March, 2006
The objective of this project is to help religions create contemporary theologies regarding other world religions. It will be realized through the creation of multiple teams of scholars, each representing a different religious tradition. Scholarly work will be carried out to help religions recognize and bring to light their theological potential for developing interreligious dialogue. This will encourage the advancement of such work within each of the religions.
A planning meeting on the theme “Towards a Muslim Theology of World Religion” took place in March 2006, with the support of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Its success paved the way for a three year grant from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Directed by Prof. Vincent Cornell, the first meeting to take place under this project grant was held in Ifrane, Morocco in May 2007 (pictured below). The meeting had three goals, all of which were successfully met.
A. A broad community of scholars was created, to carry forth the project. There was a sense of excitement, enthusiasm, novelty and great importance attached to this project. Participants in the conference constituted themselves as a community of research and reflection, ready to take the project forward.
B. A conceptual framework, that had been previously suggested by an academic executive committee, was affirmed and accepted as the working basis for the project. The conceptual framework recognizes nine areas of thought that require further attention over coming years, as part of developing a contemporary Muslim theology of world religions.
C. Finally, a multi-year research cycle has been put into place, with participants breaking into small research groups that will systematically examine these topics over the coming years.
At the end of 2008/beginning of 2009, the research groups are convening to examine the following topics:
1. Reason and Scripture
2. Universalism and Particularism
3. Providence and Free Choice
More information on the research groups’ work will be posted accordingly.
