In light of this, it would seem to be the same heresy to assert that one religion or another is somehow against God or Allah, or that the adherents of either religion are themselves un-Godly or outside of Allah's will and design. All peoples and all thoughts that these people hold, in other worse, must be seen as part and parcel of the same eternal and all encompassing divine being that is the source and substance of all creation, and thus the supposed divisions and differences between the adherents of Judaism and of Islam must be recognized as superficial and ultimately insignificant in face of the larger theological and divine cohesion that exists between them (Firestone 2008). Coming together for interfaith dialogue and action is a natural and holy endeavor within this perspective.
This is not to say that there are not differences in the theologies and beliefs of Islam and Judaism, of course, and there are in fact certain beliefs and conceptions that are significantly and fundamentally different (Firestone 2008). These differences do not make the mutual existence and prospering of the adherents of these two religions an impossibility, however, and there have been many periods and places of peaceful coexistence based on the foundational similarities of the pursuit of knowledge and the emphasis on proper behavior that is common to both Jews and Muslims (Firestone 2008). Building on these basic and extensive similarities rather than focusing on the differences in belief and practice as barriers to interfaith dialogue will lead to more effective and united interfaith dialogues that occur from the perspective of a truly shared origin and purpose, not simply borne out of the pragmatism and practical benefit of modern cooperation and tolerance.
Islam and Christianity
Many of the roots that are common between Judaism and Islam are also shared by Islam and Christianity, though this is more true of the histories shared by these two newer religions than their theologies (Chittister et al. 2007). The same histories of Abraham and tales of Genesis are foundational elements of both Christianity and Islam, even if Christianity is ultimately more concerned with belief than behavior in some of its central tenets (Firestone 2008). There are also other fundamental similarities between certain aspects of Islam and Christianity that make the bonds between these two religions and peoples even tighter.
Both Mohammed and Jesus spent periods of time alone in the wilderness before developing and delivering their ultimate views of truth and faith to their followers (Ayoub & Omar 2007). This shows a basic similarity in key points in the narratives of the Christian and Islamic religions, where revelations were arrived at and/or cemented during periods of isolation for the central human figures of these religions, through their direct and personal relationships with God/Allah (Ayoub & Omar 2007). This has several profound implications on both the shared narratives and the shared perspectives of Christianity and Islam, which are solid grounds for building interfaith dialogue and increasing the cooperation and collaboration between these religions. These fundamental similarities can also be used in a direct manner to overcome the barriers to interfaith dialogue that exist in the modern world. Such as disputed territories and less religious and historically-based conflicts.
Just as Judaism and Islam share a common view of God/Allah is individual, eternal, and all encompassing, Islam and Christianity share the concept of a very individual and personal connection with God/Allah to be achieved through introspection, solitude, and reflection (Ayoub & Omar 2007). This level of reflection and the...
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His Holiness the Dalai Lama has three main commitments, which guide his actions in the world. The first commitment is to exemplifying and encouraging humanistic, secular ethics—simply being a good human being. The second commitment is to interfaith dialogue and religious harmony. The third commitment is to the preservation and celebration of Tibetan culture. A considerable portion of the Dalai Lama’s work in the world is related to the second
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Though, Glass may very well be enlightened enough to do this, and nothing against him most people are only enlightened enough to take from each faith that which best meets their individual selfish idea of ambition. (PBS, American Masters; Philip Glass: GLASS: A Portrait of Philip Glass in Twelve Parts) in fact the synchronicity between this documentary and the article made me wonder if the ideas of the article
" It caused missionaries to deal with peoples of other cultures and even Christian traditions -- including the Orthodox -- as inferior. God's mission was understood to have depended upon human efforts, and this is why we came to hold unrealistic universalistic assumptions. Christians became so optimistic that they believed to be able to correct all the ills of the world." (Vassiliadis, 2010) Missiology has been undergoing changes in recent years
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