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Document Details : Title: Dialogue with People of Other Faiths and the Question of the Uniqueness of Jesus Christ Author(s): ROBINSON, Gnana Journal: Studies in Interreligious Dialogue Volume: 16 Issue: 1 Date: 2006 Pages: 89-99 DOI: 10.2143/SID.16.1.2013493 Abstract : Due to the fast expansion of the process of globalization, the world is shrinking into a multireligious global village. Peace and harmony in the multireligious context is becoming a matter of great importance these days, and this is possible only through harmonious interfaith understanding achieved through constructive dialogue with people of other faiths. During the missionary era, Christianity claimed itself to be the only true religion, and therefore looked down upon all other religions as having no relevance for the life of people and fit only to be destroyed. However, the situation changed when the colonial yoke was broken and the missionary era came to an end. The hitherto suppressed non-Christian religions started reasserting their identities, claiming equality with Christianity. This demanded of Christianity a radical change in its missionary strategy and “dialogue with people of other faiths” was obviously one of the new strategies evolved. Attempts were made to accommodate other faiths within a Christian theological perspective and none of these could fully satisfy believers of all religions. What we need today is an open-ended paradigm that does not deny the centrality of Christ for the believer but is at the same time open to accepting people of other faiths as children of God with no discrimination. This calls for a theology of religions that sees people of other faiths also as the children of the only true God, whose revelation we have in Jesus Christ and whose loving concern is more towards those who are outside the fold than those who are within. Within the purview of a monotheistic faith, the question of the uniqueness of Jesus Christ becomes irrelevant, because we do not believe in the existence of any other divine being comparable with Jesus. |
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