Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Dysfunctional exclusion between Christians and Muslims in Northern Nigeria in general, and Gombe State in particular, is understood to be a trigger of religious crises in Northern Nigeria. History has shown that Northern Nigeria has been experiencing religious crises from 1980 to the present. The crises have grossly affected the relationship between these two religious groups, despite the fact that they all live in the same community and in some cases in the same family. The reoccurrence of religious crises has created fear and suspicion of one another between the adherents of the two religions, thus giving more ground to the practice of dysfunctional exclusion. In 1999, the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) formed a forum, called the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), for the purpose of tackling the problems of dysfunctional exclusion and religious crises between Christians and Muslims. Dialogue is one of the most relied approaches adopted by NIREC in addressing the challenges. Unfortunately the application of dialogue among the Christians and Muslims in Gombe state has not been effective as the problem of dysfunctional exclusion persist. This calls for reconsideration of the application of dialogue or to consider an alternative approach which will effectively deal with the dysfunctional exclusion among the two religious adherents in Gombe state. As a contribution to the fight against dysfunctional exclusion, I suggests a co-pathic approach. The research question is can co-pathy effectively contribute in addressing the challenge of dysfunctional exclusion within Christian/Muslim relationships? This will be answered with a focus on the outlined goals of the research following the methodology of Richard Osmer (2008) – the four tasks of practical theology. First, the descriptive-empirical task; this task answers the question what is going on? It examines the practice of dysfunctional exclusion among the Christians and Muslims. Second, the interpretive task, which answers the question why is this going on? This will discuss the concept of co-pathy, and its relevant application to the Christian/Muslim relationship. Third, the normative task; this task answers the question what ought to be going on? It explores a co-pathic theological foundation for interreligious understanding. And lastly, the pragmatic task answers the question how might we respond? This presents, in the concluding chapter, the contribution of the research to the fight against dysfunctional exclusion. The research will create an awareness of a pluralistic religious society and the need for interreligious understanding and consciousness. Co-pathy will be used as a point of convergence between Muslims and Christians and will stand at the centre of their relationships, as both religions recognise and value the virtue of co-pathy. This will motivate the life of togetherness in passion, thus paving the way for the recognition of each other‘s religion with regard, tolerating religious practices, and considering one another as members of the same community without religious segregation. The research is significant, as the issue of dysfunctional exclusion dehumanises and triggers religious crises, which have claimed many lives in the northern states of Nigeria. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Wanfunksionele uitsluiting onder Christene en Moslems in Noord-Nigerië in die algemeen, en in Gombe Staat spesifiek, gee aanleiding tot godsdienstige krisisse in Noord-Nigerië. Die geskiedenis toon dat Noord-Nigerië sedert 1980 godsdienstige krisisse ervaar. Hierdie krisisse het 'n groot effek op die verhouding tussen hierdie twee godsdienstige groepe, ten spyte daarvan dat hulle almal in dieselfde gemeenskap, en soms in dieselfde gesin, woon. Die herhaling van godsdienstige krisisse het gelei tot vrees en agterdog tussen die navolgers van die twee godsdienste, wat nog meer gronde gee vir die praktyk van wanfunksionele uitsluiting. In 1999 het die Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) en die Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) 'n forum gevorm met die naam Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) om probleme met betrekking tot wanfunksionele uitsluiting en godsdienstige krisisse tussen Christene en Moslems te hanteer. Dialoog is die benadering wat die meeste deur NIREC gebruik word om die uitdagings aan te spreek. Ongelukkig was die toepassing van dialoog tussen Christene en Moslems in Gombe Staat nie effektief nie, aangesien die probleem van wanfunksionele uitsluiting voortduur. Dit vereis dus 'n heroorweging van die toepassing van dialoog, of om 'n alternatiewe benadering te oorweeg wat doeltreffend met die wanfunksionele uitsluiting onder die twee godsdienstige groeperinge in Gombe Staat sal kan handel. As 'n bydrae tot die stryd teen wanfunksionele uitsluiting, stel ek 'n ko-patiese (copathic) benadering voor. My navorsingsvraag is kan ko-patie doeltreffend bydra tot die aanspreek van die uitdaging van wanfunksionele uitsluiting in Christen/Moslemverhoudings. Dit sal beantwoord word deur te fokus op die doelwitte van die navorsing volgens die metodologie van Richard Osmer (2008) – die vier take van praktiese teologie. Eerstens, die beskrywende-empiriese taak; dit antwoord die vraag, wat gaan aan? Dit ondersoek die praktyk van wanfunksionele uitsluiting onder Christene en Moslems. Tweede, die verklarende taak, wat die vraag beantwoord – hoekom gaan dit aan? Hier sal ek die konsep van ko-patie en die relevante toepassing daarvan op die Christen/Moslem-verhouding bespreek. Derdens, die normatiewe taak; hierdie taak antwoord die vraag, wat behoort aan te gaan? Dit verken 'n ko-patiese teologiese fondament vir intergodsdienstige verstandhouding. En laastens, die pragmatiese taak, wat die vraag, hoe kan ons reageer? beantwoord. In die finale hoofstuk stel ek die bydrae van hierdie navorsing voor in die stryd teen wanfunksionele uitsluiting. Hierdie navorsing sal bewussyn skep van 'n pluralistiese godsdienstige samelewing en die behoefte aan intergodsdienstige begrip en bewussyn. Ko-patie sal gebruik word as 'n punt van konvergensie tussen Moslems en Christene en sentraal in hulle verhoudings staan, aangesien beide godsdienste die deug van ko-patie erken en waarde daaraan heg. Dit sal die lewe van samesyn in passie motiveer en dus die weg berei vir die erkenning van mekaar se godsdiens met agting, die verdra van godsdienstige praktyke en 'n beskouing van mekaar as lede van dieselfde gemeenskap sonder godsdienstige afsondering. Die navorsing is betekenisvol omdat die kwessie van wanfunksionele uitsluiting mense ontmens en godsdienstige krisisse veroorsaak, wat al baie lewens in die noordelike state van Nigerië geëis het.

