in my name; that they plant me in season.
How many lives will I live! For in every furrow of earth
I have become a future, I have become a seed.
I have become a race of men, in every human heart
A drop of my blood, or a little drop.
After they nailed me and I cast my eyes towards the city
I hardly recognised the plain, the wall, the cemetery;
As far as the eye could see, it was something
Like a forest in bloom. Wherever the vision could reach,
there was a cross, a grieving mother
The Lord be sanctified! This is the city about to give birth.

via BBC – Religion & Ethics – Jesus through Muslim eyes.

Talsmaður múslima

Eitt af vandamálum múslima víðast hvar í Evrópu er spurningin um talsmann. Það er ekki ljóst hver getur talað fyrir hönd hópsins. Það hefur leitt til þess að fjölmiðlar í leit að fréttum hafa skilgreint fyrir meginþorra fólks hver sé talsmaður og hver ekki. Þetta var eitt af félagslegum víddum Islam sem ég skoðaði í verkefni í Trúarbragðafræðum sem ég tók upp í Pontificium College Josephinum. Þar segi ég um stöðu talsmanna: Continue reading Talsmaður múslima