Trinity in Unity in Christian-Muslim Relations History of Christian-Muslim Relations
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Trinity in Unity in Christian-Muslim Relations History of Christian-Muslim Relations Editorial Board David Thomas, University of Birmingham Tarif Khalidi, American University of Beirut Gerrit Jan Reinink, University of Groningen Mark Swanson, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago VOLUME 7 Trinity in Unity in Christian-Muslim Relations The Work of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue By Risto Jukko LEIDEN • BOSTON 2007 Christians and Muslims have been involved in exchanges over matters of faith and morality since the founding of Islam. Attitudes between the faiths today are deeply coloured by the legacy of past encounters, and often preserve centuries-old negative views. The History of Christian-Muslim Relations, Texts and Studies presents the surviving record of past encounters in authoritative, fully introduced text editions and annotated translations, and also monograph and collected studies. It illustrates the development in mutual perceptions as these are contained in surviving Christian and Muslim writings, and makes available the arguments and rhetorical strategies that, for good or for ill, have left their mark on attitudes today. The series casts light on a history marked by intellectual creativity and occasional breakthroughs in communication, although, on the whole beset by misunderstanding and misrepresentation. By making this history better known, the series seeks to contribute to improved recognition between Christians and Muslims in the future. This book is printed on acid-free paper. A C.I.P. record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. ISSN: 1570-7350 ISBN: 987 90 04 15862 7 Copyright 2007 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands. Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill, Hotei Publishing, IDC Publishers, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers and VSP. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in aretrievalsystem,ortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Koninklijke Brill NV provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. Fees are subject to change. printed in the netherlands CONTENTS Preface ................................................................. vii ChapterOne:Introduction ........................................... 1 Vatican II, its documents, and a new dialogic attitude towards non-Christians ................................................... 1 Nostra Aetate .......................................................... 6 The Secretariat for Non-Christians/Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue as a manifestation of the dialogic attitude ........................................................... 13 Aim,method,andstructureofthestudy .......................... 22 Sourcesofthestudy ................................................ 28 Chapter Two: Philosophical and Theological Influences on a DialogicRomanCatholicAttitude................................. 39 Philosophy and theology in interaction ............................ 39 Existentialismandpersonalism .................................... 41 Nouvelle théologie ...................................................... 49 “Kerygmatictheology”............................................. 59 A Trinitarian renaissance and a new emphasis on pneumatology.................................................... 70 Summarizing remarks .............................................. 77 ChapterThree:GodandHumanBeings ............................ 93 Theanthropologicalturn intheologyanditsconsequences...... 93 FaithintheoneCreatorGod...................................... 106 The faith of Abraham .............................................. 123 Createdhumanbeingsona journeytowardsGod................ 130 Natural law and sin ................................................. 137 Summarizing remarks .............................................. 145 vi contents Chapter Four: Christ and His Spirit .................................. 159 Revelation:personalorliteral?..................................... 159 Theology of the Logos and semina verbi ............................ 168 SalvationisChristological.......................................... 180 Salvationispneumatological....................................... 192 Natureandgrace ................................................... 200 Summarizing remarks .............................................. 208 ChapterFive:ChurchandReignofGod ............................ 219 TheReignofGodisbroaderthantheChurch ................... 219 TheChurchastheuniversalsacramentofsalvation.............. 224 Non-Christians on the path of dialogue towards the Kingdom ofGod............................................................ 231 Eschatologicalhope................................................. 234 Summarizing remarks .............................................. 238 Chapter Six: Interreligious Dialogue as an Anthropological and TheologicalNecessity............................................... 243 The anthropological foundations of interreligious dialogue ...... 243 The theological foundations of interreligious dialogue............ 246 Evangelization, proclamation, and dialogue....................... 252 Dialogue,mission,andconversion................................. 257 Spirituality in dialogue: interreligious prayer ...................... 265 Summarizing remarks .............................................. 273 ChapterSeven:Conclusions .......................................... 279 Abbreviations .......................................................... 287 SNC/PCIDTable .................................................... 289 Sources................................................................. 291 Bibliography ........................................................... 295 IndexofPersonalNames.............................................. 357 PREFACE This is a book about the Christian theology of religions, with two a priori limitations: it will concentrate on the Roman Catholic theology of religions and take Islam as an example of a non-Christian religion. The fact that I have been residing in France has played a certain role in the birth of this study. In spite of all that has been said about its secularization, France is basically a Roman Catholic country. Although, at the very least, it has been greatly influenced by Christianity, France has today the largest Muslim population of any Western European country (in 2005 approx. 5 million, some 8% of the population). As my previous book dealt with Christian-Muslim relations in France from the Roman Catholic perspective, the widening of the subject to deal with the Christian-Muslim relations taken care of by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue at the Vatican has been a logical continuation of the previous study. I am grateful to many Roman Catholic and Protestant scholars. Among Roman Catholics, I want to mention especially two: Professor Emeritus Maurice Borrmans, who, first in Rome, and later in Lyons, encouraged me to advance further in my research work, and Profes- sor Christian Troll in Frankfurt, who was ready to read the manuscript carefully and give me critical and constructive feedback. Their pro- found knowledge of Islam has been very valuable for my work. Among Protestant scholars, I want to mention especially Docent Dr. Juhani Forsberg, who always found time, either in Germany or in Finland, to read my drafts. His profound theological insights and probing ques- tions have made me consider issues that I otherwise would not have dealt with. His extensive knowledge of dogmatic theology has been of great help to me. I also want to thank Docent Dr. Risto A. Ahonen for being available to answer any questions I might have on my topic and for his useful insights into missiological matters. If the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue as well as Pon- tificio Istituto di Studi Arabi e d’Islamistica (PISAI) in Rome had not been so helpful, I would never have been able to finish this book. I want to extend my warm thanks to their entire staffs for their cooperation, viii preface especially to PISAI for its cordial hospitality and its excellent library. I also want to thank two Roman Catholic offices and their staffs in Paris, the first being the Secrétariat pour les Relations avec l’Islam, and the second being the Oeuvres Pontificales Missionnaires et la Coopération Missionnaire. This study would not have been possible without the significant financial support of the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission that allowed me to write parts of it during my working hours. E.J. Brill kindly agreed to publish this study in its series “The History of Chris- tian-Muslim Relations”. I warmly thank both of these agencies. Two unexpected events in 2006 have occupied my mind in con- nection with the completion of this project. The first occurred on March 11, when it was announced in l’Osservato Romano that Pope Bene- dict XVI has merged, for the time being, the presidency of the Pon- tifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue with that of the Pontifical Council for Culture. The second one was more personal: I lost both of my parents within a period of two months in May–July. I dedicate this work to them who, through their love, showed me what is ultimately important in life. Paris, October 2006 Risto Jukko chapter