Chicago center to offer Catholic-Muslim
Studies
By ROBERT McCLORY
Special Report Writer
The Vaticans recent assertion that non-Catholics are
in a gravely deficient situation has apparently not dimmed the prospects
of interreligious dialogue, at least not in Chicago. On Sept. 26 more than 100
supporters of such dialogue celebrated the inauguration of a Catholic-Muslim
Studies Program sponsored by the Bernardin Center of Chicagos Catholic
Theological Union.
The event, held in the offices of Jenner & Block, a downtown
law firm, included readings from the Quran and the New Testament and
congratulatory speeches from Catholic, Muslim, Protestant and Jewish
representatives.
Talot Othman, of the Council of Islamic Organizations, viewed the
initiative as a gift of God and noted that Catholics and Muslims
comprise almost half of the worlds population today.
Passionist Fr. Donald Senior, president of Catholic Theological
Union, called the program a unique first step -- educating a new
generation of Catholic leaders to understand and respect their Muslim
neighbors.
The director of the new program, Scott Alexander, recently joined
the Catholic Theological Union faculty after teaching on the relationship of
Christianity, Judaism and Islam at Indiana University. He said he first became
transfixed by Islam as an undergraduate at Harvard University and
has carried on a love affair with Islam alongside a deepening
commitment to Catholicism. At the inauguration he spoke in both English
and Arabic.
The document, Dominus Iesus, from the Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith, was not mentioned during the program. But Alexander told
NCR that he sees no reason why it should impede Catholic-Muslim
discussion, though he believes it may have a serious, negative impact on
ecumenical discussions between Catholics and other Christian
denominations.
The document missed the mark in its implication that a great
many involved in interreligious dialogue are relativists, he said.
They are not. They are deeply rooted in their own faith commitment. We
have no illusions that the very significant distinctions between religions are
breaking down. Islam as well as Catholicism has certain exclusivist and
absolutist strains, and we have come to terms with that.
Nor, said Alexander, is it realistic or even necessarily a
good idea for the human family to consider dissolving the distinctions
that separate the great religions. Nevertheless, he added, interreligious
discussions are often marked by a measure of evangelization on the
part of Catholic participants and some understated invitation on
the part of Muslims.
Interreligious dialogue is never just an academic
thing, he said.
The new studies program, funded for its first three years by a
grant from Catholic Theological Union supporters James and Catherine Denny, has
a variety of goals: educating leaders and others whom the Muslim community can
respect as worthy dialogue partners; convening Muslim and Christian leaders for
discussion; providing information about Islam and its people; and serving as a
public advocate for peace and social justice.
National Catholic Reporter, November 10,
2000
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