scholarly journals Erasmus of Rotterdam on the Religious Schism in Bohemia (1518-1519): concordia vs tolerantia

Author(s):  
Л.В. Софронова ◽  
А.В. Хазина

В статье исследуется переписка Эразма Роттердамского с чешским дворянином Яном Слехтой (1518-1519). Анализ посланий показывает наличие в Богемии трех крупных религиозных партий: католиков, чашников, Общины чешских братьев, именуемых пикартами, и разрозненных нехристианских сообществ: иудейских общин и сект эпикурейского и николаитского (адамитского) толков. Такой религиозный плюрализм Эразм характеризует как аномалию, как болезнь социума, которую необходимо преодолеть. Предлагаемое им средство состоит в возвращении всех в лоно римской церкви при условии согласия в ключевых положениях христианства. Эразм предлагает не закреплять разъединение через признание за некатолическими группами их прав на отличие, а, наоборот, создать условия для ликвидации этого раскола. Такую позицию Эразма не следует трактовать как принятие религиозного плюрализма, как веротерпимость и толерантность в современном понимании слова. The article examines the correspondence of Erasmus of Rotterdam with the Czech nobleman Jan Slechta (1518-1519). The analysis of the epistles shows that there were three major religious parties in Bohemia: Catholics, Chashniki, a Community of Czech brothers called picarts, and some scattered non-Christian communities: Jewish communities and sects of epicurean and nicolaitean (Adamite) followers. Erasmus characterizes such religious pluralism as an anomaly, as a disease of society that must be overcome. The remedy proposed by the humanist is to restore ecclesiastical unity and return all to the bosom of the Roman Church, provided that all agree on the key points of Christianity. Erasmus proposes not to consolidate the division by tolerating this division and recognizing the rights of non-Catholic groups to differ, but, on the contrary, to create conditions for the elimination of this division. Non-Christian movements should be excluded from interfaith dialogue. This position of Erasmus should not be interpreted as acceptance of religious pluralism, as toleration and tolerance in the modern sense of the word.

Author(s):  
Thomas Albert Howard

In recent decades, organizations committed to interreligious or interfaith dialogue have proliferated, both in the Western and non-Western worlds. Why, how so, and what exactly is interreligious dialogue? These are the touchstone questions of this book, the first major history of interreligious dialogue in the modern age. The book narrates and analyzes several key turning points in the history of interfaith dialogue before examining, in the conclusion, the contemporary landscape. While many have theorized about and/or practiced interreligious dialogue, few have attended carefully to its past, connecting its emergence and spread with broader developments in modern history. Interreligious dialogue — grasped in light of careful, critical attention to its past — holds promise for helping people of diverse faith backgrounds to foster cooperation and knowledge of one another while contributing insight into contemporary, global religious pluralism.


Religions ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Admirand

Our public square is in need of much refurbishment, if not reconstruction. Access for many seems barred by various ideological platforms and walls. Some are deemed too much of this, another too much of that: liberal, religious, anti-Trump, anti-Brexit, pro-life, anti-gay—whatever the label or brand—and some access points are opened, others closed. Gatekeepers are many, deeming who really counts, who really represents. The public square, of course, should be big, bustling, semi-chaotic “places”, rife with ideas, questions, passion, and curiosity, yet measured by standards of decorum, listening, and mutual respect. Most importantly, it should be characterized by a robust (or spunky) humility, aware of its strengths and its weaknesses. It is fair to say that in 2019, our public square could use a little uplift. While certainly not a miracle cure, nor the only possible salves, interfaith dialogue, religious pluralism, liberation theology, and secular humanism have much in their favor to nuance, challenge, and yes, purify our present polarized, and so sometimes catatonic public square. After a brief overview first explaining the title, along with what is meant in this paper by the secular and humility, it will then be argued how interfaith dialogue, religious pluralism, liberation theology, and secular humanism can liberate and purify our public square discourse—namely by practicing and promoting a robust humility.


