Today’s pluralistic society, in which democracies are founded on procedures agreed upon, urges us to reflect carefully on the ethical, juridical and economic praxis common to all humanity. It is by now a commonly shared idea that it is necessary to translate the concepts deriving from one’s various religious and cultural traditions into public argumentation. […]

Interview with Cardinal Angelo Scola of Venice by John L. Allen Jr. One noteworthy recent initiative in Catholic/Muslim relations is the Oasis project, launched by Cardinal Angelo Scola of Venice in 2004. Though Oasis does not shy away from theological conversation, its accent is on understanding Islamic cultures, sometimes expressed as the ‘Islam of the […]

“Oasis is called to an exploration of the role of traditions in the time of the mestizaje of civilisations as a place of the inevitable interpretation of every faith. These interpretations are the subject of a continual narrative and dialogue between the subjects that live in our plural societies. Without, however, ever forgetting the ultimate […]

On February 2007 cardinal Scola has met Rabbi Israel Singer and Seyyed Hossein Nasr at a forum sponsored by the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations. Here’s the article appeared in the National Catholic Register by Pete Sheehan. NEW YORK – Despite difficulties, Christianity, Islam and Judaism can work together […]

On the occasion of his encounter with representatives of Muslim communities in Germany on 20 August 2005, Pope Benedict XVI re-emphasised that “interreligious and intercultural dialogue between Christians and Muslims cannot be reduced to an occasional option. It is in fact a vital necessity, and our future depends to a great extent upon it”. Here […]

1. The “Gods Are Back” With the end of the age of utopias, the end to what Lyotard refers to as the age of the “Grand Narratives” , the growing influence of religions and sects around the world, especially of Islam, is at odds with the view that prevailed after 1945, namely that religion’s social […]

A bright and sunny day welcomed the Oasis meeting in Amman last June. More than 70 people of every nationality coming from everywhere met for three days to talk about religious freedom. Before they got down to business they spent a whole day visiting some of the country’s most historically significant locations like Mount Nebo, […]

A Compelling Fact No one can fail to recognise how delicate the contemporary geopolitical situation is and how many clouds are gathering over the peaceful co-existence between peoples, but at the same time, also, how many unprecedented horizons are opened up by the current historical situation to individuals, to communities, and to nations. Specifically as […]