Darbe analizuotas religijų dialogas ir jo plėtotei būtina sąlyga - tolerancijos buvimas. Globalėjančiame pasaulyje tolerancijos ugdymas padeda įgyvendinti teisingumą, taikų įvairių religijų sugyvenimą. Šiandieninė religijų dialogo situacija Lietuvoje atskleidžiama, analizuojant Bažnyčios Susirinkimų dokumentus, Lietuvos Respublikos įstatymus, vyriausybės nutarimus, Švietimo ir mokslo ministerijos patvirtintas bendrojo lavinimo mokyklų programas. Apžvelgiamas Lietuvos religinių bendruomenių indėlis į tarpusavio toleranciją, kuri vykdoma ekumeninio judėjimo pagrindu.Aptartos teorinės ir praktinės konfesijų dialogo suderinamumo kliūtys, ištirta moksleivių nuostata tarpreliginio dialogo ir tolerancijos klausimu. Atkreiptas dėmesys į visuomenės religinio bei etinio švietimo būtinumą ir galimybes vertybių pervertinimo situacijoje. / A dialogue and the necessary condition for its development – the presence of tolerance were analyzed in this work. In today’s world of globalization the raising of tolerance is helpful in implementing justice and peaceful living in concord among the religions. The present situation of the dialogue between religions in Lithuania is revealed by analyzing the documentation of Church Assemblies, the laws of the Lithuanian Republic, the governmental legal acts, the secondary school curriculums confirmed by the Ministry of Education and Science. The work is also reviewing the input of the Lithuanian religious communities into common tolerance, which is performed on the basis of ecumenical movement. The theoretical and practical compatibility obstacles of the confessions’ dialogue are discussed as well as pupils’ attitude towards the issue of inter-religious dialogue and tolerance is investigated. The attention is paid on the necessity of religious and ethic education in the society and the possibilities of the reassessment of values in this situation.

This study is about Confucian humanism as the foundation of human rights and economic ethics. The study covers Korea, Japan and the Republic of China. The main research question lies in how Confucian humanism emerged as an enduring tradition, and how it impacts upon human rights and economic ethics of the three nations on their individual paths towards globalizing civil societies. Research elements are (i) literature review, (ii) focus group discussions and (iii) documentation corroborations. Literature reviews covered scholarly works of East Asia and international scholars. Narrative data were obtained from the focus group discussions. Documentation corroboration complemented the focus group discussions. The study explores the origin of Confucianism and proceeds to examine how the Confucian philosophical tradition gave naissance to Confucian humanism. From Confucian humanism, the thesis proceeds to Confucian governance (ching shih). Alternative political views of more egalitarian Confucian schools such as of Mencius also take up a good part of the governance theme. The role of life long self-cultivation is seen as the foundation of character-building for respective societal roles within Confucian ethics and social ethos. The modern democratic institution of human rights is argued as having emerged from the fertile demo-centric Confucian social psychology, but benefited directly from the Western institutional models. Discussions on the tradition of Confucianism and that of Confucian humanism progress through the important turning points throughout history, i.e., the Classic age of Confucius, the Neo-Confucian reformation, the Practical Learning sub-era of the Neo-Confucian era, and, finally, the contemporary Neo-Confucian. The discussions highlight that the Confucian tradition of 'humanity' that Confucius and his disciples formulated in the Classical age endured through the ages to modernity. They also point to the notion that Confucians pursued their intellectual, moral and aesthetic ideals to the highest possible level through the system of learning, philosophizing, and practicing in the tradition. The Confucian cosmology of the 'human to nature' nexus and the Confucian spirituality of cosmic immanence in the 'self' provide clues to the multi-layer structure of Confucian consciousness of self, selves and the greater self, namely society or the Heaven itself. The Neo-Confucian school of 'mind and heart' learning reinforced the inquiry into selves in nexus to nature and the universe. Religious tolerance and the adaptability of Confucianism have stood out as important qualities in the globalization of East-Asian values and ethos, i.e., Confucian 'souls and decorum.' Japan, as an island nation with a unique perception of its self-identity, employs Confucianism, still considered fundamentally as the philosophy of China, to reinforce the national identity without compromising the integrity of the Japanese tradition and sensitivity. Japanese aesthetic sensitivity would place aesthetic unity with nature on equal footing with that of moral unity with the world. Secularism and spirituality of Confucianism benefited from the peaceful co-existence amongst the three great philosophical traditions of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. The thesis as an inquiry into Confucian humanism as a living tradition concludes by answering the main research question and its three associated postulates.

