Die Kirchen und der interreligiöse Dialog: eine altkatholische Perspektive

Interreligious dialogue, active since the middle of the 20th century, is pursued by many churches at various levels. Within the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht, no official, theologically-based statement on interreligious dialogue has been published to date, despite diverse Old Catholic involvement in interreligious dialogue. In Old Catholic theology, theological challenges are often the focus of bilateral ecumenical dialogues. So far, none of these dialogues have dealt with interreligious issues. As a result, Old Catholic theology has yet to grasp the opportunity to engage with the theology of interreligious dialogue. In this study, theological justifications for interreligious dialogue in official statements, by churches with which the Old Catholic Churches are associated, are analyzed. These will be brought into dialogue with foundational Old Catholic texts. The aim is to develop a theological basis that enables the Old Catholic Churches to find and articulate their own position on interreligious dialogue.