In a Nutshell
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I was fascinated as a young man by comparative religion and loved to read about the ways people of different religions express a certain shared religious sensibility. Decades later, I sometimes wonder exactly what so intrigued me. Probably when I was 20 I always had thought that Buddhists and Christians were entirely different and was amazed to discover that they may share goals related to contemplation, for example, or to serving people in need. Again, the world wasn't so globalized then; Muslims and Hindus seemed foreign, far away. How curious, then, to discover that they too were driven to find room for the divine in their lives. In today's world I suspect that the degree of difference between world religions is getting a fresh accent. After all, some groups within some religions are linked to violence on the world stage toward other cultures, toward other religions. Are we at risk of forgetting that anything of value really is shared? When people don't know what they share religiously, antagonism can easily grow between them. Friendship and cooperation grow when people discover that while their concerns differ in important ways, they resemble each other in important ways too. |
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In certain ways different religions resemble each other
By Father Robert L. KinastCatholic News Service
When trying to interest people in a study of other religions, the most common reaction I hear is this: "I don't have enough time to study my own faith adequately. Why should I study other religions?"
It's a good question, and there's an equally good answer.
How Religions Are Similar and How They Are Not
By Scott C. AlexanderCatholic News Service
Speaking as one of the pioneers of the modern discipline sometimes referred to as the "comparative study of religions," Friedrich Max Mller once wrote, "He who knows one religion knows none." What he meant is that we can only truly understand our own experiences by comparing and contrasting them to the experiences of others.
Those of us who have had the opportunity to learn about other religions can attest that such learning yields valuable insights, not only into the human being's religious nature but into our own religious practice and identity.
Ancient Israel's attitude toward other religions
By Father Lawrence Boadt, CSPCatholic News Service
The Israelites realized that they were but a small nation in a world where large powerful nations constantly influenced and tried to control smaller neighbors. Many of the cultural achievements of their large neighbors were accepted by the Israelites, who eagerly engaged in trade and commerce with other nations and often imitated their literature. (For example, the language of covenant follows Assyrian treaty forms.)
The story of Abraham reveals how regularly and easily people traveled between different Near Eastern countries. Fine drinking vessels, furniture and chariots from the great artisans of foreign lands were sought and are found regularly in the archaeological ruins all over Israel.
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Faith in the Marketplace | |
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 This Week's Discussion Point: Do you think you have anything in common in terms of faith with Muslims or Buddhists, for example? |
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Selected Response From Readers: |
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