1. Modern Means of Communication and Inter-
religious Dialogue-
By Dr Joshva Raja, The United Theological
College, Bangalore
Greetings from WACC-AR,
UTC and BIRD
2. A Muslim Moghul AKbar Built-
Church in Delhi
Dialogue is communication between
two persons or communities
Dialogue is two way communication
Dialogue is participatory
Dialogue is liberative
Saha Navavathu Saha Navbunakthu
May He (God) protect us both together
May He nourish us both together
Sahaviryam Karavavahai May we both work together with great
energy
Thejasvi Navadhithamasthu May our study be vigorous and effective
Ma vidvishavahai May we not hate each other
3. Interreligious Dialogue
• In the Nostra Aetate (2), the churches are called
to urge their sons and daughters to enter with
prudence and charity into discussion and
collaboration with members of other religions.
• “discussions for mutual understanding held among
differing religious bodies” (McKim 1996: 147).
• Interfaith dialogue was understood “as an encounter
between people who live by different faith traditions”
(Ariarajah 1991:4 )
• In the Dominus Iesus “inter-religious dialogue is seen
as part of the churches’ evangelizing mission”
4. Perceptions of Islam in the Media
– A consultation in 2001
Interfaith Yahoogroup – with 170 members
Interfaith Dialogic groups
www.interfaithinteraction.org
Nostra Aetate – A Sincere Call for Dialogue
5. Models of Interfaith Communication
• Coercion Model (Dulles) Unitary Model
• Top-Down Model Tolerance Model
• Triumphalistic Model Developmental Model
• Convergent Model Reconciliation Model
• Dialogical Model Monotheistic Model
• Liberative Model
• Inculturation Model
7. Jesus accepted his listeners
‘as they were’ (Jeeva)
Jesus often listens to his
audiences and even to his
opponents (Jnana)
Jesus Engaged in others’ search
for meanings of Eternal Life…
(Bhakti)
Jesus touch the lepers, healed the sick
and fed the hungry crowd (Karma)
8. Jeeva Marga (Path of life together) –
examples are - Duyog Ramadan
[Fitzgerald 2004:2]
Karma Marga (Path of action
together) - Annaprasadha (sharing of
food). – Bangalore Guru PrabhakarJi
– World Conference on Religion and
Peace has contributed towards the
setting up of an inter-religious council
in Sarajevo and also a similar one
Sierra Leone
Jnana and Dhyana Marga – The Path of
Intellectual and intuitional search together
– RSS-Christian Dialogue
9. Bhakti Marga
Bhakti Marga (the Path of Spiritual experience together–
UTC Bhajans
Advesta sarvabhutanam maitrah karuna eva ca
friendly and compassionate to all
nirmamo nirahamkarah sama dhukha sukha ksami
and without any touch of hatred devoid of
possessiveness and arrogance
santustah satatam yogi yatatma dradha niscayah
ever content and contemplative alike
happiness and misery, self controlled and
firm in conviction
mayy arpita mano buddhir yo mad bhaktah sa me priyah
dedicated to me with all his heart and all
his soul is the real devotee to me and is
dear to me. Srimad Bhagavad Gita 12:12
10. KARMA MARGA – Path of action
ANNAPRASADHA
JNANA MARGA – The Path
of Intellectual discussion
BHAKTI MARGA – the Path of
Spiritual experience
JEEVA MARGA – The path of
Life -together
Inter-
religious
Dialogue
11. Dialogue with the media Personal
N Pani of Times of India talking
to media and scholars
Asghar Ali
Engineer talking
to Journalists
Dialogue among journalists
and religious scholars
Dialogue in India
Bangladesh
Training
To the
streets
Dialogue in Nepal
12. Dialogue through the media
Rev Solomon Raj’s Art
Jyothi Sahi’s art
Church build like
a Mosque and
Temple in
Dornakal
Dialogue in Nepal
13. Programs in Nepal, Bangladesh,
Indoensia and in India –IR
Communicating Networks between
NGOs and Different Religions
Building
Communities
through the
Net
14. Dialogue for Co-existence
Forthe sake of dialogue neither Christians norHindus should beasked tochangetheirfaith
orbeliefs
Thebasic purpose dialogue at grassrootsis to reducethe suspicion that onecommunity
or personhasabout the other
Accepting the other
Listening to the other
Living together with the other
Dialogue in the
Media
15. Culture of the Internet and Interreligious -
Dialogue Can We learn
High Speed, transfer of huge information,
Interactive Communication
Convergent, hypertext technology – user
friendly
Virtual Self, God and I, Spiritual search
for God (one of the most searched
subject is God; 63% Americans used for
Spiritual purposes) – hiding identity
Popularizing e-church, e-fellowships, E-
interreligious communities?
