WB Companion Interreligious Di - Paperback

by Catherine Cornille (Editor)

This comprehensive volume brings together a distinguished editorial team, including some of the field's pioneers, to explore the aims, practice, and historical context of interfaith collaboration.

• Explores in full the background, history, objectives, and discourse between the leaders and practitioners of the world's major religions
• Examines relations between religions from around the world, moving well beyond the common focus on Christianity, to also cover over 12 major religions
• Features a wealth of case studies on contemporary interreligious dialogue
• Charts a long-term shift away from a competitive rivalry between belief systems, and a change in focus towards the more respectful, cooperative approach reflected in institutions such as the World Council of Churches
• Includes up-to-date commentary on the growing dialogue of recent years, written by some of the leading figures working in the field of interfaith discourse

Back Jacket

"The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Inter-Religious Dialogue is a landmark accomplishment that offers a definitive map of the terrain of a robust field and its growing literature. But the internationally recognized experts gathered herein do far more than report on the already known. This treasure trove of essays opens on to new vistas and poses vital questions that must be answered as scholars venture into terra incognita. Comprehensive, authoritative, creative and cutting-edge - this is a must-read collection for beginners and experts alike." John J. Thatamanil, Union Theological Seminary

In recent decades, the notion of dialogue has become increasingly common in describing the proper relationship between religions. Rather than competing with one another over territories, converts, or claims, religions have generally come to adopt a more conciliatory and constructive attitude toward one another, collaborating in social projects and exchanging views on common religious questions. This uniquely comprehensive volume brings together a distinguished group of scholars, including some of the field's pioneers, to explore the aims, practice, and historical context of inter-religious dialogue. It explores the engagement between a multitude of faiths around the world, from Shinto to Mormonism, separated either by geography or by their disparate ideas and practices.

The Companion examines a range of broad developments and issues including the history of dialogue, its pre-conditions, the relationship between dialogue and social action, and peace building. It combines this with a range of specific case studies exploring interactions between faiths. These include dialogues between Christians and Confucians, Muslims and the adherents of Africa's diverse faiths, and Jews and Hindus, amongst many others. Including up-to-date commentary on the growing engagement in recent years, it explores the important channels of communication now open between the scholars and practitioners of the world's religions.

Author Biography

CATHERINE CORNILLE is the Newton College Alumnae Chair and Professor of Comparative Theology at Boston College. Professor Cornille is a widely published authority in this field, whose books include Many Mansions? Multiple Religious Belonging and Christian Identity (2002), The Im-Possibility of Interreligious Dialogue (2008), Interreligious Hermeneutics (2010), and Meaning and Method in Comparative Theology (2020). She is also editor of the series "Christian Commentaries on non-Christian Sacred Texts."