Higher Education for Social Transformation(HEST) program aims to bring Higher Education institutions and Social Centres of the Society of Jesus in Europe together so that they can contribute to the real changes our societies need by developing sound research.
The topic on Christian Muslim Relations gathers a cluster of Jesuit Higher Education Institutions working on the study of Islam itself, Christian-Muslim interreligious dialogue and dialogue with Islam on social issues. The goal is to connect the research of these institutions with other networks (social centers, schools…) of the Jesuit apostolate in Europe. The basic idea is that those engaged in academic research can be challenged by realities in the ground while those advocating for change on the ground can benefit from high quality research.
The main trait that all the members have in common is the will to approach Islam and Christian-Muslim relationships in a way that reflects Ignatian spirituality’s main characteristics. The development of an Ignatian inspired methodology of dialogue with Islam – in the line of past historical contacts between Jesuits and Muslims – becomes then a main goal of our cluster.
Because on the main traits of Ignatian spirituality is the desire to contemplate our present world as God does and be moved to action by that contemplation, we take as a goal in our cluster to develop a certain transformative social influence in the field of dialogue with the Muslim tradition. This goal coincides with HEST ultimate inspiration. This influence is extremely needed in fields like education, social integration of migrants, development of religious freedom and other basic rights…
At the same time, as scholars, we feel responsible for doing a high quality and rigorous academic work that includes a deep and long study of Muslim and Christian sources. Only such a work may actually contribute to real progress in Christian-Muslim interreligious dialogue and may offer the Church a view of itself that overcome prejudices and facilitate entering in relations and working with Muslim communities.
In the best of the Jesuit tradition, we want to articulate such rigorous academic approach with a more transformative one as the best way to produce real and fruitful knowledge. The diversity of our institutions and of their contexts may be very helpful in order to achieve such an articulation.
All these efforts will necessarily require a direct contact with Muslim communities and individuals, our relationships and friendships with them will make real our desire to contribute to Muslim-Christian dialogue. We hope to share and foster such key relationships.
Ultimately, as scholars working in this fields and as members of Jesuit institutions, we want to be an instrument at the service of the Society of Jesus’s mission in Europe (and the Middle East?), which has as one of its priorities the Christian-Muslim relationships.
History
The Cluster was created in 2016. Since then, we have had regular meetings: Granada (2017), Innsbruck (2019), Warsaw (2021) and Bilbao (2023) In these meetings different researchers present their papers that are then discussed by the group.
Since the academic year 2022-2023 the cluster is offering annually an on-line course on “Theology of Christian-Muslim relations” for the institutions of the Kircher Network and beyond. Each of the course sessions is led by a professor from the network, ensuring that the course contributes to developing a common mindset within the Cluster.
Also, since 2022 the Cluster started to offer webinars on Christian-Muslim relations through the Kircher Network channels. The topics of these webinars have been topics like this: Comparative theology and Christian-Muslim relations, Democracy and religious traditions, Chism revisited, Islam and Democracy… the last webinar organized was titled: The Muslim Difference: The historical roots of the Islamic discourse on making a difference.
Present activity
At the present day the cluster is offering the following activities:
- On-line course on Theology of Christian-Muslim Dialogue.
- Two Webinars every academic year.
- A study week in Granada (July 2024) to reflect on the living together of Christian and Muslims.
