“if we do not meet with people from another faith or with another knowledge then we will not be able to integrate with each other. The purpose is to be ourselves, not to change one another but to understand one another…” (No. 1) The main aim of this thesis was to generate the needed knowledge on how interfaith organizations cooperate in their social work to aid help seekers despite the religious differences they may have, as well as to identify the obstacles the interfaith workers face in their cooperation. In addition, this thesis will also discuss the help seekers’ personal opinions concerning the help they get from the interreligious organizations. This research is a qualitative research with a case study design, based on materials collected from eighteen people by the use of semi-structured materials. The eighteen people have been represented by four leaders, two project leaders, one employee, four volunteers and seven help seekers. Both deductive[1] and inductive[2] methods were used in processing the themes used in this research. The research ethic has been considered in this paper. Both the social capital theory and the Allport’s intergroup contact theory were used in this thesis. These theories and former existing research helped in choosing the predetermined themes and in analyzing the results from the collected data which are: Religion and Freedom of religion, Common Goals, Respect- Understanding and acceptance, Responsibility and mission’s orientation, Neutral place, Interreligious dialogue, Applicable working platform, Complementary religion, Political view. The results of this thesis showed that the interfaith organizations can work as a compliment to one another in order to make the society work. This paper showed that interfaith organizations need to create common mutual norms with different roles in order to make the cooperation work. The common goals need to be very clear for both parties and additionally the structure of the system was very complex to explain to others or to introduce to the new workers. Furthermore, this thesis showed that there are people against interfaith cooperation for different reasons. Some of the obstacles the interfaith workers faced during their cooperation will be described more in the analysis part. Some of the barriers were fear from both the church members and the Stockholm Mosque on how the organization will run, which changes and consequences the church members will face and so forth. One of the interfaith organization leaders invited someone from outside the organization who gave a speech that didn’t align with their norms. They had cases which were forced to be taken up with the help of lawyers. It requires time to create and implement a functioning common structure. The common goal was not very clear for both parties and the system were very complex to explain to others or to introduce it to the new workers. Given the demographics, the volunteers had more extensive work experience and were mission oriented, which made them tend to focus on their commitments. The help seekers were very thankful concerning the help they got and wanted to do the same for others. The creation of trust through bonding and bridging was the central element or principles in this thesis, which are the keys to making the interfaith cooperation run. [1] Predetermined themes chosen with the help of theory  [2] Themes resorted from the collected data through coding.

In 2020, over a million international students enrolled at universities in the United States. A significant percent come from Muslim-majority countries whose governments sponsor their education abroad. As overall international enrollments decrease, recruiting this population remains attractive to U.S. institutions. International students face the challenge of entering higher education in a foreign country and culture, navigating their education during a time of political battles over immigration and issues of diversity. Muslim students face prejudice and exclusion due to Islamophobia in the U.S. Universities have a responsibility to understand and fully support students from whom they benefit financially. This study examined the experiences of 11 Muslim international students and alumni at one American Jesuit university, exploring how being at a religiously affiliated institution influenced their university experience. A qualitive approach was utilized to understand their experiences through semi-structured, in-depth interviews. Findings confirmed that Muslim international students experience multiple challenges and demonstrated the importance of community and impact of institutional interfaith identity on supporting and shaping their experiences. The framework of Community Cultural Wealth and spiritual capital highlight the tools and strengths students engage to successfully navigate their time at the institution. Findings supported the opportunities universities have to push back against Islamophobia by providing opportunities for all to engage with and learn from one another, and showed Jesuit universities’ institutional interfaith identities and educational pedagogy as critical in helping students fully develop themselves and influence the good of society.

