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Christians and local inter faith activity

January 2006

In many parts of Scotland, Christians live and work alongside Baha'is, Buddhists, Hindus, Jains, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, Zoroastrians and other people of faith. This poses new challenges and opportunities for the churches. One response at local level has been a growth in inter faith initiatives of various kinds – for example, the establishment of Councils of Faiths or Inter faith groups in some areas.

Advice and information about these can be found in The Local Inter Faith Guide (2005, Inter Faith Network for the UK in association with the Inner Cities Religious Council of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister).

Why are Christians involved?

Christians play a significant part in many of these initiatives, and people from other faith communities will invite our participation. Christian inter faith involvement is often based on some or all of the following convictions:

1. If we love our neighbours and count them as our friends, then we will value that which is most precious to them. In the case of Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Jews and other religious people, that means in particular honouring their faith. The New Testament shows God's love in Jesus reaching out across the barriers created by religion. We can prove ourselves to be Jesus' disciples today by forging trusting and respectful relationships with people of all faiths.

2. Christians have a responsibility to help build inclusive and welcoming communities, yet religious differences can easily become causes of division and suspicion. The health of civic life in many places will depend on good relations where people of different faith communities know and trust one another. We share many concerns and many values with people of all faiths. Our advocacy of peace, justice and a more humane society has more credibility when we speak and act together rather than separately.

3. If we wish to witness among people of faith to the truth which we have known in Jesus, we shall find that others want to speak to us of their faith. We have to be ready to listen as well as to speak – a genuine encounter is always a mutual one.

4. The Spirit cannot be limited by our restrictions. Many Christians have discerned the presence and activity of God among people of different faiths through open and trustful meeting and sharing with them. Inter faith encounter can renew, enrich and transform our Christian discipleship.

Four Principles of Inter Faith Dialogue

In 1981, the British Council of Churches adopted four 'Principles of Dialogue' for the encounter between Christians and other people of faith. Simple but far-reaching in their implications, they have been well-tested in inter faith experience over the last two decades. The Four Principles are these:
• Dialogue begins when people meet each other.
• Dialogue depends upon mutual understanding and mutual trust.
• Dialogue makes it possible to share in service to the community.
• Dialogue becomes the medium of authentic witness.

How are Christians involved?

Many Christians are already meeting people of different faiths on a daily basis – as neighbours, colleagues, friends, family members; in schools, shops, hospitals; through conversations, working together, helping one another out. All this informal meeting is the indispensable foundation for any local inter faith activity. Here are ten suggestions of ways to develop involvement further:

1. Joining or helping to establish a council of faiths or inter faith group. The Local Inter Faith Guide offers a wealth of advice in this area.

2. Forging practical partnerships of faith communities – e.g., caring for homeless people; urban regeneration schemes; young people's or educational projects; joint groups to fight racism and other forms of injustice.

3. Building up links between a local church and a mosque, synagogue, temple, gurdwara, or other place of worship – perhaps arranging reciprocal visits, exchanging seasonal greetings, planning meetings on shared themes.

4. Using creatively the public role many Christian leaders have in local communities to ensure the voices of other religious groups are also heard.

5. Combating misinformation, prejudice and bigotry about other faiths, particularly when such attitudes are expressed by church members.

6. Joining local or national organizations bringing together Christians and members of other religions. The attached list suggests some contacts for this.

7. Responding courteously to requests from other faith groups to use church halls, church schools and other premises. A positive response may help greatly in building good inter faith relationships; where a church feels it is not appropriate to allow such use, the reasons should be carefully and sympathetically explained.

8. Organizing twinning links between suburban or rural churches and inner-city churches; this can help to make experiences of inter faith encounter available to Christians living in areas with few people of other faiths.

9. Studying inter faith issues and reflecting theologically on them. Several academic centres offer good opportunities for individual or group learning.

10. Finding times and places where people of different faiths can meet in small groups to share their experiences in trust, friendship and prayer.

Four forms of dialogue

Some people prefer to use the terms inter faith encounters or inter faith bridge-building to describe the coming together of people of different faiths.