Essa dissertação analisa a existência da forte influência religiosa na educação brasileira pesquisando o Brasil como um país laico, porém com reminiscências religiosas apontando possíveis causas históricas da laicidade do Estado brasileiro em sua relação intrínseca com o Ensino Religioso (ER) no Brasil na direção da Educação para o Diálogo Inter-Religioso (EPDIR) baseado no princípio do Diálogo Inter-Religioso (DIR). O primeiro capítulo fruto de uma monografia produzida pelo autor da pesquisa e inspirada na disciplina Hermenêutica Latino-americana do professor Wilhelm Wachholz, analisa o estabelecimento da laicidade do Estado Brasileiro colocando em destaque três conflitos fundantes na história nacional: O conflito entre Marquês de Pombal e a Companhia de Jesus no Brasil Colonial, A Questão Religiosa no Brasil Imperial e a Guerra de Canudos no Brasil Republicano. Estes três conflitos foram analisados como relevos do desgaste na relação entre a Igreja e o Estado no Brasil. O segundo capítulo também fruto de outra monografia produzida pelo autor da dissertação e inspirada nas disciplinas Religião e Educação na America Latina do professor Rudolf von Sinner, Personalidade e Fé da professora Gisela Streck e Fundamentos e Tendências da Educação do professor Remí Klein com suas cartas pedagógicas, analisa como diversas tradições religiosas podem, através de seus valores éticos comuns de bases, dar grande parcela de contribuição à cultura da paz, e ao mesmo tempo analisa a possibilidade do fundamentalismo religioso poder se tornar um dos principais elementos desagregadores da humanidade. No terceiro capítulo o autor analisa a relação histórica das sete Constituições no Brasil e o ER. Vislumbra as implicações do princípio do DIR para a formação do docente de ER em um curso de licenciatura e uma proposta curricular do ER baseada na Educação para Diálogo InterReligioso na educação nacional através das escolas que resulte numa cultura do diálogo inter-religioso e do respeito à religião do outro, contribuindo para a promoção de uma sociedade mais tolerante, justa e harmoniosa, diminuindo a ideia de que o diabo é o outro e aumentando a ideia da alteridade em que na desgraça, na fome e na injustiça todos são iguais / This thesis analyzes the existence of a strong religious influence in Brazilian education, researching Brazil as a secular country although with religious reminiscences, pointing to possible historical causes for the secularism of the Brazilian state in its intrinsic relation with Religious Education (ER) in the directing board of Education for Inter-Religious Dialog (EPDIR) based on the principle of Inter- Religious Dialog (DIR). The first chapter, fruit of a monograph which was elaborated by the author of the research and inspired in the discipline of Latin American Hermeneutics taught by professor Wilhelm Wachholz, analyzes the establishment of secularism in the Brazilian State, highlighting three founding conflicts in the national history: The conflict between Marquês de Pombal and the Companhia de Jesus [Jesuits] in Colonial Brazil, the religious issue in Imperial Brazil and the Canudos War in Republican Brazil. These three conflicts were analyzed as reliefs of the wear in the relation between the church and the state in Brazil. The second chapter, also fruit of another monograph written by the author of the thesis and inspired in the disciplines of Religion and Education in Latin America by professor Rudolf von Sinner, Personality and Faith by professor Gisela Streck and Foundations and Tendencies of Education by professor Remí Klein with his pedagogical letters, analyzes how various religious traditions can, through their common ground ethical values, give a great contribution to a culture of peace, and at the same time it analyzes the possibility of religious fundamentalism becoming one of the main divisive elements of humanity. In the third chapter the author analyzes the historical relation of the seven constitutions in Brazil and ER. It envisions the implications of the principle of DIR for the formation of ER professors in a licentiate program and a curricular proposal of ER based on Education for Inter-Religious Dialog in national education through the schools which would result in a culture of inter-religious dialog and of respect for the religion of the other, contributing to the promotion of a more tolerant, just and harmonious society, diminishing the idea that the devil is the other and increasing the idea of otherness in which in disgrace, in hunger and in injustice all are the same.