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How does inter-religious dialogue in Indonesia transform and being transformed by the New Order authoritarian regime in the creation of a strong civil society and a religiously plural and democratic country? By discussing the politicization of religion and mobilization of religious communities by the New Order regime to fight against the Communists in the wake of the 1965 tragedy as the background, this dissertation seeks to analyze the anatomy of inter-religious relations in the country, including its historical roots, pivotal events, enduring issues and consequential development in the later period. The discussion is placed in a wider theoretical context on the role of religion in public life. Based on the analysis of topical biography, academic works, media reports and other reliable unpublished documents as the main sources, the dissertation investigates the intellectual legacy of four selected key thinkers in the field of inter-religious dialogue. It critically discusses the complex interplay between religion and politics in particular relation to such issues as religious pluralism, religious tolerance, exclusivism, human rights, freedom of religion, legal discrimination, and minority-majority relations. It highlights why and how the contesting discourse within a particular religious community about other group, between different religious communities, especially the Muslims and the Christians, as well as between religious communities and the regime move toward certain direction in particular context and then move towards the opposite direction in other context. Despite the wide spread conflict towards the end of the New Order regime and during the 2000s, the dissertation proved that inter-religious relations in Indonesia in general developed from antagonism to more dialogical relations over the period. The four selected key thinkers of inter-religious dialogue and their intellectual legacy demonstrated how religion could make fundamental contribution in the creation of democracy in a religiously plural society. / Religion

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T19:48:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Raimundo Monteiro Montenegro Neto.pdf: 581777 bytes, checksum: 809511339f05b79a3bd158efd3c97f53 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-08-19 / Raymond Lully, a citizen of the thirteenth century, developed a missions theory which he put into practice, in here called Lullyany Missiology. His theory was based on a vast philosophic, literary and apologetic work sympathetic to the Christianization of the world. According to Lully, the people would be reached by the argumentation and demonstration of the superiority of the Catholic Christian faith above all others religions. Lullyany Missiology focused primarily on the conversion from other religions people to Christianity, especially Muslims. It also included the restoration of Christianity through educating the people in their own values. During the days of Lully, there were many great conflicts between Christians and Muslims; much like the today s Christian Missions to the Muslims continue to provide challenges. The lack of true dialog and objective debate of ideas that has a mutual respect, audition and knowledge still marks the relationship between the followers of Christ and Mohammad. Lullyany Missiology sought to win the resistance through dialog and appreciation on the ambit and limitations of her days. It is presented here as an historic paradigm relevant to the realization of contemporary Christian Missions to the Muslims. The knowledge of that distant medieval scenery is necessary for the understanding of polemics and criticism to the Lullyany Missiology, as is the acknowledgement of the vanguard nature in the pursuit to demonstrate the next research. / Raimundo Lúlio, um cidadão catalão do séc. XIII, desenvolveu um projeto teóricoprático de missões (missiologia luliana) baseado em um vasto trabalho filosófico, literário e apologético em prol da cristianização do mundo a ser alcançada por intermédio da argumentação e demonstração racional da superioridade da fé cristã católica sobre as demais religiões. A missiologia luliana implicava primordialmente a conversão dos adeptos de outras religiões ao cristianismo, especialmente os muçulmanos, mas também incluía a restauração da cristandade através da educação nos seus próprios valores. As tensões entre cristãos e muçulmanos eram grandes nos dias de Lúlio e ainda hoje as missões cristãs aos islâmicos continua sendo um grande desafio. A falta de um diálogo franco e de um debate objetivo de idéias que tenham mútuos respeito, audição e conhecimento ainda têm marcado a relação entre os seguidores de Cristo e os de Maomé. A missiologia luliana buscou, no âmbito dos limites dos seus dias, vencer estas resistências através do diálogo e da alteridade e é aqui apresentada como um paradigma histórico relevante para a realização contemporânea de missões cristãs aos muçulmanos. O reconhecimento daquele distante cenário medieval é necessário para o devido entendimento das polêmicas e críticas à missiologia luliana, assim como para o reconhecimento da sua natureza vanguardista, como se busca demonstrar nesta pesquisa.