The word 'dialogue' is often used to describe the meeting of people of different faiths, but it does not refer to one kind of situation only. In 1984 the Vatican's 'Secretariat for non-Christian Religions' suggested that there were four different forms of dialogue, each with its part to play:

1. The dialogue of life, in which people of different faiths through living together enrich one another in practising their respective religious values.

2. The dialogue of collaboration in social involvement with a common commitment to justice and peace.

3. The intellectual dialogue of theologians and religious scholars seeking clearer understanding of the truth.

4. The dialogue of religious experience, relying on insights from prayer and contemplation in the different faiths.

Frequently Asked Questions

A number of questions are asked frequently by Christians in relation to inter faith activity. Convincing answers can only really be found through getting involved in meeting other people of faith; the comments here are just pointers to other ways of looking at things.

1. Isn't 'Inter faith' all about compromising the Christian message?
Meeting between people of different faiths requires every party to be faithful to their own convictions, while respecting the convictions of others. Christians contribute best to dialogue when they are open and confident about their faith.

2. Is 'Inter faith' trying to make a new religion?
Inter faith dialogue is about recognizing differences as well as finding similarities between faiths. The idea of creating a new religion is unwelcome to almost all people of faith.

3. Why does it always seem to be Christians who take the initiative?
Because of the long history of Christian settlement in these islands, churches often have more developed organizations than other communities, who may feel that inter faith relations do not have an immediate priority among the many issues pressing on them. Some may also be initially suspicious of dialogue from past memories of aggressive missionary activity. Yet several initiatives have been taken by non-Christian faiths, and all inter faith activity relies on active participation of people of all faiths.

4. We don't have that problem here. What's it got to do with us?
The presence of various faith communities is an opportunity, not a problem. People of different faiths have much to offer; together with us, they value peace and justice, and bring a challenge to an increasingly secular society. The faith map of Scotland is constantly changing, and religious diversity is now a feature of many suburban and rural areas, as well as inner cities. Moreover, we are all citizens of a multi-faith world, and this is reflected in education, politics, and the media. Even in districts where other faith communities are not visibly present, churches can build awareness of inter faith issues in a number of ways – visits, links with other churches, study programmes, etc.

5. Other faiths seem to be taking over here; aren't they too powerful already?
It can be painful for long-established residents to see traditional communities weaken as the character of their neighbourhood changes rapidly. Yet it is important for churches not to live in the past; ministry in multi-faith areas can be challenging and renewing. In many cities and towns, the Christian presence is that of one religious minority alongside other religious minorities in a largely secular society. Christians here are facing considerable difficulties, which may best be addressed through creative ecumenical initiatives. All faith communities have major problems to contend with; the best inter faith relations begin from honestly acknowledging our shared position of weakness.

6. Shouldn't we try to convert non-Christians, not have dialogue with them?
It is the Holy Spirit who converts people, not us. There is a wide range of opinion within the Churches about the relationship between inter faith dialogue and evangelism. All Christians can agree, though, that it is important to understand the beliefs and practices of other people of faith, that it is necessary to respect the right of others to disagree with us, and that witness to Christian faith is always part of Christian discipleship.

A helpful discussion of these issues can be found in the Inter Faith Network for the UK's document Mission, Dialogue and Inter Religious Encounter (1993). This includes a 'code of conduct' for inter faith relations which has been formally adopted, for instance, by the Methodist Church through their annual Conference, and endorsed by representative bodies of all the faiths represented in the Network, including the Christian Churches.

7. How can we have 'inter faith' here when Christians are suffering overseas?
We rightly have a special concern for fellow Christians suffering in other countries, but it would be unfair to hold our neighbours here responsible for what happens overseas. Building good inter faith relations locally can open up ways of influencing difficult situations abroad (for example, through mixed-faith visits or representations). We should also remember that, in different parts of the world, it is not only Christians who suffer for their faith: indeed, in some places, it is those who call themselves Christians who are the persecutors. Religious freedom for all faiths must be affirmed and protected.

8. We seem fine as we are, in our different ways; what use will inter faith dialogue be to us?
Our lives interlock in so many different ways today that there are limits to how separate we can be. We all need to value and preserve the integrity of our own religious traditions, yet Christians firmly grounded in the faith can benefit greatly from the mutual understanding and enrichment which inter faith dialogue brings.