St Gabriel Institute for Theology of Religions

Information

Conferences: Religio-Theological Symposia

"Christian Faith in the Encounter"
St Gabriel Religio-Theological Symposia
for teachers and researchers at the Theological Faculties

The St Gabriel Religio-Theological Symposia, in teamwork between speakers and other participants, aim at

1. clarifying those questions which the encounter with other religious traditions are asking of the Christian faith,

2. recognizing their relevance for theological research and teaching,

3. developing approaches, concerning methodology or content, for answering those questions in the spirit of Christian faith and in sincere respect for the otherness of the non-Christian religions.

The Symposia are as it were a project in the anteroom of dialogue; they focus on helping to prepare the ground for a fruitful encounter of Christian faith with the other religious traditons.

The programme of the Symposia – always taking a one-week’s period – covers a two year’s cycle for each encounter:

• a one-week basic session, which aims at giving a basic introduction to an authentic interpretation of the respective religious tradition and at jointly elaborating the questions that come up for Christianity in the encounter with it, followed up by

• a one-week advanced session, which strives to integrate the said issues into theological research and teaching in such a way that in the future Christian theology will be limited no longer to inner-Christian questions but, beyond them, will also be pointing towards reflection on the questions which confront the Christian faith in its encounter with the non-Christian religions.

1992 Basic session: Islam
1993 Advanced session: Islam

1994 Basic session: Hinduism
1995 Advanced session: Hinduism

1997 Basic session: Buddhism
1998 Advanced session: Buddhism

Organizers: St Gabriel Theological Faculty, Moedling (Austria)

1st Religio-Theological Symposium St Gabriel
Islam Questioning Christian Theology and Philosophy

Monday, September 21, to Saturday, September 26, 1992
at St Gabriel’s, Moedling

The basic session on Islam strives, in an academic discourse between theologians and orientalists, to elaborate those questions which are particularly relevant for the Christian faith in its encounter with the community of Muslim believers worldwide.

Central ideas and historical developments, characteristic of the Islamic tradition, are presented in the papers by renowned Islam experts and followed up by extensive and detailed discussion in workshops and plenary sessions.

Speakers & Participants and Programme

2nd Religio-Theological Symposium St Gabriel
Christian Faith in Dialogue with Islam

Monday, September 13, to Saturday, September 18, 1993
at St Gabriel’s, Moedling

The main purpose of the advanced session on Islam is a reflection on the basic self-awareness of the Christian faith in its encounter with Islam; it intends to cope carefully with the special situation Christianity faces in its dialogue with Islam.

To this end, core issues of the Christian faith tradition are addressed in the papers that are presented by the Christian scholars and then again thoroughly discussed in the presence of orientalists in the workshops and plenary sessions.

Speakers & Participants and Programme

3rd Religio-Theological Symposium St Gabriel
Hinduism Questioning Christian Theology
and Philosophy

Monday, September 12, to Saturday, September 17, 1994
at St Gabriel’s, Moedling

The basic session on Hinduism aims at introducing in a differentiated manner to Christian theologians the basic self-understanding of Hindu religious traditions, by way of addressing central themes of their venerable history of thought and spirituality. In an intensive discourse between indologists and Christian theologians basic questions are elaborated which confront the Christian faith in the encounter with Hinduism.

Speakers & Participants and Programme

4th Religio-Theological Symposium St Gabriel
Christian Faith in Dialogue with Hinduism

Monday, September 18, to Saturday, September 23, 1995
at St Gabriel’s, Moedling

The advanced session on Christian-Hindu relations reflects on the special situation Christianity faces in the encounter with Hinduism. Christian theologians address in their papers crucial topics of particular significance for the encounter with the Hindu traditions, opening the horizon from various angles for relevant and detailed analyses in the workshops and plenary sessions, which follow every lecture in the presence of scholarly experts on the Hindu history of thought.

Speakers & Participants and Programme

5th Religio-Theological Symposium St Gabriel
Buddhism Questioning Christian Theology
and Philosophy

Monday, September 15, to Saturday, September 20, 1997
at St Gabriel’s, Moedling

The basic session on Buddhism concentrates on the rich variety of Buddhist traditions by considering in particular their relevance for the encounter with the Christian faith. In the interest of such an encounter, experts in the various fields of theology are invited to clarify and deepen their understanding of the Buddhist positions and the specific nature of Buddhist spirituality.

Speakers & Participants and Programme

6th Religio-Theological Symposium St Gabriel
Christian Faith in Dialogue with Buddhism

Monday, September 21, to Saturday, September 26, 1998
at St Gabriel’s, Moedling

The advanced session on Christian-Buddhist relations addresses elements in the Christian tradition of particular interest for these relations. The Symposium is therefore well suited for preparing the ground for a fruitful dialogue between Christian and Buddhist believers, for overcoming prejudices and for fostering mutual respect and understanding.

Speakers & Participants and Programme

Who we are

Publications

Conferences & Meetings

Information

Conferences: Religio-Theological Symposia