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[pt] A espiritualidade cristã envolve uma dimensão de perspectiva experiencial pessoal e comunitária com Cristo. Nessa dissertação propomos que ela deve ser vista como caminho para uma vivência dialogal e prática, o que representa entender tal espiritualidade como necessariamente aberta ao diálogo inter-religioso, como reflexo de um Deus que se fez de todos e para todos. Para tal, partimos primeiramente de algumas conceituações, definições e correlações entre a espiritualidade cristã e a religiosidade; abordando também a percepção bíblica imprescindível para descrever esse cristão, como traço dessa espiritualidade que não se porta indiferente principalmente aos mais necessitados, sendo a verdadeira religião declarada por Tiago (1,27). A base de nossa pesquisa bibliográfica será o traço do Deus humanizado de Castillo e sua chamada espiritualidade para insatisfeitos, como também na marca do pontificado do Papa Francisco até aqui, através tanto de seus discursos, homilias e documentos oficiais que abordam e anunciam essa espiritualidade do cuidado, do acolhimento e da busca pelos mais frágeis e desprezados. Nesse caminho, fomos inclusive atingidos pela crise mundial da Covid 19 e confrontados a provar como, em meio à tamanha catástrofe, nos foi ofertada a possibilidade de reflexão e pertinência, de uma espiritualidade cristã que dialogue respondendo perguntas atuais; sendo curadora, acolhedora, eficaz e inspiradora ao outro, transformando-o em próximo, sem a necessidade de perda ou anulação de sua identidade. / [en] Christian spirituality involves a dimension of personal and communitarian experience with Christ. In this dissertation, we propose that this spirituality should be seen as a path to a dialogical and practical experience, which necessarily means understanding it as open to inter-religious dialogue as a reflection of a God who made Himself one of us all for all of us. To achieve this, we first adopt some conceptualizations, definitions and correlations between Christian spirituality and religiosity; also addressing the essential biblical insight to describe this Christian as a characteristic of this spirituality that isn t indifferent, especially towards the most needy, consistent with the true religion declared by James 1:27. The foundation of our research will be the humanized God as presented by Castillo and his so-called spirituality for the dissatisfied, as well as the impact to-date of Pope Francis s pontificate through his speeches, homilies and official documents that address and announce this spirituality of care, acceptance and the search for the most fragile and despised. Along the way, we were impacted by the global Covid-19 crisis and were faced with proving how, in the midst of such a catastrophe, we were offered the possibility of reflection and relevance, of a Christian spirituality that dialogues by answering current questions; being curative, welcoming, effective and inspiring to others, transforming them into neighbors, without the need to lose or annul their identity.

This dissertation studies the critical and historical examination of modern Japanese Buddhism in terms of its collaboration with and resistance to ultranationalism and militarism before and during World War II. It also examines how Buddhism came to Japan and transformed itself according to the historical, social and political contexts throughout history. Also it shows how and why Japanese Buddhism has transformed the Gautama Buddha's teachings, the Dhamma and the notion of community, Sangha to its own in terms in relationship to the state. In order to examine the Japan's modern-nation-state's invention of installing a national consciousness and identity in the people through the means of State Shinto and the emperor, kokutai ideology after the Meiji Restoration in 1868, I apply the methodologies of social critical theories of James Scott, Benedict Anderson, Michel Foucault and Pierre Bourdieu. After the Tokugawa shogunate's long patronage of Buddhism (1602-1868), the dissertation examines how modern Japanese Buddhism was challenged by the Meiji state, and transformed itself to meet the need of the modern-nation-state centered on State Shinto and kokutai ideology. Moreover, it exposes how Japanese Buddhism struggled to meet the modernity itself such as individuality and socialization. Furthermore, in the 1930-40's, in the context of rise of ultranationalism and militarism in the name of "overcoming modernity," this dissertation explores how the Japanese Buddhist