Rethinking Christian Theology
for Religious Plurality
Rev. Dr. Wesley Ariarajah is Professor Emeritus of Ecumenical Theology at the Drew University School of Theology (USA) and is considered one of the leading figures in the area of interfaith relations.
His commitment to and involvement in interfaith dialogue stems from his belief that relationships between peoples of different religions need to be completely rethought for our times.
“Wesley Ariarajah, A Called Life” documentary
A brief story of the life and work of Wesley Ariarajah in interfaith relations from the vantage point of his teaching at Drew Theological School in 2012.
Filmed & edited by James Ault. jamesault.com.
Wesley Ariarajah was formerly the Deputy General Secretary and the Director of the program on Dialogue with People of Other Faiths of the World Council of Churches.
He has authored books such as The Bible and People of Other Faiths, Not Without My Neighbour- Issues in Interfaith Relations, and Your God, My God, Our God- Rethinking Christian Theology for Religious Plurality.
Christianity was the religion of the Roman Empire when it spread into most of Europe, and its expansion into Asia, Africa and Latin America was accompanied by European colonization of these regions. This close association of Christianity to the empire and colonial powers has skewed interfaith relations, where Christianity rejected the validity of other religions, claimed religious and cultural superiority over them, and expected everyone to embrace it as the only way for their spiritual liberation. The three sister religions in the Middle East- Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, have a long history of alienation from each other and even periods of persecution and wars.
Following the conviction expressed in the Second Parliament of World’s Religions that “There will be no peace in the world until there is peace among religions,” and that this can be achieved only through interfaith dialogue, the dialogue ministry seeks to establish a relationship between religious communities based on mutual understanding, mutual respect, and the willingness to accept others in their otherness. Given the history of interfaith relations for centuries, this is a challenging task but would make a very important contribution towards building a Community of communities that live in peace and harmony.