Dialogical Theology Moored in Buber’s Dialogical Philosophy
Creators: name: Meir, Ephraim
Publisher: name: Zeitschrift für christlich-jüdische Begegnung im Kontext
Year: 2021

description: A growing interreligious theology is a challenge for any confessional theology. In confessional theology, one reflects first of all upon the own tradition and only in a second step upon the relation with other religions. The interreligious theologian does not bracket the own particular standpoint, but her goal is to come to an understanding of the multi-perspectival approach of the Ultimate Reality. Thus, interreligious theology brings a major shift in theology: its method is dialogical and its basis is concrete dialogue between religions. Instead of rather exclusively focusing upon the own as in a religion-specific theology, its scope is global and concerns the faith of all. The first part of this article describes dialogical theology as a game changer, a paradigm shift. The second part shows how Buber’s dialogical philosophy as it comes to the fore in I and Thou inspires this new theology. 2 Classical theology worked frequently with the superiority of the own and the inferiority of other religions. If one did not opt for an exclusivist position, one admitted in an inclusivist standpoint stating that some truth is present in the other religions, but the all truth would lie in the own religion. 3 Dialogical theology, on the contrary, takes the religious other serious as equal partner in the interreligious dialogue. It is unescapably transformational, because of the widening of the horizon, which allows lively contact with religious others that have their own, genuine access to the Ultimate Reality. In the course of the interreligious meeting, the prejudices of a person who engages in deep listening to and serious dialogue with religious others become clear. This leads to a revision of previous standpoints and eventually to a reimagining of the own tradition in confrontation with the wisdom of other traditions. One does not leave a dialogue in the same way one entered into it. The encounter with religious others may lead to modifications or corrections of the own viewpoint, to the adoption of multiple belonging and participation or – less radically – to an enrichment of the own position. It may also lead to an abandonment of one’s original religious position and the adoption and embracement of another, more fitting position. To take seriously different values and viewpoints of the dialogue partner as relevant for one’s own understanding is part and parcel of any creative interreligious dialogue. Buddhists, for instance, are challenged by Jews who insist that contact with the transcendent implies the realization of social justice. Jews in turn are challenged by Buddhists who deem that tranquility of mind through non-attachment is necessary as part of the experience of the transcendent reality of nirvana. Real dialogue invites the participants to see their mutual different experiences of the Ultimate Reality as challenging and eventually to revise central theological categories. Jews have access to the Higher Reality through justice, Buddhist through wisdom. Can wisdom without justice and can justice really exist without mindfulness?
description: Zeitschrift für christlich-jüdische Begegnung im Kontext, Nr. 01-02 (2018): Martin Buber. Neue Interpretationen