Pensar na relação igreja e mundo na modernidade e na pós-modernidade é perceber que essa relação se desenvolve em meio às mudanças próprias de um período em que é necessário repensar estruturas políticas, econômicas e instituições religiosas que já não conseguem responder de forma satisfatória a uma sociedade em transição. Um dos desafios que a educação da contemporaneidade precisa encarar é a de que o caminho para uma sociedade cada vez mais consciente de seu papel no mundo passa por uma educação de qualidade, que perpasse as diferenças, que saiba atender de forma inteligente a uma geração muito mais exigente e que luta pelos seus ideais rumo a um mundo melhor. A história da humanidade é marcada pela presença da religião que, em cada cultura, se constitui das mais variadas formas, e é justamente por este motivo que não devemos analisar o aspecto religioso nas escolas de forma preconceituosa, muito menos encarar essa realidade como se estivesse distante da sociedade moderna, muito pelo contrário, busca-se encontrar o melhor caminho para a oferta do Ensino Religioso (ER), considerando que, numa sociedade que se moderniza o tempo todo, em que a transformação se torna necessária para atender as várias demandas, o ER precisa também fazer parte desse processo, a fim de responder aos anseios religiosos da sociedade, respeitando seus valores culturais. Neste sentido, o processo educacional no país que passa pelo viés religioso que se inicia no Estado da Bahia, vai a partir do século XIX conceber novas percepções sobre o Ensino Religioso que busca se desvincular da proposta inicial trazida pelos colonizadores, necessitando repensar este componente curricular na perspectiva do diálogo inter-religioso, conforme assegurado no artigo da LDB pela nova redação dada pela Lei 9475/97. No entanto, esta pesquisa evidencia que sua implementação nas escolas públicas é um caminho ainda longo a ser trilhado. / To think about the relation between church and world in modernity and in post-modernity implies perceiving that this relation develops in the midst of changes characteristic of a period in which there is a need to rethink political, economical structures and religious institutions which are no longer able to respond in a satisfactory way to a society in transition. One of the challenges which education in contemporary times needs to face is that the path of a society which is ever more aware of its role in the world must go through quality education, which pervades differences, which knows how to serve in an intelligent way a much more demanding generation and one which fights for its ideals in the direction of a better world. The history of humanity is marked by the presence of religion which, in each culture, is constituted in various different ways and precisely because of this reason we cannot analyze the religious aspect in the schools in a judgmental way, much less face this reality as if it were distant from modern society. To the contrary, one seeks to find the best way to offer Religious Education (RE), considering that, in a society which is constantly modernizing, in which transformation becomes necessary to attend to the various demands, RE needs to also be part of this process, so as to respond to the religious needs of the society, respecting its cultural values. In this sense, the educational process in the country which passes through the religious vein, begins in the State of Bahia, as of the 19th century to conceive new perceptions about Religious Education which seeks to disconnect itself from the initial proposal brought by the colonizers, needing to rethink this curricular component in the perspective of inter-religious dialog, as affirmed in the article of the LDB (Lei de Diretrizes e Bases Law of Guidelines and Foundations) in the new redaction given by the law 9475/97. However, this research reveals that its implementation in the public schools is still a long path to be walked.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-03T12:21:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Christina Takatsu.pdf: 949085 bytes, checksum: 87fc7668b8ae5c0dd65ccad2238d8db6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-12-11 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The objective of this research is to observe inter-religious marriages. The encounter between two religious cultures can be, and generally is, a source of conflict. The emerging conflicts often occur not because of a different world vision, but basically because the other, by being different, threatens the identity of the individual. Facing this threat, it is necessary to strengthen their own identity. Based on interviews with six couples in inter-religious marriages, and specifically between Christians and Jews, and with children between birth and five years of ages and between thirteen and twenty four years of age, residents of the city of São Paulo, the intention of this research is to analyze how the couples deal with the challenges that arrives when one o the members of the couples belongs to a different religious tradition than the other. One of the principal challenges is how to deal with the religious education and spiritual formation of their children. The primary theoretical reference is Family Systems theory, principally the works of Murray Bowen regarding human behavior within family systems, but the research includes other secondary authorities that deal with the question of inter-cultural marriage. The intention is to discuss the implications of this reality for religious praxis and offer contributions for clinical psychology and the field of religious studies. Psychology needs to rethink its practice, leaving behind its prejudices in relation to religion and including this experience in its studies in order to inform both theory and therapy. This is fundamental in the process of understanding religious values and understanding the religiosity and spirituality of the client. On the other hand, religious institutions need to reflect on their praxis in terms of reaching families that are on the fringes of traditional religion, but still, being inter-religious, need to be recognized and respected as they are. As such, churches need to open themselves, reduce their tendency to look only at themselves and their context, and serve the world around them; even if parts of this world will never be formal members of their community.