Interreligious Learning

Taking the theme of learning as central to the responsible practice of interfaith dialogue, Michael Barnes discusses a Christian spirituality which builds on virtues of hospitality and the welcoming of other traditions, whilst maintaining the importance of difference and particularity in the search for meaning. Each chapter explores how faith grows as a person crosses a threshold into another religious world and learns sensitivity to echoes of the known in the unknown. Encounters with the religious other, refracted through texts, conversations, artefacts and places, are used to illustrate the ancient Patristic theme of 'seeds of the Word'. Cumulatively they show that faith which learns how to engage imaginatively with another religious world constantly returns to the 'home' tradition, reinvigorated in its appreciation of the other. This book contributes to current comparative theology studies, using a theological approach to interreligious studies complementary to one based on the experience of interpersonal relations.

• Proposes an alternative model for theology of religions based on cultivation of learning, making an important contribution to current comparative theology studies
• Argues for the significance of difference and particularity in the search for meaning, underlining the importance of religious diversity in today's world
• Readers are encouraged to bring their own experience to bear upon the complex issues raised by interreligious relations, making the study relevant to everyday life