Interfaith Relations
"Participating in inter-religious dialogue is, I have discovered, one of the best ways to get to know people of other religions and what they believe, as well as an opportunity to gain a better understanding of one’s own religious tradition and how it can contribute to society in general."
In my ministry I get to meet with many interesting people such as the women in the Women’s Interfaith Network, and the young people and dedicated leaders of other faiths in associations such the Australian National Dialogue of Christians, Jews and Muslims. These networks and activities are the real grounding of interfaith relations.
My interfaith activities include chairing the Commission for Interfaith Relations in the Diocese of Broken Bay and contributing through the website of The Dominican Centre for Interfaith Ministry and Research.
At times I have also participated in international meetings such as the Regional Interfaith Dialogues for Peace, Harmony and Cooperation organized by the Australian Government with its regional partners.
I do research in interfaith contexts and have produced reports such as the study titled “Three Generations of Women in Iraq.”
I believe that, as we deepen our relations with people of other faiths, we experience progress through three stages: at first we get to know individual people as people; in the second stage we find common ground and begin to cooperate together in small ways, organizing common projects such as the Abraham Conferences; in a third stage this initial cooperation develops into a sustained working together for the greater good of society, such as we see in Australia in the Sydney Alliance.
There is an often quoted saying by Hans Kung, a Professor of Ecumenical Theology and President of the Foundation for a Global Ethic , "There will be no peace among the nations without peace among the religions. There will be no peace among the religions without dialogue among the religions." Interfaith ministry is both challenging and rewarding.
