3. Follow the Women:
Freeing Dialogue
Where are the Women?
Women in Dialogue
Following the Women
A Working Definition:
Interreligious dialogue is a praxis that fosters mutual
enrichment between religions. Through the cultivation of
deep listening and ongoing learning new meanings
emerge in the theological claims we hold and contextual
realities we share.
4. Part I: Where are the Women?
Ecumenical and Interreligious Dialogue
Theology of Religions
6. Where are the women?
That of a new creation in which women and
men together enjoy the wholeness that makes
them partners in the stewardship of God’s
creation.
In this new order of equality, justice, and
peace, socio-economic and political structures
are free and just, and the basic necessities of
all are met.
The liberative and human aspects of our
existing original cultures of our communities
will be reclaimed, nurtured and preserved .
7. Where are the women?
Feminism for Interreligious Dialogue
--Women participating, women’s experience
Interreligious Dialogue for Feminism
--Correcting History and Models
--Critical Voices
--Giving FULL voice
--From remote, narrow, static models
to organic, fluid, dynamic
8. Freeing Dialogue: Post Patriarchal
Theology of Religions and Dialogue
Openness to Transformation
Evolutionary: Not “better” caterpillars but butterflies
9. Rosemary Ruether Radford,
Jeannine Hill Fletcher
Maryann Cusimano Love
Mara Brecht
Sue Levi Elwell,
Part II: Women in Dialogue
Maura O’Neill
Kwok Pui-Lan
Aysha Hidayatullah
Susan Hayward
Katherine Marshall
11. Women in Dialogue
• Population: 6 million
• Religion: 49% Christian, 48%
Muslims, 2.8% ATR
• Educational and Commerce
Center
• Tensions:
– Ethno-religious divides
– Economic, limited
resources
– Islamic law
Kaduna State
13. Women in Dialogue
• Women’s Interfaith Council
• Federation of Muslim Women’s Association in Nigeria
Hajiya Amina Omoti
Hajiya Amina Kazaure
14. Women in Dialogue
1. To correct false ideas about Islamic law
2. To focus on the principles of Islamic law that
provide a foundation for prioritizing justice,
equality, and human rights for all people,
3. To highlight that Islamic law offers important
protections of women’s rights,
4. To develop strategies for monitoring the
implementation of Islamic law in various regions
and to continue interfaith dialogue about this
implementation.
16. Women in Dialogue
• Understanding of Community:
– Islam: “that you may come to know one another”
– African Traditional: Ubuntu
– Christianity: Dignity of Person, Interconnection
“Sisterhood is Serious Business”
“Dissolution of epistemological
and cognitive boundaries…”
19. Women in Dialogue
1. People’s Movement,
People’s Dialogues
(Contextual)
2. Over 500 local networks.
3. Journey and Spiritual
Growth
4. Dialogue as a Journey
21. Women in Dialogue
A personal practice – to cultivate inner strength, self
awareness, self regulation and wisdom
A skill set – to enhance interpersonal relations and
navigate challenging conversation
A process – to bring individuals or groups together to
bridge their differences and transform conflict
A healing gift – to be fully present to a person who
feels marginalized.
22. Women in Dialogue
“Compassion is not a relationship between the healer
and the wounded. It’s a relationship between equals.
Only when we know our own darkness well can we be
present with the darkness of others. Compassion
becomes real when we recognize our shared
humanity.” Pema Chodron
“…we must drop any arrogance of thinking that we know how
it is for another.” Leah Green
24. Part III: Following the Women
Women in Nigeria
--Intrinsic Motivations Virtuous-Doxastic Practices
Women in India
-- Contextual, Comprehensive, Complex
Compassionate Listening Training
--Intercultural Competencies
25. Following the Women
Women in Nigeria: Introspection
-- Evaluating Reasons
-- Power Relations
--Whose missing?
Judith Berling’s Question:
-- “have we treated the religious others as a less
mature version of ourselves…have we set the
categories for ways to interpret another’s tradition?”
26. Following the Women
Women in India: Expanding Intersecting Circles
– Contextual Dialogues
– Social and Political Dialogues
– Engaging Complexity: What areas are needed?
Center for Dharma Studies: Sustainability
27. Following the Women
Compassionate Listening Training
-- Critical Skill: Am I Fully Attentive?
-- Research, Writing, and Compassionate Listening
“Compassion is a muscle, not a secretion”
