Part III An Overview of Part III: Inter-religious Education for Social Justice and Peace Marian de Souza

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1 Part III An Overview of Part III: Inter-religious Education for Social Justice and Peace Marian de Souza The chapters included in this part of the Handbook are considered here in foursubparts. The first six chapters, those of Afdal, Boschki, Altmeyer, Nipkow, Kamara and Cahill deal with issues and concepts general to inter-religious education and the promotion of justice and peace. The following five chapters, those of Engebretson, Lovat, Zwartz, Meijer and Albayrak, particularly focus on inter-religious education and Islam. The chapters of Filus, Kallarackal, Prinsloo and Puniyani are based on particular national contexts, while the final chapter by Bumbar analyses the role of inter-religious education in healing the differences between eastern and western Christianity. In the first chapter Afdal analyses the notion of tolerance, showing that it may be considered first as a thick or thin and second as a positive or negative concept. He then presents theories of tolerance, these being pre-modern (group but not necessarily individual tolerance), liberal (political and moral tolerance), procedural liberal tolerance, which insists on just procedure, substantial tolerance, which allow individuals to make their own choices and curbs activities that limit autonomy of choice, critical tolerance, which is biased for truth, freedom and liberation, communitarian tolerance and post-modern tolerance, which observes that reality is characterised by plurality. Finally the chapter identifies three different conceptions of tolerance: tolerance as forbearance, tolerance as being unprejudiced and tolerance as openness. These understandings of tolerance have different implications for inter-religious education and dialogue, but the ultimate goal is openness. Next Boschki highlights the role of memory in religious traditions and its essential role in inter-religious education. All religious traditions live from memory, he argues, and this is especially true of the monotheistic traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. To tell the story of the past the history of suffering as well as the history of salvation forms a specific religious hermeneutic through which to understand the present and gives a vision for the future. It is particularly in the liturgy that we find forms of celebrated memory (e.g. in the Eucharist in Catholicism; in the Pessach Haggadah in Judaism). For this reason learning from another religious tradition and not only about it must mean learning from its collective memory. Teaching and learning memory helps learners to change their perspective, makes space for emotional learning besides historical facts and

2 592 M. de Souza establishes a relationship with one s own tradition as well as with the other. To study the history of suffering of various religions from the victims perspective (e.g. the Holocaust, the Crusades, inter-denominational wars from the perspective of suffering individuals and families) sensitises learners to situations of oppression and suffering in the present day and leads to their interest and involvement in work for social justice and peace in today s world. Drawing on the concept of competence as a key term in pedagogy, Altmeyer suggests a competence model for religious education based on the analysis of Christian faith as communicative action. This model comprises spiritual sensitivity (the subjective dimension): religious knowledge and the ability of reasoning (objective-material dimension); ability in relationship (inter-subjective dimension); capacity for action (contextual dimension); and faculty of expression (aesthetic dimension). From these competences he extrapolates the competences required for inter-religious learning. These are perceiving, knowing and understanding the contents of other religions, their beliefs and their religious convictions; dealing with respect to the expressions of other religions, and communication and encounter and acting together for common goals. Next Nipkow takes a global perspective on inter-religious education and dialogue, arguing that each country needs to consider the challenges and opportunities from within its own context. He proposes that the theoretical framework of such education and dialogue should be a hermeneutic of mutual recognition and truthfulness, based on open-minded respect for the other side, a clear account of one s own religious tradition and recognition of the existing differences. This education and dialogue affords the opportunity for learning through differences to greater communalities. While the essence of religion is common to all humans, their interpretation and expression of this essence differs from context to context. These differences of interpretation and expression often lead to conflict, and even to loss of life and property. Kamara s chapter presents the role of religion in war and conflict at various levels family, community, national and international. Drawing on historical events from various parts of the world, she presents religion as a source, basis and justification of initiation and perpetuation of violence, in particular gender violence, religious violence, ethnic violence, civil violence and international violence. The role of interreligious education in fostering peace and development by identifying the common challenges to religion is proposed, especially its role in examining the challenges to inter-religious education, deepening religious faith and promoting inter-religious dialogue. The final chapter in this section of the Handbook is provided by Cahill and is a reflection on the first Parliament of the World s Religions, which was held in Chicago in 1893, and at which the inter-faith movement was born. The need for this movement has become more apparent and focused around the characteristics of the city to which the Parliament it is awarded every 5 years. Cahill proposes three lessons from this first Parliament: (a) the centrality of the city in contemporary society as the encounters between the religions takes place principally in the streets, neighborhoods and suburbs of the city; (b) the centrality of education in