2003 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 134-136
Author(s):  
Magnus T. Bernhardsson

1n this interesting and well-researched book, Bruce Masters analyses the historyof Chris tian and Jewish communities in the Ottoman Empire's Arabprovinces and how they fared within a Muslim majority and hierarchy. Byand large, this important study is a story of modernization, identity, and ecclesiasticalpolitics that focuses primarily on Christian communities in Aleppo,Syria. The book's main themes are somewhat familiar: How Christian andJewish communities were in an advantageous position to benefit fromincreasing European influence in the Middle East, and how a secular politicalidentity (Arab nationalism) emerged in the Levant. The book's value liesnot in its overarching thesis, but rather in the details of the story and theimpressive research upon which this well-crafted narrative is based.Masters chronicles how the identities of Christians and Jews evolveddue to their increasing contact with western influences, or, as Masters labelsit, "intrusion." The status quo was forever transformed because manyChristians began to distance themselves, economically and socially, fromtheir Muslim neighbors. Masters, a historian who teaches at Connecticut'sWesleyan University, contends that the western intrusion altered Muslimattitudes toward native Christians. In the nineteenth century, local Christianswould serve for some Muslims as "convenient surrogates for the anger thatcould only rarely be expressed directly against the Europeans."Although the Arab provinces experienced serious sectarian strife in thenineteenth century, these antagonisms were, by and large, absent in the ...


Author(s):  
James M. Dorsey

The battle for the soul of Islam is about much more than countering political violence and suppressing political Islam. It is a long-drawn-out, decades-long battle for religious soft power in which multiple Middle Eastern and Asian states compete for recognition as leader of the Muslim world and to be drivers of a largely undefined “moderate,” tolerant, and pluralistic interpretation of an Islam that at a minimum engages in interfaith dialogue. The rivals employ religion to garner favor, empathy, and goodwill in the corridors of power in the United States and Europe as well as among influential Jewish and Christian communities. At the same time, the battle for the soul of Islam is also a struggle to redefine what Islam represents in a 21st-century world.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (02) ◽  
pp. 205-236
Author(s):  
Sri Rosmalina Soedjono

Discourse on religious pluralism emerged in the west along with the demands of globalization. Where the owner of power over the modern world wants an order that can bring together the various inhabitants of the world by removing various religious barriers and a single claim to the truth. But this current of view becomes problematic when it collides with the truth by various existing religions. The rejection is very strong, especially from within the Islamic religion. Although the concept of pluralism meets equality in Islam which means diversity, but the fundamental paradigm on which pluralism is built is very different, Western Pluralism departs from the value of secularism while Pluralism in Islam's view is built on the truth value of the revelation of the Qur'an and Hadith. Diversity according to Islam does not require that there is a truth that must be recognized together, but the truth of each religion must be defended. Furthermore, even though humans have different religions and views of life, according to Islam, fellow human beings must be able to work together within the boundaries of worldly affairs to create a just and compassionate life together with fellow human beings, while still holding fast to their respective religions. Although the atmosphere of interfaith dialogue does not need to be prevented and hindered each other, all in an atmosphere of freedom and harmony.


Author(s):  
Christopher Stroup

This concluding chapter summarizes the findings of this book. It argues that Acts of the Apostles' rhetoric of Jewish and Christian identity should be situated within the context of Roman-era cities, in which ethnic, civic, and religious identities were inseparable. Placing Acts within this broader ethnic discourse emphasizes the Jewishness of Christians, even in Acts. When one reads Acts with an eye to the writer's ethnic reasoning, it becomes clear that Luke did not represent Jews as a static group but instead presented Jewish identity in multiple, hybrid, and complex ways that allowed for the identification of Christian non-Jews as Jews. Luke also employs the ethnic, religious, and civic aspects of Jewish identity to privilege those Jews (and non-Jewish Jews) who follow Jesus. If Acts marks all Christians as Jews and Christian communities as Jewish communities, then the concept of “Christian universalism” should be understood as a particular form of “Jewish universalism.” The chapter then reflects on the use of ethnic reasoning and the challenge of anti-Judaism in the interpretation of Acts today.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-221
Author(s):  
Amos Sukamto

This paper discusses the Ecumenical Protestant-Christian theology toward other religion which is strongly influenced by the context. Sidjabat has slightly concerned about the problem of religious pluralism since inter-religious relation in his time were still relatively respectable. Victor I. Tanja paid more attention to interfaith dialogue because the Indonesian Government has been promoting a lot of interfaith dialogue and activism. Tanja is an arm of the government, in contrast to Sumartana, a theologian associated with an upsetting period where several riots, such as conflict between Christian and Muslim, raised in Surabaya, Situbondo, Tasikmalaya, Ambon and Poso. He thinks it is needed to apply on what so-called theologia religionum, theology of religions.


2019 ◽  
pp. 95-122
Author(s):  
Stacey Gutkowski ◽  
Craig Larkin ◽  
Ana Maria Daou

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