39 39 Bamberger Theologische Studien BamTS Martin Afolderbach The Beneft of Inter-religious Co-operation Examples of European and global transformation processes The Beneft of Inter-religious Co-operation Inter-religious BeneftThe of • Martin Afolderbach Martin 39 Bamberger Theologische Studien Bamberger Theologische Studien Herausgegeben von Klaus Bieberstein, Jürgen Bründl, Joachim Kügler, Thomas Laubach (Weißer)und Konstantin Lindner Professoren des Instituts für Katholische Theologie der Otto-Friedrich-Universität Bamberg im Auftrag der Bamberger Theologischen Studien e. V. Band 39 2020 The Beneft of Inter-religious Co-operation Examples of European and global transformation processes Martin Afolderbach 2020 Bibliographische Information der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deut- schen Nationalbibliographie; detaillierte bibliographische Informationen sind im Internet über http://dnb.d-nb.de/ abrufbar. This work is available as a free online version via the Current Research Information System (FIS; fs.uni-bamberg.de) of the University of Bamberg. The work - with the exception of cover, quotations and illustrations - is licensed under the CC-License CC-BY. Dieses Werk ist als freie Onlineversion über das Forschungsinformationssystem (FIS; fs.uni-bamberg.de) der Universität Bamberg erreichbar. Das Werk – ausgenommen Cover, Zitate und Abbildungen – steht unter der CC-Lizenz CC-BY. Lizenzvertrag: Creative Commons Namensnennung 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 Herstellung und Druck: docupoint, Magdeburg Umschlaggestaltung: University of Bamberg Press Umschlagbild: © Martin Afolderbach © University of Bamberg Press, Bamberg 2020 http://www.uni-bamberg.de/ubp ISSN: 0948-177x ISBN: 978-3-86309-729-5 (Druckausgabe) eISBN: 978-3-86309-730-1 (Online-Ausgabe) URN: urn:nbn:de:bvb:473-irb-477554 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.20378/irb-47755 Table of Contents Preface............................................................................................................7 Christian–Muslim Relations in Europe. History and profile of the Journées d’Arras...............................................11 Rituals and Inter-religious Encounters. Transformations in Scandinavian countries .............................................39 Inter-religious Co-operation in Europe. The example of the European Council of Religious Leaders ...................71 Religions as Civil Actors. Current global strategies for inter-religious co-operation ........................89 The Author.................................................................................................123 Preface Mobility has grown significantly in recent decades. Many societies, which have been shaped by culture, religion and tradition that have grown over centuries, are transforming into multi-cultural and multi-religious societies. The globalization of information and communication technologies has accelerated this development. International migration of workers, students and experts has become normal in many regions of the earth. Flight for reasons of war or persecution have brought people to other countries and has created new challenges within these societies. Logically, religious communities are also strongly affected by these de- mographic and cultural developments. People of different religions who did not know each other personally in earlier decades and centuries now live door to door in many societies. This also means new challenges for the coexistence and cooperation of religious communities. On the one hand, they have become partners in a »religious market« of the respective living environment and, on the other hand, they have become global players due to their spread to numerous countries. The articles in this volume take a closer look at a number of develop- ments in inter-religious co-operation. What challenges and opportunities do such collaborations offer? What is the benefit of interfaith dialogues and collaborations? Are there similarities between religions that make co- operation meaningful? Do inter-religious councils and round tables own common goals or are they just the pastime of people interested in inter- cultural issues? What are the shared convictions and objectives to pursue? Where are the limits to not giving up your own identity or profile? There 8 Martin Affolderbach is no doubt that working with others has an impact on your own self-im- age. The first essay »Christian–Muslim Relations in Europe. History and profile of the Journées d’Arras« describes the network of representatives of the churches in Europe on Islam which has existed for around forty years. This group addresses issues regarding the presence of Islam on this continent. In contact with Muslim partners, experiences and assess- ments were exchanged in order to clarify church work in a rather complex and sometimes controversial field. »Rituals and Inter-religious Encounters. Transformations in Scandina- vian countries« is the title of the second article which is devoted to current developments in a region that is historically characterized by Protestant Christianity. Three documents from Denmark, Norway and Sweden are analysed to illustrate the considerations taking place, how the presence of people of other religions and beliefs affects the form and order of church rituals. The third article on »Inter-religious Co-operation in Europe. The exam- ple of the European Council of Religious Leaders« is intended to provide some information and assessments on efforts to build cooperation among leaders from religious communities at the European level. The develop- ment and the present character of the work of the network are of particular relevance, since it will certainly play an increasingly important role in the context of the social and political constellations in Europe in the coming years as the network is foreseen to be developed further. The last article »Religions as Civil Actors. Current global strategies for inter-religious co-operation« analyses the current priorities and strategies of Religions for Peace International, a global network that can look back on around 50 years of existence in 2020. In August 2019, Religions for Peace International held its 10th World Assembly in Germany, in Lindau at Lake Constance, and adopted key topics and projects for the coming years. These priorities are a plea for an active and committed formation and promotion of peaceful coexistence and a responsible lifestyle within the context of the current ecological challenges. The four articles are intended to provide an overview for interested readers and for those who are already involved in this field as well as those looking for further information, contacts and opportunities to con- Preface 9 nect. Readers familiar with the examples may miss numerous details and cross-references. Much that would have been worth mentioning had to be left out in favour of providing a succinct account. There are undoubtedly many aspects that need further examination and unanswered questions that invite further examinations and studies. Perhaps these articles en- courage this. The first three articles were published in German under the title »The religious dialogue is pushing into the church. European developments« (Der Religionsdialog drängt in die Kirche. Europäische Entwicklungen) as EZW-Texts 261, Berlin, 2019. This English publication presents a revised and updated version of the original articles. I would like to thank everyone very cordially who has helped me with information and assessments to supplement, clarify and substantiate my personal experience in the fields described. Their names are mentioned in the respective articles. At this point I would particularly like to thank Dr. Julia Affolderbach, University of Trier, very warmly for her careful re- view of the English text. Dr. Ken Chitwood, Freie Universität Berlin, de- serves a heartfelt thanks for useful hints. I am also very grateful to the University of Bamberg and the editors of the Bamberg Theological Studies series, mainly Prof. Dr. Konstantin Lindner and Prof. Dr. Klaus Bieber- stein, for the inclusion of the volume in the series of the University of Bamberg Press. Martin Affolderbach Nuremberg, March 2020 Christian–Muslim Relations in Europe History and profile of the Journées d’Arras In some European countries Muslims can look back on a very long history of their presence, in other European countries the immigration of Muslims dates back only a few decade mainly related to labor migration in the period after the Second World War. The churches in Europe are among those actors who have very actively and intensively taken up the questions of living together with Muslims in the past decades and at the same time reconsidered their understanding of themselves in the context of other re- ligions. The relationship between Christianity and Islam has thus become one of the most important fields of reflection on inter-religious subjects and inter-religious cooperation. There are many areas in which a good and trusting Christian-Muslim co-operation exists. But there are also fields in which both Christian and Muslim negative stereotypes exist and the relationship is burdened by radicalization. These challenges make co-operation difficult or sometimes even impossible. In the following, the Journées d’Arras will be used to illustrate how challenges to Christian-Muslim relations are addressed at the European level. The Journées d’Arras are a European network with a history of more than 40 years. It