sects such as True Pure Land, Nichiren, Zen, and the Kyoto School collaborated with and resisted to them. Despite the main Japanese Buddhism's active participation in the war, there were few Japanese Buddhists' resistances. The dissertation examines why and how they could not effectively resist but failed. Moreover, the dissertation shows that there were several opportunities that Japanese Buddhism might have stopped the state's control of religions--the rise of ultranationalism and war ideology in the cases of Uchimura Kanzô's lese majeste in the 1890's, the state's failures of ratification on the Religious Organization Law twice in the 1920's, and Seno'o Girô's anti-fascist movements in the 1930's--the Buddhists had had critical minds and organizational wills alongside with the interreligious cooperation with Christianity and new religions. Thus, this dissertation critically examines Japanese Buddhism in three terms; the social critical ethics, the interreligious dialogue, and the trans-national dialogue. It shows why and how Japanese Buddhism lost the Buddha's critical mind, social ethics, the democratic origin of Sangha, as well as the trans-national dialogue with Korean, Chinese and South Asian Buddhists and eventually justified the Japanese imperial aggression against Asia. I hope that my dissertation will help the Japanese Buddhists undertake a self-critical examination of their involvement in World War II, and would set up a good example of self-criticism of religion and nationalism. It could certainly help the current Islamic people's struggles for democracy, nationalism and holy war. Also in case of China's nationalistic expansionism which resembles the Japan of 1930-40's, in the name of nationalism and social harmony, religious freedom was limited to the inner private realm, but its public role in checking nationalism was suppressed. Tibetan Buddhism, Falun Gong and house Christian churches cried out for their freedom. Therefore the self-critical examination of the rise and fall of the Japanese empire in terms of religion, religious freedom and ultranationalism might help Chinese religions and intellectuals as well as other cases involving religion, nationalism and war. / Religion

L’effervescence religieuse et politique au Cameroun engendre progressivement la fragmentation ethnique du peuple chrétien camerounais. Face à la manipulation politique, l’autre nom de l’injustice ethnique, la plupart des Camerounais et Camerounaises y compris les chrétiens réagissent désormais par le tribalisme, l’autre nom de la résignation ou mieux du déchirement social. Les Camerounais et Camerounaises donnent l’impression d’avoir perdu l’esprit de résistance/dissidence qui leur a valu la liberté ou mieux l’indépendance. Comment ignorer que de s’accoutumer au drame de la dérive ethnique, en s’installant, pour des raisons de survie, dans l’éclatement le plus abject, c’est opter pour l’asservissement volontaire d’un peuple qui mène inexorablement au génocide collectif ? Notre recherche repose sur l’hypothèse que les conflits ethniques ont pénétré la sphère du christianisme et font désormais partie des dysfonctionnements de l’Église du Cameroun. Ces dysfonctionnements internes nuisent à la crédibilité de l’Église. Il y a un lien entre les défaillances observées dans l’Église et les défaillances de la société Camerounaise. De plus, le rapport de convergence entre les rivalités ethniques et la religion, provoque un questionnement théologique inévitable : comment amener les différentes ethnies qui forment la plupart des États africains à un harmonieux vivre - ensemble inspiré par le mode de vie et de fonctionnement des Églises chrétiennes, au Cameroun en l'occurrence ? Faut-il se limiter à l’adoption d’une nouvelle image de l’Église par exemple l’Église-famille-de-Dieu, ou bien faut-il prendre le taureau par les cornes et éduquer les peuples africains à une culture de la paix ? La démarche de cette thèse s’inspire de la méthode adoptée par la théologie pratique, c’est-à-dire la praxéologie1, en relation avec la théologie contextuelle2, au niveau du lien avec les méthodes d’analyses des sciences sociales et sciences humaines, et au niveau de sa dimension prophétique créatrice. Elle est construite autour de quatre coordonnées: observation (médiation sociale), interprétation (médiation herméneutique), intervention pastorale (médiation pratique) et prospective. 