(AU) / Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo observar o casamento inter-religioso. O encontro de duas culturas religiosas pode e, provavelmente, constituirá fonte de conflito. Os conflitos emergentes podem ocorrer, não por uma visão diferente de mundo, mas essencialmente porque o outro, por ser diferente, ameaça a identidade do indivíduo. Frente à ameaça, é necessário fortalecer a própria identidade. A partir de entrevistas com seis casais em casamentos inter-religiosos, mais especificamente, entre cristãos e judeus, e com filhos com idade entre zero e cinco anos e entre quatorze e vinte e quatro anos de idade, residentes em São Paulo, Capital, pretendi analisar como os casais lidam com os desafios que surgem quando um cônjuge pertence a uma tradição religiosa diferente da do outro. Dentre os desafios, está o de lidar com a educação religiosa ou a formação espiritual de seus filhos. Utilizando-se como referencial a Terapia Sistêmica Familiar, principalmente o trabalho de Paul Watzlawick sobre a comunicação e o de Murray Bowen sobre o funcionamento humano dentro dos sistemas familiares, além de outros referenciais auxiliares para trabalhar a questão intercultural no casamento, pretendi discutir as implicações para a práxis religiosa e oferecer contribuições à clínica psicológica e às ciências da religião. A psicologia necessita repensar sua prática, deixando o preconceito em relação à religião de lado e incluindo essa em seus estudos, de modo a aproximar o discurso e a prática do terapeuta, uma vez que pode tomar consciência de seus próprios valores religiosos quando buscar compreender a religião e a espiritualidade de sua clientela. Por sua vez, as instituições religiosas necessitam refletir sobre sua práxis, de modo a alcançar as famílias que se encontram na periferia das religiões. Famílias que solicitam uma orientação, uma formação religiosa, mas que, sendo inter-religiosas, necessitam ser reconhecidas e respeitadas como tal. Portanto, as igrejas precisam abrir-se, deixar de olhar para dentro de si mesmas e servir ao mundo, mesmo que parte desse mundo nunca venha a se tornar formalmente membro da comunidade.(AU)

[pt] A presente tese investiga uma forma nova de diálogo entre monges, o diálogo de experiência, focalizando o processo psicossocial de identidadealteridade religiosa. A pesquisa baseou-se em documentos e testemunho do Diálogo Inter-religioso Monástico (DIM), órgão ligado ao Conselho Pontifício para o Diálogo Inter-religioso (CPDI) do Vaticano, que reúne monges de mosteiros católicos do mundo inteiro, participando de comissões de diálogo com monges de outras tradições religiosas. Embora recente este tipo de diálogo indica uma tendência inovadora na relação entre as religiões ocidentais e orientais; e é fruto não apenas do esforço pessoal de alguns pioneiros, mas também das transformações religiosas e sociais que se aceleraram na atual etapa de mundialização. Assim sendo, após apresentar os fundamentos do monaquismo, tendo salientando as diferenças entre suas principais tendências e a referência a uma base comum, situo o desenvolvimento deste tipo de diálogo na perspectiva da história monástica cristã, do atual contexto de pluralismo religioso e de elaboração católica sobre o tema. A importância deste tipo de diálogo para o campo de estudo da religião reside em sua ênfase na experiência, em sua associação entre diálogo e contemplação (ou meditação), e no compartilhamento de práticas monásticas por membros de diferentes tradições religiosas. Ao mesmo tempo, como as experiências relatadas pelos monges estão enraizadas em uma vida religiosa tanto pessoal como comunitária e foram orientadas para o testemunho, elas permitiram um enfoque das representações históricas que relaciona estas representações às práticas religiosas, às experiências espirituais, e às histórias de vida dos monges e comunidades monásticas. A convergência da reflexão vinda de vários campos do conhecimento em direção à experiência transformou esta última em um ponto nodal de referência, em torno do qual foi possível integrar estes campos e estabelecer uma articulação com o testemunho, a narração e o processo psicossocial. Baseada na fenomenologia hermenêutica de Ricoeur e na concepção da consciência religiosa de Nabert, e tendo colocado em evidência a contribuição da psicologia social para esclarecer a dinâmica de identidade-alteridade entre o ego e o alter, a tese analisa o sentido, a formação e a consolidação de uma nova dinâmica desenvolvida no contexto do diálogo intermonástico, estudando-a do ponto de vista da comunidade monástica católica e de sua experiência viva e histórica de diálogo e contemplação. Esta rompe com a visão de subjetividades separadas e com a negação e exclusão da alteridade religiosa, chegando a uma perspectiva de unidade na pluralidade e a um novo tipo de identidade e espiritualidade dialogal. Tendo verificado a importância central desta dinâmica e seu sentido religioso para o desenvolvimento do diálogo entre contemplativos, a tese destaca não apenas a dimensão psicossocial desta dinâmica, mas seu enraizamento no mais profundo centro do ser, sublinhando a relação estabelecida pelos monges católicos entre o diálogo inter-religioso e seu diálogo com Deus. A concepção cristã da alteridade de Deus e do próximo foi determinante para a formulação e prática dialogal de reconhecimento mútuo e para as experiências monásticas de paz e harmonia entre os monges de diferentes religiões. É possível, portanto, distinguir a dinâmica de reconhecimento mútuo da dinâmica de autoafirmação e recusa do outro, relacionada à experiência de negação da diferença, de guerra e eliminação da alteridade. A dinâmica de reconhecimento mútuo é favorecida pela ruptura social da vida monástica, pelas práticas contemplativas e pelo profundo processo de reformulação da identidade- alteridade pela qual passam os monges em sua caminhada para o Absoluto. Atualmente, o reconhecimento da identidade cristã e da alteridade religiosa está sendo considerado por estes monges como central para seu diálogo inter-religioso e está lhes