Interreligious Dialogue to Promote Environmental Flourishing: An Ongoing Imperative

Interreligious Dialogue to Promote Environmental Flourishing: An Ongoing Imperative

June 2023

Anthony Le Duc

Abstract

In today's world, as the global community grapples with escalating environmental crises and other issues plaguing humanity, there is need for collective action that transcends national, cultural, and religious boundaries. This paper explores the significance of interreligious dialogue in addressing environmental challenges and promoting ecological flourishing. It highlights the moral responsibility emphasized by diverse religious traditions to protect and nurture the environment. Through interfaith collaboration, individuals and communities can collectively engage in environmental stewardship based on shared values and teachings. The paper discusses the imperative of interreligious dialogue, its role in addressing environmental concerns, and its potential to foster environmental flourishing through various forms of dialogue – dialogue of life, dialogue of action, dialogue of religious experience, and dialogue of theological exchange. It argues that interreligious dialogue (re)contextualized to environmental concerns is an urgent and ongoing imperative and an opportunity for solidarity among people of diverse faiths and worldviews, fostering a harmonious relationship with the Earth as humanity’s common home.

Keywords: interreligious dialogue, environmental crisis, ecology, interfaith collaboration

1. Introduction

In our modern era, as the global community faces escalating environmental challenges, the need for collective action to address ecological crises becomes increasingly pressing. In this context, interreligious dialogue emerges as a potent and vital tool to promote environmental flourishing. Recognizing the interdependence between human beings and the natural world, numerous religious traditions have emphasized the moral imperative to safeguard and nurture the environment. By engaging in interreligious dialogue, individuals and communities from diverse religious backgrounds can join forces, drawing upon shared values and teachings, to forge a collaborative approach towards environmental stewardship. This paper explores the ongoing imperative of interreligious dialogue as a means to foster environmental flourishing in our time. By examining the potential of interfaith collaboration, we can uncover insights and strategies that inspire sustainable practices and nurture a harmonious relationship between humanity and the natural world.

This paper delves into the imperative by discussing the following: 1) the need for interreligious dialogue in the contemporary world; 2) the need for interreligious dialogue to address environmental concerns; and 3) the ways to promote environmental flourishing through the four forms of dialogue—dialogue of life, dialogue of action, dialogue of religious experience, and dialogue of theological exchange. The thesis of this paper is that interreligious dialogue to respond to the concerns regarding the environment is an imperative because it is not only a matter of urgency but also an opportunity for people of diverse faiths and worldviews to stand in solidarity with one another and with the Earth—our common home.