Papers presented by the Elijah Interfaith Academy Think Tank in preparation for the meeting of World Religious Leaders
December 14-17, 2003 Seville, Spain
The papers were prepared by an inter-religious think-tank, formed by the Elijah Academy in collaboration with McGill University's Faculty of Religious Studies (see below for contributors). The think-tank was organized as a pilot project, paving the way to the establishment of a permanent institution devoted to collaborative inter-faith reflections. These will be carried out by scholars of world religions,who will address,together and in dialogue,pressing issues that society brings to the consideration of all world religions.
The topic of the religious attitude to the Other was chosen as a gateway to future conversations and research to be carried out in the framework of the Academy. The issue of xenophobia is a contemporary global problem. The choice of topic allowed the think tank to address both a contemporary social ill and underlying fundamental issues relevant to the very project of interreligious dialogue and interreligious collaboration. It was thought that reflection upon this issue may open up conversation in ways that would suggest subjects for continuing reflection at the Interfaith Academy.
Papers represent the perspectives of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism.
