By Midhun J Francis
New Delhi: Christians and Muslims attended the online review of Jesuit Father Joseph Victor Edwin’s book, “A New Spirit in Christian-Muslim Relations in India: Three Jesuit Pioneers.”
Michael Calabria, an American Franciscan began his review on July 4 saying that Father Edwin demonstrates two key aspects of Christian-Muslim relations in our time: the Jesuit heritage and the South Asian context, a unique combination that is centuries old and yet timelessly relevant.
He also stated that the author demonstrates that peaceful and productive relations between Christians and Muslims are based not only on exemplary scholarship from both traditions, but also on openness to the Divine’s presence in the other and an embrace of the other believer as a brother or sister.
India’s multi-religious culture presents to the scholar and the practitioner of interreligious dialogue and relations. Scholarship and the quality of their relationships are both critical and foundational for correcting past errors and constructing a future that reflects the best of our respective traditions, which he also linked to the relationship between Jesuits and Franciscans, which he affirmed in a Jesuit pope with a Franciscan name.
He also cited St. Francis’ stance toward Islam, saying, “Be subject to every human creature for the love of God.” He also raised concerns about the attitude of the American Catholic TV channel EWTN, as well as statements made by right-wing politicians throughout the world.
The second reviewer, Felix Körner, said that Edwin tackles a key question: how to dialogue as a Christian with Muslims in India? He tackles his question wisely, namely by presenting three models, three Jesuit pioneers of the past decades. With sharp analysis, the book is written beautifully containing strong inspirational power. It is fair to say that Edwin is doing theology in his book: “he offering insight, teaching and placing arguments on key topics in Muslim-Christian Dialogue.”
Körner further said: “There is an exemplary pedagogy in the whole book: Edwin highlights key points, spots the most striking insights of these three Jesuit and arranges them with clarity”. In conclusion, he said “In my view, Edwin’s book is most inspiring and can be used well as textbook for courses, due to the importance of its content, the liveliness of its method, the precision of its language and the clarity of its presentation.”
In the conversation that followed, Michael Calabria pointed out that there is a popular misconception that Christians and Muslims are always clearly at war; contrary, he emphasized that history in contrary presents us with several occasions in history, both Christians and Muslims lived and studied together.
While responding a question on ‘finding dialogue partners,’ Felix Körner pointed out that discernment is the key to the exercise of dialogue with people of other faiths in all levels of dialogue.