Pluralism towards Authentic Communion: Theology

and Religious Education in Dialogue

Document Analysis

Members:
Basaya, Wayne
De la Vega, Heather Rae
Villanueva, Alexandra Louise
 Introduction

In the event that this is the truth we are into as of now, how can one turned out to be certain
with what he has faith in? How can he make himself conceivable to other people? Could there be
convictions and qualities that one could impart to other people? Especially, how does the truth of
a "pluralized truth" influence crafted by a scholar who considers reality of confidence? To all the
more likely outline these worries, an assessment of the wonder of innovation and its impact on the
idea and routine with regards to individuals will be investigated.

Modernity Pluralizes

According to Max Weber, Karl Marx and Emile Durkheim, Modernity will soon replace
religion as a secular function for the supernatural and the religious. Modernity emphasizes
rationality which enlightens the darkness brought by religion and other superstitious beliefs.
Modernity was not successful in its mission in making society a secular proponent as religion
and religiosity was transformed into new face. Modernity instead branched into plurality. The
phenomenon of reality is very evident as people have different views on different matters.
Plurality was founded through different judgements and views about reality as people were not in
agreement with others thus resulting in plurality.

Modernity Relativizes

As time went on, the old traditions, values, beliefs, practices and norms were challenged
by the new set of values, beliefs and practices which were uncommon to the old standards so it
was deemed foreign in matters. The phenomenon of culture exchange as an effect of migration,
travel, media and communication made these plausible. Modernity was a key to achieve
globalization. Modernity brings forth plurality as the new beliefs challenge the older beliefs as the
people began to question the basis and foundation of them and compares them to other existing
beliefs as well. It relativizes as plurality occurs since the old and new beliefs and traditions are
somehow mixed in the judgement of a person thus making it relative.

I. - Fundamentalism as a Reaction to Modernity

Fundamentalism was a result of absolutes being diluted by relativization. Berger and

Zijderveld distinguished two types of adherents. First is what is regarded as “native” or
“traditional” which means those that were instilled to us from the time of our birth which means
it was beyond our control as to what our choices would suggest. In a religious sense, these are
the people who became a part of a particular faith-tradition. Examples of this is baptism. The
second type of adherent was described as those who converted to other religious beliefs by
choice. They were the ones who decided what religious practice they would like to divulge in
rather than what was chosen for them. There is a clear difference between the two types of
adherence, one of which was chosen for us and one of which we choose to practice.
Plurality’s Implication to theology

The allocation of philosophy isn't the main organization one needs to consider in the horde of
qualities and convictions. Consequently, in a more extensive setting, we could state this event
agrees with all aspects that worry themselves in the clashing pressure among relativism and
fundamentalism because of the majority of convictions and qualities. Here, Stephen Bevans
clarified the purposes behind contextualizing philosophy. The need to express this new awareness
of freedom and self-esteem, in the zone of religious practices and philosophy, is especially
significant. Subsequently, endeavors at logical theologizing must be made.

Confidence, thusly, was comprehended as an individual reaction too. Fourth, a Christianity

which requires a relevant way to handle doing religious philosophy is the catholicity of the
congregation. Following from these propositions, it focused on the instructing about the need of
Church to accomplish salvation. Interreligious discourse, for it to be mission promotion gentes, as
the Church must keep on declaring the need of transformation. China's exploration analyzed the
response and gathering the archive had incited, and its criticalness in the Asian Church. Dominus
Iesus got an overwhelmingly negative remark, as per the investigation. The Federation of Asian
Bishops Conference proposed an elective model of proselytizing – Dialog. Regardless of whether
this event was discourse with societies, with different religions, or with the poor of Asia, the need
for an inculturated and contextualized articulation of confidence, with attendant religious
philosophy to manage, it was upheld by FABC. The likelihood for Religious Education to train
pluralism was put in the correct points of view by the inquiries set by Sara Lee, a Jewish religious
instructor, and Mary Boys, a Catholic religious teacher. Religious Education instructed in the
Christian setting alone would not be sufficient.

