Theology as a Resource for Christian-Muslim Dialogues (completed)

Protestant-Sunnite informed dialogue-conferences

Initiator
Univ.-Prof. Dr Susanne Heine, former Chair for Practical Theology and Psychology of Religion, Faculty of Protestant Theology at the University of Vienna

Occasion
Societal reaction to Muslim immigrants is two-fold: rejection on the one hand (as for example as xenophobia and racism) and efforts towards integration based on human right, on the other. Religion (and its theology) is usually left aside, because it is often regarded the cause for conflicts. Religion, however, does play an important role for mutual perception and understanding. A project was thus initiated, at its center religion with a focus on Protestant-Sunnite dialogue to stay within a manageable frame. From the very start, the objective had been to initiate dialogue between experts of interfaith dialogue and to publish a book of the results relating to central theological subject-matters.

Target Groups
Dialogue partners were:

  • Protestant-Lutheran representatives
    • Christian Danz, Prof. for Systematic Theology (University of Vienna)
    • Susanne Heine, Prof. for Practical Theology and Psychology of Religion (University of Vienna)
    • Klaus Hock, Prof. for Religious Studies (University of Rostock)
    • Wolfram Reiss, Prof. for Religious Studies (University of Vienna)
    • Christoph Schwöbel, Prof. for Systematic Theology (University of Tübingen)
  • Sunnite-Muslim Representatives
    • Serdar Günes, doctoral candidate (Universität Frankfurt; participation in discussions)
    • Mouhanad Khorchide, Prof. for Islamic Religious Education (University of Münster)
    • Serdar Kurnaz, doctoral candidate and research assistant (University of Frankfurt, currently professor at the University of Hamburg; participation from 2012)
    • Senad Kusur (Imam of a Bosnian Community in Vienna and Tulln)
    • Ömer Özsoy, Prof. for Koran Exegesis and Hermeneutics (University of Frankfurt)
    • Yasar Sarikaya, Prof. for Islamic Theology and its Didactics (University Gießen), before that Director of the Academy for Islamic Religious Education (Islamische Religionspädagogische Akademie) Wien
    • Abdullah Takim, Prof. for Koran Exegesis, Islamic Philosophy and Mysticism (University of Frankfurt, currently University of Innsbruck)
    • Cemal Tosun, Prof. for Religious Education (University of Ankara)
    • Amir Zaidan (until 2013 director of the post-graduate program for Islamic Religious Education in Vienna.

Objectives
Objectives included determining the theological resources for the protestant-muslim dialogue for the public as well as for educational institutions and to clear up differences with respect to conceptions of faiths where they de facto exist. This was to be implemented through a publication that would, and should, serve as guide for further interreligious dialogues.

Topics
Central theological topics:

  • Records of faith: Bible and Koran
  • The one and only God
  • Humans and Creation
  • Revelation: God for humans
  • Transgression and compassion: meaning, judgment, mercy
  • Voices of the Prophets
  • Jesus and Christ
  • Mohammed: The Prophet of Islam
  • Living responsibly: Moral and ethics
  • Dark sides: Violence and war
  • Lived conviction: Faith
  • Rules in relation to the practice of faith: rites
  • Organizational forms of community
  • Law and legislation

Duration
2007-2010; in 2014 the project was completed.

Activities
Five conferences at the Faculty of Protestant Theology of the University of Vienna, which lasted several days each. From 2012-2014, work was continued by the circle of editors.

Form of Organization
Independent publication. Description: Religions impact on ways of thinking, stances and practice, bearing political consequences. Therefore, in religiously pluralistic societies, solid knowledge and mutual understanding are necessary in order to achieve respectful interaction within this plurality. This book presents the results of discussions, dialogues and talks of a Christian-Muslim research team. It illuminates central religious subject-matters and represents, through its dialogical character and texts that are understood as joint responsibility, the entire process of communications from which it has emerged.

Cooperation with "Theologische Kurse Wien" (Mag. Erhard Lesacher): Special course with book publications as course material, Feb 17-18, 2017 and Apr 28-29, 2017, sponsored by the Cultural Department of the City of Vienna.

Funding
Funded by the Rectorate of the University of Vienna.

