Evaluate The Claim That Migration Is The Primary Cause Of Multi Faith Societies

Question 1

Introduction

Answer 1

• many factors facilitated creation and growth of multi faith societies
• e.g. globalisation (increasing inter connectedness of global society) and post enlightenment emphasis on tolerance and human rights
• migration would be facilitated by former and I think primary cause is the latter

Question 2

1st paragraph

Answer 2

• scriptural reasoning movement
• challenge to interfaith work is how maintain effective dialogue without becoming stale/superficial and area of development is this movement
• developed since 1990s involves open ended practice of reading, reasoning, interpreting texts in dialogue among abrahamics
• Ford calls it ‘first inter faith theology’ because for religion especially abrahamics scripture is foundational for belief, worship and morality
• reasoning refers to close reading and critical explanation of texts is important
• two levels of reasoning: internal reasoning of the text itself like structure, language, context and external reasoning of readers as interpreters reflecting on their situation in light of text
  -critical explanation take place at many levels from technical and scholarly to personal and spiritual regardless must accept not one way to interpret (like Shakespeare) many ways of reading scripture
• advocates argue when scripture read collaboratively and collegiality everyone learns and is enriched in their own religious traditions
• because of this the movement gaining traction and multi faith societies developing as people understand other faiths more and respect and learn them so are open to living with them
• important that this movement doesn’t aim public statements (Dabru emet) or conferences but work in small groups as more personal and allows more open
• Ford present three aims of SR
• First being wisdom: members of SR group committed to quest for knowledge/wisdom involving discussion and dispute
• Second being collegiality: reading texts is shared enterprise, interpretations from different faiths presented and discussed equally
• third being hospitality: texts are read an interpreted without value judgements as must be spirit of openness allows for difference of view and opinions expressed and exchanged
• result isn’t global theology but Fords exchange or ecology of blessings
• important o note it doesn’t need to be ‘dialogue to scholars’ does need members well informed and passionate
• I think SR done at personal and local so resonate more and primary cause of multi faith societies

Question 3

Criticism of 1st paragraph

Answer 3

• Authority of scripture: even in religious tradition various views on what is scriptural authority this affects how person interpret texts
• e.g. if believe scripture exclusively gods revelation might question whether interpretation outside belief system has validity
• for SR to work seems theological assumptions made about nature of revelation in different religions scriptures
• don’t see this convincing as can be avoided if the group prior to beginning agree there differing views on scripture and fruitful conversation can still occur so I think this is primary reason for multi

Question 4

2nd paragraph

Answer 4

• role of mission and conversion
• mission in R.C.C set out in Redemptoris Missio ‘permanent validity of the Church’s missionary mandate’
• can be summarised: inter religious dialogue is part of church evangelising mission as it’s ‘one of its expressions’ and opportunity for it to give explicit account of Christian belief
• dialogue possible with non Christian religions because all religions have spiritual riches even when contain ‘gaps’ and through dialogue Church seeks to uncover rays of truth
• for effective dialogue must be honesty and desire to overcome prejudice and intolerance
• Redemptis Missio gives special role to laity (non ordained members of church) in developing mission through dialogue because they’re witnesses of how Christianity can be lived in everyday life
• arguing all members of Catholic Church have duty to be respectful in dialogue with people of other faiths
• in this way members of church learn more about god’s revelation in non Christian religions and dialogue for ordinary people gives opportunity to see how Christian gospel lived authentically
• CofE aims and practicalities of mission set out in its document Sharing the Gospel of Salvation begins by outlining missionary situation in GB
• and why members of church should be bolder expressing beliefs in society as ‘if we are too cautious of sharing… we deny a little of gods nature’
  -it’s first point is: mission in church is history but in multi faith society it’s to be done with sensitivity and show ‘hospitality’
• second point is: most effective mission is when Christian communities live authentically as Christian’s
• third point is: inter faith only work when motivated by shared sense of ‘common good’ for society as while not from self interest and opportunities for mission (teaching, ministry and chaplaincy)
• document says if mission means proclaim persons beliefs as Christian this should be reason for engaging in inter faith dialogue ‘proclamation isn’t the same as selling a product in the market it means telling people what you think’
• endorses fourfold classification of dialogue: dialogue of daily life (encounters on doorstep), dialogue of the common good (engagement in tasks together beneficial to community), dialogue of mutual understanding (in formalised structures like SR), dialogue of spiritual life (encounters at prayer)
• summary STGS encourages Christian’s to be confident in expressing faith but to do with sensitivity in openness and generosity but hope people come to Christianity

Question 5

Criticism of 2nd paragraph

Answer 5

• don’t think this is primary reason as relies on dedicated Christian’s to go out of their way and convert people
• are some who want to do this but in modern day number is declining
• even when Christian attempts arguably less successful than is as humans naturally entrenched and hard to sway and if not done in right way maybe offensive/annoying
• so it is a factor but not a significant one

Question 6

Third paragraph

Answer 6

-migration itself
- diversity of south so illustrates it had led to multi faith/plural societies and many reasons why one moves from one place to other
- economic improvement, family reunification and safety and in south all as well as others many migrated in the middle of 20th century from former colonies
- during ww2 Jews fled and settled in GB and since there have been refugees and asylum seekers from Africa and Eastern Europe
- result isn’t just proliferation of non Christian religions into nominally Christian country but different for,s of Christian practice like evangelical Pentecostal Christianity from Africa
- aside from social and political effects migration poses challenges for existing mainstream church denominations
-e.g. established Christian communities can’t assume they’re primary provider of religious needs as until recently religous leadership was defaultly Christian
- this gave church certain power and status in communities but now migrants look to own faith leaders
- Michael Barney’s described it as ‘overwhelming’ for some Christian communities and makes it seem migration is prolific and certainly a primary reason however don’t find this convincing

Question 7

Criticism of third paragraph

Answer 7

• migration relies on certain events to occur and therefore affect someone so they want to move
• people do move all the time but largest movements happen when something global happens like war and people need to move to safety but such events are increasingly rare
• a lot of migrants move temporarily with a plan to return to their country of origin when it’s safe and so it’s not a regular and large flow of people just short bursts
• so don’t think migration can be primary reason for multi faith societies

Question 8

What