Also, as religious philosophy is to be contextualized, the dialogical way to deal with proper and
inculturate, it, is the way to this end. Saying these, we had supported the need to contextualize
philosophy. What's more, this event is the place Interreligious Dialogue in Religious Education
and Theology turns out to be genuinely basic and fundamental. Gabriel Moran, a Catholic teacher
and scholar who has shown Religious Education in Jewish and Christian establishments, gave an
extremely well-suited depiction of the connection between Religious Education and religious
pluralism in our present time. Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist priest, depicts this
discourse like an "organic product plate of mixed greens," found in a characteristic part of the
religious life or life when all is said in done: Religious Education and Theology are not new to
numerous partisan schools and colleges. (Habermas) Other than the belief or manner one conveys,
foundational structures are additionally factors that are of the most extreme thought to bring
interreligious discourse conceivable, if not feasible. Our Asian area has consistently been
religiously plural in setting contrasted with different locales on the planet.

The Meal-table Metaphor: a Dialogical approach in Theology

Meal-table, sharing suggests friendliness, transparency and brings togetherness.

Nourishment and eating have relations to education. Such pictures identify with our requirement
for shared understanding, common regard and common receptiveness now plural world. Second,
the feast table sharing and symbolizes opportunity. Here in the Philippines, it is frequently the poor
who might exhibit such rich cordiality. Thanksgiving customs are constantly bested with feast
table sharing. Compromises and harmony making can likewise be closed with dinner table sharing.
Fourth, the dinner table sharing is likewise an earlier than compromise and harmony making.
Lastly, a dinner table, similitude depicts an open and inclusivist character, once more, a
characteristic Filipino attributes. In eating for example, a Filipino behavior of welcoming anybody
to share in one's filling pitiful the sustenance one is having, is as yet being rehearsed.

Structure Meal-table, sharing as contended above can be a perfect methodology/model for

interreligious comprehension and discourse. While Religious training ,as likewise contended, is
the milieu in any case. is the best approach to see God's picture in the other, even as one insists it
in oneself. Like sustenance to be shared, pluralism harps on assortment, luxuriousness, and dining
experience. The Religious Educator should be reminded that "similarly as nourishment is there for
all to share and appreciate, the sustenance of knowledge and other worldliness is additionally there
for individuals to experience and share." It is by this sharing and joint effort that studying of what
is severe in a religion, particularly all alone, while featuring what is freeing, which must be finished
with much consideration, affectability, and politeness.

Religious Education in Asia is best helped out through the sharing and joint effort of
instructors from the diverse religious gatherings. The Religious instructor ought to likewise be
open towards the individuals who are unique, and must have a view of resistance towards the
individuals who see life in an unexpected way. It is through this that the personality of the supper
just as the partaker is improved by the various fixings and supplements, while, the partaker of the
dinner is fed by the existence the feast table sharing gives. Common studying ends up successful
when made not by fault pointing of one another, however by a legitimate and willful offering of
one's self-scrutinize. It improves the dinner to be shared, similar to life by obtaining and changing
the formula to suit the flavor of the person who eats.-the methodology

In like manner, the sharing of religious lessons from the various religions must be done in
a confession booth mode, similar to a proclamation of affection, not as presentation of obstinate
absolutes, as indicated by Krister Stendahl. It is the point at which the sharing of religious lessons
that individual experience of a devotee to his religion turns out. Another technique in doing
Religious Education is recommended by some Asian ladies who have taken an interest in various
projects on interreligious discourse. A supper table analogy where individuals assemble around it
delineates the substance and sustenance Religious Education tries to get ready and serve that is,
the instruction forever. It ought to be well disposed, welcoming, warm, and inviting climate, these
ought to be reflected all the while and rehearses that Religious Education would like to take.

Communion only becomes real when there is compassion. Religions should be life-giving
like food; they should bring communion like food being shared. To live in a compassionate life is
the only way one could encounter what people called God it is in compassion that one de- thrones
oneself in the center of one’s life, while at the same time, embracing the other as one’s own. This
is what it means to have a genuine dialogue, a communion, and it begins with compassion. As food
comes in different flavors, life as well is of colorful variety. Overall, the image of meal-table
sharing is what all religions and Religious Education should consider and value now that we are
in a pluralistic world. As food to be shared , the sharing of life together entails an adventurous
spirit, a willingness to try, to experience, and appreciate something different, an adventure into the
unknown, a journey into the unfamiliar, a journey to the world of the other.