1 Cf. G. ROUTHIER, et M.VIAU, (dir.), Précis de théologie pratique, Montréal/Bruxelles, Novalis/Lumen Vitae, 2004, 819 p. 2 Cf. C. BOFF, Théorie et pratique . La méthode des théologies de la libération, Paris, Cerf, 1990, 400 p. ii La thèse comporte quatre parties. La première partie (chapitres 1, 2 et 3) consacrée à l’observation cerne la problématique du vivre ensemble multiethnique, pour permettre de mieux percevoir la manifestation du phénomène du tribalisme dans l’Église (les Églises) et la société camerounaise. Elle montre que des situations dramatiques, de malheurs, de pauvreté, de famine, de conflits et de guerres sont causées en partie par le tribalisme exclusif. La deuxième partie (chapitres 4 et 5) porte sur la question du sens. Elle analyse et met à l’épreuve la compréhension du phénomène du tribalisme et des conflits ethniques dans la société et dans les Églises du Cameroun. Sont ainsi abordés, successivement, les principales articulations du tribalisme, la stratégie mise sur pied (diviser pour mieux régner) pour la transformation des structures sociales au Cameroun pendant la colonisation, puis récupérée par les politiciens comme idéologie politique depuis les indépendances. Nous en sommes arrivés à constater que cette idéologie a conduit à une profonde déstructuration de la société camerounaise jusque dans l’Église (les Églises). La troisième partie (chapitres 6 et 7) est consacrée à la pratique ecclésiale du dialogue de la diversité ethnique africaine pour la paix ; nous y montrons comment les solidarités ethniques purifiées au feu de l’Évangile peuvent avoir une influence sur la pratique chrétienne. Nous cherchons ensuite à démontrer que le dialogue interethnique bien articulé est le chemin de la réconciliation. La quatrième partie (chapitre 8) est un effort pour passer de l’utopie mise en pratique à une pratique en forme d’utopie. Nous cherchons à montrer que le dialogue pastoral enrichi par la diversité ethnique et religieuse entraînera la transformation de l’Église locale dans son interaction avec les différentes ethnies du Cameroun et d’Afrique. / The religious and political effervescence in Cameroon is progressively causing the ethnic fragmentation of the Christian people of Cameroon. In the face of political manipulation, the other name for ethnic injustice, the majority of Cameroonians, and Christians in particular, now react by tribalism, the other name for resignation, or better yet, for social fraying. Cameroonians give the impression they have lost the spirit of resistance/dissidence that made their freedom, better yet, their independence possible. How can one ignore that to become accustomed to the drama of ethnic drifting by settling, for reasons of survival, into the most abject fragmentation, is to opt for the voluntary enslavement of a people that inexorably leads to collective genocide? Our research puts forward the hypothesis that ethnic conflicts have penetrated the sphere of Christianity and are now a part of the dysfunctions of the Church in Cameroon. These internal dysfunctions hinder the credibility of the Church. There is a link between the shortcomings observed in the Church and those in Cameroonian society. Furthermore, the relationship of convergence between ethnic rivalries and religion provoke an unavoidable theological questioning: how are the different ethnic groups that make up most African countries to be lead to a harmonious living together inspired by the way of life and the way of functioning of the Christian Churches, in Cameroon to be specific. Must one be limited to adopting a new image of the church, for example the Church- family-of- God, or must one take the bull by the horns and educate the peoples of Africa in regards to living a culture of peace? The approach of this thesis is inspired by the method adopted by practical theology, in other words praxeology3, in relation to contextual theology4, in regards to the relationship with the human and social sciences’ methods of analysis, and in regards to its creative prophetic dimension. It is constructed around four axes: observation (social mediation), 3 Cf. G. ROUTHIER et VIAU (dir.), Précis de théologie pratique, Montréal/Bruxelles, Novalis/Lumen Vitae, 2004, 819p. 4 C. BOFF, Théorie et pratique. La méthode des théologies de la libération, Paris, Cerf, 1900, 400p. iv interpretation (hermeneutic mediation), pastoral intervention (practical mediation) and prospective. The thesis is composed of four parts. The first part (chapters 1, 2, and 3), dedicated to observation, seeks to encompass the issue of multiethnic cohabitation thus enabling a better perception of the manifestation of the phenomenon of tribalism in the Church (the Churches) and in Cameroonian society. It