permitindo rever sua relação com a própria identidade, ultrapassando, ao mesmo tempo, as representações históricas negativas sobre as outras religiões e promovendo a abertura para outros seres, culturas e religiões. Estes monges consideram que sua tradição monástica católica está sendo renovada pela esperança espiritual e pela pesquisa de outras tradições e que o diálogo os está ajudando a aprofundar sua própria identidade cristã. A tese descreve suas profundas transformações pessoais e comunitárias, as resistências e avanços, assim como as mudanças nas representações históricas dos monges católicos em relação com a experiência da alteridade e do aprofundamento da identidade cristã, que provocaram uma revisão crítica da postura católica sobre as outras religiões. A análise de todas estas mudanças em relação com o contexto da Babel contemporânea pôs em relevo a contribuição monástica para uma nova perspectiva dialogal sobre a unidade na diversidade de linguagens e seres, permitindo distinguir a visão de pluralidade no reconhecimento da identidadealteridade de outras perspectivas de unidade e pluralidade baseadas apenas na identidade. / [en] The present thesis investigates a new form of dialogue among monks, the dialogue of experience, bringing into focus the psychosocial process of religious identity-alterity. The research is based on documents and testimonies of the Monastic Inter-religious Dialogue (MID), organism attached to the Vatican s Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue (PCID), that gathers monks from Catholic s monasteries of all the world participating at dialogue s commissions with monks of others religious traditions. Although recent, this type of dialogue indicates a renewable tendency in the occidental and oriental religions relationship; and it is fruit not only of the personal efforts of some pioneers, but also of religious and social transformations, that are accelerating in the actual world-wideness stage. Then, after presenting the monachism s foundations, having presented the differences among their main tendencies and the references to a common base, I situate the dialogue s development in the perspective of Christian monastic history, of the current context of religious pluralism and of Catholic s elaboration about this subject. The importance of this type of dialogue to the religious study s field lies in its experience s emphasis, in its association between dialogue and contemplation (or meditation) and in the sharing of monastic practices by the different religious traditions members. At the same time, as the monk s experience accounts are rooted in their personal and communitarian religious life and are orientated to testimony, they allowed an approach of historical representations that relates these representations to religious practices, to spiritual experiences and to life s histories of monks and monastic communities. The convergence of reflections coming from various fields toward experience has transform this one in a central point of reference around which it was possible to integrate these fields and establish the articulation of experience to testimony, narration and psychosocial process. Based on Ricoeur s hermeneutical phenomenology and on Nabert`s conception of religious consciousness, and having put in evidence the social psychology s contribution to clarify identityalterity s dynamic between the ego and the alter, this thesis analysis the sense, the formation and the consolidation of a new dynamic developed in the inter-monastic dialogue s context, studying it from the point of view of the catholic s monastic community and of their living and historical dialogue and contemplation s experience. This one breaks off with the separated subjectivities vision and with the negation and exclusion s of religious alterity, arriving to a unity in plurality s inter-subjectivity perspective and to a new type of catholic dialogical identity and spirituality. Having verified the central importance of this dynamic and its religious sense to the dialogue s development among contemplatives, the thesis stands out not only this dynamic s psychosocial dimension, but also its rooting in the deepest center of being, underlying relation established by catholic monks between the inter-religious dialogue and their dialogue with God. The Christian conception of God and fellow s alterity has been determinant to the dialogical mutual recognition and to the peace and harmony s monastic experiences among monks from different religions. The study of this conception and of its application on inter-monastic dialogue conducts to the distinction between this dialogical dynamics from the one established in terms of auto- affirmation and other s deny, that is related to the differences negation, to war, and to several kinds of alterity s elimination. The mutual recognition was favored for the monastic social rupture, for the contemplative practices and for the profound process of identityalterity s reformulation the monks go through in their path toward the Absolute. Nowadays, the recognition of Christian identity and religious alterity is being considered by these monks as central to their inter-religious dialogue, and is allowing them to revise their own identity going, at the same time, beyond negative historical representations about other religions and promoting an opening to other beings, cultures and religions. These monks consider that their catholic monastic tradition has been renewed by the spiritual hope and research of other traditions, and that dialogue is helping them to go deeper in their own Christian identity. The thesis describes their profound personal and communitarian transformations, the resistances and progress, as well as the changes in historical representations and spiritual experiences, provoking a great reformulation of catholic posture about others religions. The analyses of all this changes in relation with the contemporary Babel context put in relief the monastic contribution to a new dialogical perspective about unity in diversity of languages and beings, allowing distinguishing the vision of plurality in the recognition of identityalterity from others perspectives of unity and plurality based only on identity.