3 Part III: An Overview of Part III 593 promoting understanding and collaboration between religions; and (c) the irrelevance of an exclusivist stance in relation to any religion and the necessity of a view of human beings as global citizens. Cahill s chapter looks towards the Parliament of the Worlds Religions to be held in Melbourne, Australia, In the second part of this section of the Handbook, Engebretson considers the common ground between Muslims and Catholics, arguing that they are united in their common monotheism, in the beliefs they share about God s attributes, in their common family relationship to Abraham, in the example of Muhammad and Jesus themselves, who advocated and practised peace, and in the Holy Books that guide the lives of Muslims and Christians. In this natural partnership Muslims and Catholics find themselves together in a world where the work for justice and peace is paramount. The chapter identifies four particular areas human dignity, freedom of religion and conscience, the drive to eradicate poverty and the search for peace in which Muslims and Catholics are natural collaborators. Lovat s chapter provides an insight into educational developments in Australia that address differences between Muslims and non-muslims. Religious and Values Education syllabi are being utilised increasingly in Australia to deal with issues of social dissonance, and especially to provide means of improving communication and understanding between groups characterised by religious difference. The issue of enhancing understanding of Islam for Muslim and non-muslim populations is regarded as a particularly urgent focus of such efforts. Drawing on Habermas s philosophy of communicative action and critical knowing, Lovat shows the directions taken by state-sponsored religious and values education syllabi and argues that they have the potential to challenge students to a transformation of attitudes to religions with which they were formerly unfamiliar. Zwartz analyses the document A Common Word Between Us and You, which was promulgated on October 13, This initiative, coordinated by the Royal Aal al-bayt Institute of Islamic Thought in Jordan, was an invitation signed by 138 Muslim leaders from across the theological and geographical spectrum to the Pope and other Christian leaders urging working together for peace, justice and harmony based on two foundational principles of both religions, love of God and of neighbour. After describing the content of the document, Zwartz evaluates responses to it from Yale, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Vatican. He also notes hostile responses to and analyses of the document from certain media outlets, Muslim converts to Christianity, and from some Christian quarters. However, Zwartz s view is hopeful and positive. He argues that the document has already achieved much and is an important step towards setting a future agenda for the Muslim Christian collaboration. In glaring contrast to all possible ideas and ideals of inter-religious dialogue and peace, the present world is confronted with many instances of religious fundamentalism, fanaticism and radicalism, Meijer argues in the next chapter. The chapter draws on Oz s reflections on fanaticism, and on Hull s ideas of fanaticism and religionism. A further focus is Islamic fundamentalism, widespread among Muslim youth in western countries. The Dutch debate on Islam versus the West is used

