Вестник Православного Свято-Тихоновского гуманитарного университета: Серия I. Богословие, философия (Dec 2021)

Periodization of the history of interreligious dialogue at the modern stage

  • Sergey Melnik

DOI
https://doi.org/10.15382/sturI202196.95-118
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 96, no. 96
pp. 95 – 118

Abstract

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Interreligious dialogue at the modern stage is understood as a positive, constructive interaction between followers of diff erent religions, which is carried out on a regular basis. The beginning of the modern stage of interreligious dialogue is the World Parliament of Religions of 1893 in Chicago. The Second World War had a great impact on humanity in various aspects, including the fact that its end can be associated with the beginning of another period of interreligious dialogue. A great impetus to the development of interreligious dialogue was given by the Second Vatican Council and the adoption of the declaration Nostra aetate of 1965, dedicated to the attitude towards non-Christian religions. During this period, interreligious dialogue develops within the framework of two main thematic areas. The fi rst of them, which was emphasised by the Catholic Church, was to understand dialogue as a mutual study of diff erent religions, comparing their ideas and religious experience. The second direction was a dialogue with the aim of peacemaking, confl ict resolution and strengthening social harmony. Special attention is paid to the interreligious dialogue in the USSR, which can be attributed to the second of these areas. In recent decades, interreligious dialogue has been actively developing, which is expressed in the cooperation of believers not only in strengthening peace, but in various spheres, e.g. humanitarian, social, educational, environmental. The main factors contributing to the development of interreligious dialogue in each of these periods are identifi ed in the article. For example, among the factors of the last period of interreligious dialogue, which began after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the author highlights the following: the problem of the spread of terrorism under religious slogans, the discourse of a “clash of civilisations”, the increasing interdependence and interconnection of the modern world, post-secularism.

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