Den här studien presenterar, tolkar och analyserar Seyla Benhabibs kommunikativa etik samt undersöker vilka implikationer denna får för religionsdialog som praktisk diskurs. Med utgångspunkt från den kommunikativa etikens båda grundläggande principer om universell moralisk respekt och egalitär ömsesidighet samt idén om det radikalt situerade moraliska subjektet arbetar författaren fram ett förslag på normativa utgångspunkter för religionsdialog mellan kristna och muslimer i Sverige. Aspekter av genus och makt kommenteras särskilt. Studien visar på hur den kommunikativa etiken ställer långtgående krav på dialogens förutsättningar, förberedelser likväl som på dess deltagare. Samtidigt framträder en etik som inte väjer för kontroversiella frågor och obehagliga samtal. I studien framhålls dialogens upprätthållande och kontinuitet som det överordnade målet. / This study presents, interprets and analyzes Seyla Benhabib's discourse ethics, and investigates its implications for religious dialogue as practical discourse. On the basis of the fundamental principles of universal moral respect and egalitarian reciprocity, as well as the idea of ​​the situated moral self, the author proposes ten normative starting points for inter-religious dialogue between Christians and Muslims in Sweden. Aspects of gender and power are commented in particular. The study shows how discourse ethics impose far-reaching demands on the conditions of the dialogue, on the preparation of it as well as on its participants. The continuity of dialogue is emphasized as the overall goal.

In much existing literature the incidence of sexual violence during Hindu-Muslim conflict has been attributed to the militant ideology of Hindu nationalism. This thesis interrogates this view. It first examines the ideological framework laid down by the founding ideologues of the Hindu nationalist movement with respect to sexual violence. I argue that a justification of sexual violence against Muslim women is at the core of their ideology. In order to examine how this ideology has contributed to the actual incidents, this thesis studies the episodes of Hindu-Muslim violence that occurred in 1969, 1985, 1992 and 2002 in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad, Gujarat. An examination of these episodes shows that sexual violence against Muslim women, in both extreme and less extreme forms, were significantly motivated by Hindu nationalist ideology. However, in addition to this ideology, patriarchal ideas that serve to normalize sexual violence as ‘sex’ and sanction its infliction to maintain gendered hierarchies also motivated such crimes. Moreover, this thesis argues that the manifestation of Hindu nationalist and patriarchal motivations in acts of sexual violence was enabled by the breakdown of neighbourhood ties between Hindus and Muslims in 1969 and 2002. By contrast, during the 1985 and 1992 riots Hindus and Muslims strengthened neighbourhood ties despite extensive communal mobilization, which seems to have prevented the perpetration of extreme sexual violence against Muslim women. Thus, by providing a comprehensive analysis of the contribution of Hindu nationalist ideology, and arguing for the significance of the patriarchal ideas and neighbourhood ties in the infliction of sexual violence during conflict, this study contributes to and departs from the existing literature.

