MA, ThM Heidi Hirvonen, University of Helsinki, Finland.
E-mail: hehirvon@mappi.helsinki.fi
Abstract
Christian-Muslim Dialogue in the Lebanese Context
The paper is part of a post-graduate study that examines how Christian-Muslim
dialogue is seen in Lebanon, a multi-religious Middle Eastern state recovering
from disastrous civil war. Previously, there has been only little research on
Muslims’ views about inter-faith dialogue. Also the views of Oriental
Christians, who live as minorities in the Islamic countries, remain to a large
extent unexplored.
The paper focuses on how two Lebanese Muslims (Muhammad Husayn Fadlallah,
Mahmoud Ayoub) and two Lebanese Christians (Georges Khodr, Mouchir Aoun)
understand dialogue, its aims, methods and different dimensions. The paper
concentrates on the doctrinal dimensions of dialogue, examining how the four
authors see the central doctrines of each other’s communities and what kind of
problems and possibilities they see in furthering reciprocal understanding on
doctrinal level. The main areas studied are revelation, concept of God,
salvation and eschatology.
The authors are not able to disengage themselves from the traditional ways to
frame the doctrinal questions. However, they offer different ways to go beyond
polemics: mystical view of spiritual reality that transcends the differences (Ayoub
and Khodr), concentrating on common beliefs as a basis for practical
co-operation (Fadlallah) and utilising modern Western thinking to widen the
traditional concept of truth (Aoun).
The authors have different opinions about the relationship between dialogue and
mission/dacwa. For most of them, dialogue has replaced active missionary work.
Only one of them (Fadlallah) gives support to activities aiming at the
conversion of the other to one’s own religion. Nevertheless, also the others
support some kind of mission, either understanding it as dialogue and peaceful
coexistence (Khodr, Aoun) or, while rejecting the term, still wanting to
influence the thinking of the other community (Ayoub).