Using virtual reality and 360-degree video in the religious studies classroom: An experiment

Humbling the Discourse: Why Interfaith Dialogue, Religious Pluralism, Liberation Theology, and Secular Humanism Are Needed for a Robust Public Square

This essay responds to the three main position papers of the 2018 CIAS workshop, which were published in Religion & Theology 26, no 1&2 (2019) The main thrust of the essay relates to the concept of hermeneutics and the location of the discourse of comparative hermeneutics The essay defines the fundamental question at stake as a question of discourse From this basis, the paper proceeds to consider four main issues that constitute the framework for conceiving a Centre for the Interpretation of Authoritative Scripture: to wit, historicising of scripture and tradition, the character of texts and textual traditions and canons, comparative religion and hermeneutics as discourse and the implied definition of religion (and of religion as social discourse) Firstly, comparative hermeneutics raises the problem of what a tradition is What constitutes its essential identity? Secondly, it is possible, and this essay explores this line, to redescribe hermeneutics as a social discourse, that is, to understand interpretation as social interaction It is when the concept of religion is historicised, and the complex and contestatious processes of social and identity-formation are investigated, that the social discursivity, authority construction and power-effects, and the ideological work performed by tradition-formation can be brought to light In this manner, the essay argues for the de-essentialisation of religious traditions such that it is possible to think beyond narrowly delimited boundaries and rather see the common human activity of social discourse productions that bind adherents of different religious traditions in a given social aggregation together – which enables thinking common social purposes

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Comparative hermeneutics, social action, and metanarratives: a response

There is a gap between ideal Islam and real Islam. Ideal Islam means peace, greeting, safety, salvation, and conceptually means absolute submission to God`s Will. Real Islam resembles unresolved conflicts in some communities and unpleasant meanings to some non-Muslims. To minimize the gap, it is important to socialize peaceful Islamic values in the community through education. This study aims to explain Pendidikan Perdamaian Berbasis Islam (PPBI, the Islam-based Peace Education) program initiated by Pusat Studi Budaya dan Perubahan Sosial (PSB-PS, the Center for the Study of Culture and Social Change) at Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS). This participatory action research is especially to reveal Islamic values identified in the PPBI program in terms of its uniqueness, implementation, reflection, and implication. Based on the Sirah of the Prophet and the Al-Qur’an, the PPBI program has identified 15 Islamic values which contribute to peacebuilding. Those values were used as core contents of PPBI’s handbook and classroom program. The program has been implemented through series of activities ranging from seminars, FGDs, workshops, training of teachers, publication of books, and classroom implementation. PPBI program based on nonviolence and peacebuilding assumptions, i.e. to build a culture of peace, is designed as the formal peace education through learning materials and classroom processes either in any existing course or co-curricular activities.

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Islam-based peace education: values, program, reflection and implication

In the past two decades, scriptural reasoning (SR) has gained wide acceptance as a promising new method of interreligious dialogue among Jews, Christians, and Muslims and is rapidly gaining attention all over the world. SR as interfaith dialogue between the Abrahamic religions emerged in an Anglo-American context in the early 1990s. The first long-term experiment of SR in China was carried out in Beijing from December 2014 to September 2015 as a cooperative project between the Minzu University of China and the University of Helsinki. This SR included the sacred texts of the Chinese traditions of Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism alongside the canonical texts of Christianity (both Catholic and Protestant) and Islam. All the scriptural faith traditions of China were represented in this dialogue. The process of SR was carefully researched by Dr Li Huawei; the results show that it is justified to say that SR seems well-suited as a method of interfaith dialogue between the main faith traditions of China. We may assume that SR in China will have far-reaching influence in the future.

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Scriptural Reasoning as a Method of Interreligious Dialogue in China

The Wiley‐Blackwell Companion to Inter‐religious Dialogue. Edited by CatherineCornille. Pp. xvii, 490, Malden, MA, Wiley‐Blackwell, 2013, $195.00.

Comparative Theology in the Millennial Classroom : Hybrid Identities, Negotiated Boundaries

Although comparative theology is a continuously growing method in the study of religion, it is still relatively new and not widely accepted in either confessional or secular institutions. Scholars may face difficulty when seeking their institutions' acceptance for a comparative theology course. One way of generating interest and approval for such a course is by designing it from the center of the institution's mission. Professors can look to the institution's mission as a resource for teaching comparatively. We offer four examples from Catholic institutions of how this might be done. Reid Locklin offers further insights in his response to our explorations.

Teaching Comparative Theology from an Institution's Mission

Research begins with good questions. Undergraduate students often struggle with research projects because they do not know how to pose good research questions. This note describes a teaching strategy that is collaborative and digital, and enables students to practice asking research questions and acquire skills for evaluating them collectively. Working in groups and through a digital medium, students query each other's research interests and, in turn, inhabit the kinds of conversational practices that characterize authentic scholarly discourse.

Mara Brecht

Papers

The Wiley‐Blackwell Companion to Inter‐religious Dialogue. Edited by CatherineCornille. Pp. xvii, 490, Malden, MA, Wiley‐Blackwell, 2013, $195.00.

Comparative Theology in the Millennial Classroom : Hybrid Identities, Negotiated Boundaries

Teaching Comparative Theology from an Institution's Mission

Collaborative Questioning through Digital Media: A Strategy for Catalyzing Student Research “Conversations”