Products
Publications:

  • „Voraussetzungen und Regeln für gelingende interreligiöse Gespräche. Ein sprechwissenschaftlicher Beitrag mit sieben Thesen“, in: Die gesellschaftliche Erzeugung von religiös-weltanschaulicher Vielfalt, Pädagogische Horizonte, Private Pädagogische Hochschule der Diözese Linz (Hg.), Heft 4 (1), 2021, print: 101-111; online: https://paedagogische-horizonte.at/index.php/ph/issue/view/6/11. (peer review)
  • „Miteinander sprechen, einander verstehen und respektieren. Reflexionen und Erfahrungen einer evangelischen Christin im christlich-muslimischen Gespräch“, in: Die Islamische Glaubensgemeinschaft in Österreich 1909–1979–2019, Farid Hafez, Rijad Dautović (Hg.), Wien-Hamburg: new academic press, 2019, 273-297.
  • „Radikalisierung. Zur Psychodynamik von Angst, Hass und Gewalt“, in: Wiener Jahrbuch für Theologie: Autor und Autorität, Evangelisch-Theologische Fakultät der Universität Wien (Hg.), Bd. 12, Wien: Vienna University Press, 2019, 299-319 (peer review).
  • „Theologischer Dialog mit dem Islam, Frühjahrsklausurtagung der Bischofskonferenz der VELKD“, Nürnberg, 17.-19.März 2018, EPD-Dokumentation, Nr. 19, 8. Mai 2018:
    • Das christliche Gottesverständnis, 31-36.
    • Die Bibel, 26-30.
    • Thesen zum interreligiösen Gespräch, gem. mit Serdar Kurnaz, 5-6.
    • Bibel und Koran, gem. mit Serdar Kurnaz, 7-9.
    • Gottesverständnis, gem. mit Serdar Kurnaz, 10-14.
  • Susanne Heine, Ömer Özsoy, Christoph Schwöbel, Abdullah Takim (Hg.): Christen und Muslime im Gespräch. Eine Verständigung über Kernthemen der Theologie, Gütersloh 2014, 2. Auflage Herbst 2016.
  • Religiöse Bildung als Gewaltprävention?, in: Friedrich Schweitzer (Hg.), Religion, Politik und Gewalt (documentation of the XII. European Congress for Theology, Berlin, September 2005), Gütersloh 2006, 158-171.
  • Islam in Österreich. Realität - Entwicklungen - Zukunftsperspektiven, in: Grete Anzengruber/Elke Renner (Hg.), Religiöser Fundamentalismus. Informationen - Analysen, "Schulheft" 119/2005, Innsbruck-Wien-Bozen, 2005, 109-123.
  • Liebe oder Krieg. Das Doppelgesicht der Religion, Wien: Picus, 2005.
  • Religion als Treibstoff gewaltsamer Politik. Eine religionspsychologische Perspektive, in: Brigitta Rollett/Marion Herle/Ingrid Braunschmid (Hg.), Eingebettet ins Menschsein: Beispiel Religion, Aktuelle Studien zur religiösen Entwicklung, Bd. 3, Lengerich-Berlin u.a.: Pabst, 2004, 139-145.
  • Zukunft der Religion - Sieben Thesen, in: Karl Acham (Hg.), Zeitdiagnosen 5: Die geistige Signatur des künftigen Europa (documenting of the event series "Masterminds" im Rahmen von Graz - Kulturhauptstadt 2003), Wien: Passagen, 2004, 67-74.
  • Islam in Austria. Between Integration Politics and Persisting Prejudices, in: W.A.R. Shadid/P.S. van Königsveld (Hg.): Intercultural Relations and Religious Authorities: Muslims in the European Union, Leuven [u.a.] 2002, 27-48.
  • The same article, in: Günther Bischof/Anton Pelinka/Hermann Denz (Hg.), Religion in Austria, Contemporary Austrian Studies Vol. 13, New Brunswick (USA) - London: Transaction, Innsbruck 2005, 100-124.
  • Herrschaft und Liebe, in: Werner Brändle/Gerhard Wegner (Hg.), Unverfügbare Gewißheit. Protestantische Wege zum Dialog mit den Religionen, Hannover 1997, 88-105 (zur EXPO 2000).
  • Islam zwischen Selbstbild und Klischee. Eine Religion im österreichischen Schulbuch (Hg.), Köln-Wien 1995.

Website | Social Media | Contact
https://etfpt.univie.ac.at/forschung/susanne-heine/forschung-heine/theologie-als-ressource-des-christlich-muslimischen-gespraechs/

emer. O. Univ.-Prof. Susanne Heine
E-mail: susanne.heine@univie.ac.at

 

editor: wr / update: jk / jv 2022