• Religious perspectives

Religious perspectives

This article inquires whether genuine intercultural dialogue is feasible between Europe and East Asia, and if so, in which subject areas this could be done productively. It also examines the underlying value patterns which are grounded in religious traditions on both sides and retraces the consequences which Communist rule had on religious practice and ethnic identities of affected societies.

Key points include:

• the main motives and fault lines of armed conflicts in both continents since the cold war show a strong pattern of mostly limited conflicts in the periphery which were usually—but not always, caused by ethnic and/or inter-cultural disputes 
• co-existence with Muslims is difficult both in Europe and in East Asia - but more often than not they appear as victims of aggression rather than as its perpetrators
  
• in view of common values and similar problems, dialogue and cooperation should, and are, perfectly possible and potentially productive
  
• if one is to look for models for inter-religious harmony and tolerance, then one ought to further investigate the history of Buddhist–Taoist–Confucian coexistence in China and of Shinto-Buddhist concomitance in post-war Japan.

• Full text of document
• Publisher details
• Send to a friend