The next CRCS&ICRS Wednesday Forum will talk about “Christian-Muslim Relations in the Philippines: Perspectives for Inter-religious Dialogue”. The discussion will be held on Wednesday, March 26, 2008. The key speaker will be Jerson Benia Narciso. Jerson Benia Narciso is a doctor candidate in religious studies at Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies (ICRS). He earned his Master of Divinity in 1995 at Central Philippine University, Jaro, Iloilo Citi, Philippines and Master of Theology at the South East Asia Graduate School of Theology in May 2006. Jerson Benia Narciso has been involved in numerous advocacy works for peace and human rights and other political and ethical issues affecting the lives of the Filipino. He has also served as a local church pastor under the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches for more than 11 years.
The discussion will be held at the Graduate School of Gadjah Mada University, third floor, room 306, at 13:00 to 15.00. The discussion is free of charge. Please invite your friends to join the discussion.
Below is the abstract which will be presented in the discussion.
Abstract:
Christian-Muslim Relations in the Philippines: Perspectives for Inter-religious Dialogue
By; Jerson Benia Narciso
My interest on Christian-Muslim relations had begun in 1986 when as a seminary student I was invited by the Peace Commission of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) to participate in a two-month Christian-Muslim dialogue program in Mindanao. This program had given me the opportunity not only to engage with some Muslim intellectuals in academic discussions and dialogue, but more importantly, to learn how to live and get along with people within another faith tradition. In 1992 to 1998, I was appointed to serve as member of the Peace Commission of NCCP where I became more actively involved in several peace initiatives and Christian-Muslim dialogue programs especially in Southern Philippines. The NCCP peace program was anchored on the conviction that the conflict in Mindanao could not be resolved by force or violent means. Against the Government