[pt] O reconhecimento da realidade religiosa, ricamente plural em que nos encontramos, nos convida a buscar formas para que seja possibilitado o convívio harmonioso em nossa sociedade. Para o Cristianismo, em especial, lhe é proporcionado a busca por uma intensa experiência nas mais profundas raízes de sua origem religiosa e a compreensão do significado dessa pluralidade religiosa no projeto salvífico de Deus e sua relação com o mistério de Jesus Cristo. Por isso, acreditamos que, para o diálogo fecundo e acolhedor com as demais religiões, é de extrema importância a contribuição de um caminho espiritual enraizado na experiência de união com Deus, como possibilidade para que não se viva uma religiosidade muito epidérmica, recuperando a dimensão da experiência íntima do mistério de Deus e da experiência da unidade com ela. As experiências vividas por Thomas Merton e Raimon Panikkar, radicadas no cristianismo, de profunda intimidade com Deus, nos apresentam um caminho para um diálogo inter-religioso realizado a partir de uma madura experiência religiosa. A experiência de Thomas Merton é profundamente inseparável do amor a Deus e à humanidade, em um seguimento aos ensinamentos de Jesus Cristo na dedicação ao seu ministério de sacerdote, monge e eremita, ricamente fortalecida pelo amor aos humanos. Em Raimon Panikkar, encontramos uma pessoa marcada por quatro identidades religiosas, sem que lhe fosse negada sua primeira origem, o cristianismo, caracterizada por uma profunda experiência de encontro com Deus. Para Raimon Panikkar este é o kairós do milênio que recém se abriu para todas as religiões e continuar com pequenas reformas não tem sentido. É necessária uma grande transformação, porém profunda, uma metanóia! Segundo Thomas Merton e Raimon Panikkar o diálogo entre as experiências religiosas não se resume a uma conversão vazia, mas que os interlocutores tenham de fato, penetrado com a máxima seriedade em sua própria tradição, assumindo a dimensão espiritual como o nível mais fecundo para a abertura e compreensão no diálogo inter-religioso. A partir destas experiências, sugerimos que o diálogo inter-religioso ultrapasse as fronteiras que separam as religiões em uma sincera e fecunda acolhida das mais diversas tradições, a partir de uma madura experiência religiosa. Através das contribuições de Juan Martin Velasco e de Andrés Torres Queiruga, confirma-se a importância que têm a dimensão espiritual e a experiência interior que possuem todas as religiões diante da autêntica necessidade do diálogo inter-religioso. Em todas as religiões existe a experiência mística unicamente graças ao convite de Deus, que deseja tornar-se conhecido e, acolhendo esta Presença, o ser humano tem a possibilidade de atingir sua autêntica realização. Sem fazer oposição à singularidade cristã na interpretação positiva das outras religiões e do pluralismo religioso, acreditamos que a maturidade da experiência religiosa do cristão contribui para aproximá-lo da realidade de ser imagem de Deus, que se dá na experiência mais profunda do ser religioso a partir de uma íntima relação com Deus. / [en] The recognition of religious reality, richly plural, invites us to seek ways to make possible the harmonious coexistence in our society. For Christianity, in particular, it is provided to search for an intense experience in the deepest roots of their religious background and understanding of the significance of religious plurality in the salvific plan of God and their relationship with the mystery of Jesus Christ. Therefore, we believe that for the fruitful and friendly dialogue with other religions, it is extremely important the contribution of a spiritual path rooted in the bonding experience with God, as a possibility for not living a very epidermic religiosity, recovering the dimension of an intimate experience of God s mystery and the unit experience with it. The experiences of Thomas Merton and Raimon Panikkar, rooted in Christianity, of deeper intimacy with God, show us the way to interreligious dialogue held from a mature religious experience. Thomas Merton s experience is deeply inseparable from the love for God and humanity, followed up to Jesus Christ s teachings in the dedication to his ministry as a priest, monk and hermit, richly strengthened by the love for human. In Raimon Panikkar, we find a person marked by four religious identities, without deny his first origin, Christianity, characterized by a deep experience of encountering God. For Raimon Panikkar this is the kairós of the millennium that has just opened to all religions and continue with small reforms is meaningless. It is required a great transformation, but a deep one, a metanoia! According to Thomas Merton and Raimon Panikkar the dialogue between religious experiences is not limited to an empty conversion, but the interlocutors have indeed penetrated with the utmost seriousness in your own tradition, assuming the spiritual dimension as the most fruitful level for an opening and understanding in the interreligious dialogue. Based on these experiences, we suggest that interreligious dialogue beyond the boundaries that separate religions in a sincere and fruitful reception of the most diverse traditions, from a mature religious experience. Through the contributions of Juan Martin Velasco and Andres Torres Queiruga, confirms the importance of the spiritual dimension and the inner experience that all religions have for the authentic necessity interreligious dialogue. In all religions there is a mystical experience exclusively thanks to God s call, who wants to become known and, by welcoming the Presence, the human being is able to reach an authentic realization. Without making opposition to Christian uniqueness in positive interpretation of other religions and religious pluralism, we believe that the maturity of the religious experience of the Christian contributes to alignment with the reality of being in God s image, which gives the deepest experience of being religious from an intimate relationship with God.