4 594 M. de Souza to illustrate the existence of an Enlightenment-fundamentalism, thus showing that fundamentalism is not a manifestation of religions only. In regard to Islamic fundamentalism in western Muslim youth, the role of the internet is discussed in view of Roys s virtual ummah. Religious education, seeking to keep the balance between historicity and reflexivity, tradition and enlightenment, is proposed as a possible antidote. As opposed to the fundamentalistic, Salafistic type of Islam found on the internet, education should further the critical re-reading, re-thinking and re-interpreting of Islamic tradition and its source texts from the present context, the western societies being a new historical context for Islam and Muslims. Finally in this part of the third section of this Handbook, Albayrak analyses the philosophy of the Muslim philosopher, teacher and scholar Fetullah Gulen, describing the Gulen movement as unique in its approach to globalisation. It is open to change but also respects Muslim traditional values and identities. The Gülen movement promotes tolerance and dialogue, the development of self-control, virtue and responsibility, and the education of the person of ideals. Gülen sees the realisation of the person of ideals as the ultimate aim of human existence. He calls them a golden generation and sees their activities on a global level as a sign of hope for the salvation of all humanity. Because they equip themselves with values such as faith, love, a balanced view of science, free thought, freedom and consultation, Gülen believes that they will strive for the highest ideals, ultimately bringing about paradise. The means to the development of the person of ideals is education, and Albayrak describes the characteristics of Gulen s educational philosophy, which is already in practice in schools around the world, and which has much to offer to educational practitioners everywhere. In the third subpart of Part III there is a particular focus on national contexts. Kallarackal addresses the need for peace education in the post-modern world of religious and ethnic pluralism. He uses as a successful model of peace education in a pluralistic setting the NESNIM programme (North-Eastern Students National Integration Movement). Faced with the reality of violence in everyday life while working for the betterment of the people of northeast India, and having understood the importance of peace education among youth, the Congregation of Holy Cross in northeast India created NESNIM on September 29, The underlying belief was that peace and harmony could be achieved by bringing together youth representatives from various ethnic/religious groups in the region that seemed to be hostile to each other. The programme included classes, workshops, sports activities, cultural activities and a Peace March. An evaluative study has determined that NESNIM has been effective to a large extent as a peace education programme and has helped to break down prejudices between various ethnic/religious groups. The educational approach of NESNIM is grounded in spiritual, ethical and moral values and has broad implications for the life and work of various religious bodies, organisations and societies. Writing from a Japanese context, Filus examines the current state of interreligious dialogue and interaction among various religions in Japan. She investigates how these religions educate their followers about other religions, and how they

5 Part III: An Overview of Part III 595 influence each other with regard to religious ideas, strategies for gaining new followers, educating the young and cooperation in social and political activism. The recent revisions to the Fundamental Law of Education (December 2006) open the door to the introduction of religious education in Japanese public schools. This chapter examines what elements of religious education, which is currently conducted in private religious schools in Japan and overseas, could be transplanted into the Japanese public school environment. Suggestions are given regarding how inter-religious education can contribute to the creation of a more democratic, egalitarian and altruistic society. Prinsloo analyses the South African policy on religion and education as a sign on hope in the future of the nation. This policy is expected to play a crucial role in the creation and institutionalisation of new taxonomies of responsibility and hope. It takes a positive approach to the diversity of religious and non-religious belief systems represented in South Africa and argues for a free open space in which to study these systems. In this it promotes a multi-tradition approach to the compulsory study of religion is schools. It aims to use and promote religions and certain worldviews as vehicles in a vision of a more just and compassionate society; to affirm learners own religious affiliations and develop their spirituality; to promote religion and certain worldviews in service of a common humanity and to be a unique South African response to the issues of religion, education and justice and peace. In the final chapter in this part of section three, Puniyani discusses education for peace in a strife-ridden scenario, that of communal violence in India. After showing the extent and ramifications of this violence, he shows that communal violence is a part of communal politics. In India there are gross misunderstandings and a multitude of myths about Muslim and Christian minorities, and social violence is sustained by these misunderstandings. Education for peace needs to address these myths, to discover the truth about other communities, to broaden the reach of this understanding and to make it a part of social common sense. The elements of this process have begun in India, and an effort to address misconceptions through multiple conduits of education is going on. This chapter deals with the prevalent myths and stereotypes, the truth behind them and the attempts by social action groups to deal with them through a process of formal and informal education. The final chapter in section three of the Handbook is provided by Bumbar, and it explores the lack of appreciation and understanding between Eastern and Western Christian Churches. The chapter gives an overview of Eastern Christian Churches, Catholic and Orthodox: who they are, when and why they separated, salient issues impeding reunion and efforts in the ecumenical movement. The author argues that the theological issues usually given as the reasons for divisions do not carry the weight they once did. The main reasons for continued separation are ecclesiological issues of jurisdiction and governance. There is a need for both sides to recognise, respect and accept the truth of the other. The failure in understanding limits the religious imagination of believers and hampers efforts at dialogue with other religions. Bumbar notes a number of issues that need to be addressed by both sides if greater unity between eastern and western Christianity is to prevail.