17. Mass
Media
Market Pressure/Profit
motive/increasing space
Negative
/Stereotype
reporting as
Practice
Popularizing
strange things -
fundamentalism
Constructing
Realities:
Turning reality
into a myth…
Media refers to TV/Radio/Newspapers/Magazines/Internet…
Information
Communication
Entertainment
Media play a important positive role in bringing people together
19. Media and Mythical statements
‘Christianity is a slow poison which is
the cause of peace and family felling
among the tribals. Christian
missionaries have made use of
Government resources for the
purposes of conversions’. – Sandesh
Newspaper
missionaries do forceful conversion in
Gujarat -Gujarat Samachar (a daily
newspaper), Nav Gujarat (a daily),
20. Mass Media alone cannot be blamed for the communal
problems. We have not initiated a dialogue at grassroots.
23. Dialogue about Media-
Alternative Communication
A Culture of Dialogue
A culture of Reconciliation,
A Culture of Coexistence
with Justice and Peace
24. Alternative media
characteristics
Dialogic, democratic,
communitarian, local,
participation
Voice of voiceless, minorities
and others
Cheap, easy access,
non-profit, simple, non-
professional
Towards Social
change, human
dignity
and
development
Intercultural in nature, culturally rooted, folk
culture, updated interactive technology
Alternative perspectives and
practices
Space for disabled,
HIV/AIDs infected,
refugees, and less
privileged people
Promote a culture of peace
and harmony
Alternative
Communication
for Dialogue
25. Dialouge in the Media
Dialogue and the Media
Telelvision
Listenging Project
Broadcast Project
Faith and Values
Media
Horizon Interfaith
Internet
Interfaith Interaction
Interfaith Pals
Interfaith internet
Communication
Action Network (ICAN)
26. Integrated Approach for inter-
religious Dialogue
Modern Means of Communication
Dialogue at grassroots
Dialogue among Intellectuals
Dialogue among Religious
leaders
Opinion leaders
Interpersonal
Communication
Group Communication
Community
Communication
Inter-religious
communication,
action, experience
and discussion
Initiatives at
seminaries,
churches and
institutions
Fear, suspicion
and so on
27. Concrete Proposals from my
experience
I urge
1. Theological Colleges to start the Department of
Communication and introduce subjects such as
intercultural and interreligious communication
as research areas.
2. The Christian institutions should establish Media
Monitoring Groups at grassroots, leaders, school
teachers, and so on that would help people to
address the question of representation of
different religious communities in the media
28. 3. An attempt can be made to use
magazines, e-groups or other type of
media to encourage grassroots people to
tell their stories of interreligious
experience.
4. Attempts need to be made to establish a
cordial relationship with the media
personel, particularly to have dialogue
with them about their practices at times.
Will they come?
5. Using our own access to media include
the stories of interreligious experience as
well such as Easter, Christmas speeches
29. 6. Intra-religious dialogue is the first step
before we take up the inter-religious
dialouge. Which means to encourage
people engage in dialogue with us
7. Establishing peace clubs, youth groups,
women and men fellowship that would
discuss about the dialogue between people
of different races, cultures and religions.
8. Popularising the success stories among
the public will be another attempt to
promote dialogue.
