The Church and People of Other Faiths
Interfaith Relations
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One of the major challenges facing churches today lies in the area of religious pluralism. In the recent DTS publication, Deepening Faith, Hope and Love in Relations with Neighbors of Other Faiths [Please click to order, CHF 16, USD 14, Euro 10, plus postage and packing], writers from different parts of the world develop theological reflections arising from their specific interreligious engagement and research.
Faith, hope and love are seen as three basic dimensions in interreligious encounters that can be constructively engaged and further deepened. The book seeks to deepen commitment to and theological discernment within interreligious relations. Contributors include: Hazel O. Ayanga, Barbara Bürkert-Engel, Paul S. Chung, Helene Egnell, Johannes Ehmann, Detlef Görrig, Anne Hege Grung, Göran Gunner, Risto Jukko, Emi Mase-Hasegawa, Kristin Johnston Largen, Friedrich Schweitzer and Martin Lukito Sinaga.
Christians and Muslims in Conflict and Peacemaking
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Situations of tension between Christians and Muslims prompted a study program on "Interfaith Dialogue: Conflict and Peace." The program focused on the key question: What role does religion play in conflicts, in the overcoming of conflicts and in the healing of differences for the sake of peaceful coexistence?
From 2003 to 2005, a cross-cultural and cross-religious study team of Lutheran and Muslim theologians carried out theological case studies in Denmark, Indonesia and Nigeria.
Based on these case studies, the book Bridges Instead of Walls. Christian-Muslim Interaction in Denmark, Indonesia and Nigeria [Please click to order, CHF 24, USD 20, Euro 14, plus postage and packing ], edited by Lissi Rasmussen, director of the Islamic-Christian Study Center, Copenhagen, Denmark, was published in September 2007.
Christian Muslim Relations: Joint Action for the Common Good
2003 Inter-faith conference for the Southern African region, Johannesburg, South Africa. © LWF/G. Wulfsohn |
The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) promotes dialogue and diapraxis (joint action for the common good) between Christians and people of other faiths. In the book, Dialogue and Beyond: Christians and Muslims Together on the Way [Please click here to download the publication (1,021 KB)], Christian and Muslim scholars discuss issues of common concern. (Link requires Adobe
Acrobat Reader) 
Spiritualistic Movements as a Global Challenge for the Church
“Spiritualistic” has been defined as the multi-faceted belief in a vital force within living beings, a supernatural, divine, incorporeal being-anima, a "spirit"-animating the body. Adherents of spiritualistic movements believe that the spirits of the dead survive mortal life, and can communicate with the living.
This belief has always been endemic in many traditional indigenous religions. Today it manifests itself worldwide not only in traditional indigenous religiosity, but also in spiritualistic groups and many new religious movements that comprise elements, for example of Hinduism, Buddhism and popular Christian religiosity.
A study seminar for representatives of LWF member churches in
Latin America and representatives of spiritualistic movements was
held in 2002 (Click here for study document in English, Spanish and Portuguese).
In 2003, a Europe study seminar was convened in Bratislava (Click here for study document in English and German),
followed by meetings in Malaysia (Click here for study
document in English) and South Africa
(Click here for study document in English)
in 2004. Each study document is intended for reflection and
discussion. (All links require Adobe
Acrobat Reader)
An international consultation in 2006 evaluated the results of the regional seminars and elaborated the final document, Spirits, Ancestors and Healing: Global Challenges to the Church. [Please click to order, free of charge. Postage and packing costs for bulk orders].
For further information, please contact Rev. Simone Sinn.
