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A common creation story? interreligious dialogue and ecology

Knitter, Paul

This essay explores the contemporary proposal that our scientific understanding of the earth—how it originated and how it functions—can serve as a common creation story for all religions and as the basis, therefore, for interreligious dialogue. Recognizing the danger that such a proposal can become another "meta-narrative" imposed by the West, the author suggests that these dangers might be avoided if the religious communities approach the earth first of all as an ethical story rather than a creation story. By first taking up, together, the ethical challenges of an endangered planet, the religions can determine the common ground on which they might, as a second step, hear each other's religious stories about the earth and develop, together, a common creation story. The shared praxis of ecological engagement can become the common ground for deeper ecological religious dialogue.

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Journal of Ecumenical Studies

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Union Theological Seminary
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April 11, 2012