shows that dramatic situations of misfortune, poverty, famine, conflicts and wars are caused in part by excessive tribalism. The second part (chapters 4 and 5) deals with comprehension of the meaning. It analyses and tests the comprehension of the phenomenon of tribalism and ethnic conflict in Cameroonian society and its Churches. What is thus successively examined are the principal manifestations of tribalism, the strategy employed during the era of colonialism in order to transform the social structure in Cameroon (divide to reign more easily), and subsequently kept up by politicians as political ideology since independence. We have come to realize that this ideology has lead to a profound structural breakdown of Cameroonian society that extends to the Church (the Churches). The third part (chapters 6 and 7) is dedicated to the ecclesial practise of dialogue for peace within the African ethnic diversity. We illustrate how ethnic solidarities purified by the fire of the Gospel can have an influence on Christian practise. We then seek to demonstrate that a well articulated ethnic dialogue is the way to reconciliation. The fourth part (chapter 8) is an effort to move from utopia put unto practise to a practise in a utopian form the fertile pastoral dialogue within the ethnic and religious diversity shall bring forth the transformation of the local Church in its interaction with the different ethnic groups of Cameroon and Africa.

Cette recherche a été entreprise au milieu d'une polémique qui a affecté beaucoup de pays occidentaux, mais était particulièrement prédominante dans la province de Québec. Cette polémique, ancrée dans le processus de globalisation, est née des accommodements reliés aux différences culturelles et était principalement due à une crise d'identité sociale. Pendant cela, les médias ont été pris d’une frénésie qui a fait en sorte qu’une culture (culte) a été ciblée plus que d’autres : l'Islam. Une discussion sur le rôle et l’identité des femmes dans l'Islam (particulièrement les femmes en hijab) a suivi. Le but de cette étude est de voir comment les féministes occidentales et musulmanes pourraient créer une solidarité en dépit de ce qu'elles voient parfois comme des différences idéologiques insurmontables. Les méthodologies utilisées pendant la recherche étaient la théorie (post)coloniale et l’approche féministe, et le corpus de connaissances était interdisciplinaire pour ensuite construire une perspective complète de la problématique. La conclusion montre que la création de cette solidarité est essentielle pour assurer les droits et les libertés des femmes (la liberté de conscience y comprise). Un élément nécessaire à cette solidarité était le dialogue interreligieux et les conditions de base qui créent un dialogue réussi sont, entre autres, l’écoute active, « l’inclusivité » et l’ouverture d’esprit. Les dialogues interreligieux sont un outil important dans une société religieusement diverse, et connaitre l'autre est fondamental pour surmonter les obstacles et favoriser la compréhension. / This research was started in the midst of a heated controversy which was affecting many Western countries but was especially predominant in the province of Quebec. Having much to do with globalization, the controversy was specifically based on the accommodation practices related to cultural differences and was instigated primarily due to a social identity crisis. During the media frenzy the one culture that came up very regularly was Islam and with that came a discussion on women in Islam—especially those that wear the hijab, and their rights as citizens. The purpose of this study was to see how Christian feminists and Muslim feminists could create solidarity despite what they sometimes see as insurmountable differences in ideologies and practices. The methodologies used during the research were (post)colonial theory and feminist studies in order to guide the analysis and the research (the body of knowledge) took an interdisciplinary approach to be able to construct a holistic perspective of the argument. In the conclusion it was shown that creating this solidarity was essential to upholding women’s rights and freedoms (including freedom of religion). A necessary part of this solidarity was interreligious dialogue and the basic conditions that create a successful dialogue are activelistening, inclusion and open-mindedness amongst others. Interreligious dialogues are an important tool in a religiously diverse society and knowing the other is fundamental in overcoming obstacles and creating understanding.