National interfaith dialogue series promotes understanding

07 Sep 2015 - by

A series of national public forums organised by the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture (ACC&C) in September aims to promote understanding and tolerance.

In forum discussions in five capital cities and one major regional NSW city, two leading public theological scholars, one Christian and one Muslim, will grapple with the topic, 'Can Christianity and Islam Co-exist? A National Dialogue'.

Executive Director of the ACC&C, Rt Rev'd Prof Stephen Pickard said the forums will feature CSU Professor of Theology Rev'd Prof James Haire, AC, KSJ, and leading Indonesian Muslim scholar and public intellectual Prof Azyumardi Azra, CBE. Prof Azra is Rector and Professor of History at Universitas Islam Negeri in Indonesia.

"This is an important and timely dialogue," Rev'd Prof Stephen Pickard said. "It will address Christian-Muslim relations in the Australian-Indonesian context and seek to build fresh understanding of how people of different faiths and cultures can grow together in understanding and appreciation of one another.

"The forums have been developed with assistance from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, are free, and the first forum starts today in Adelaide, with others to follow in the coming two weeks."

The forums will be held in Adelaide (Wednesday 2), Brisbane (Thursday 3), Port Macquarie (Saturday 5), Melbourne (Monday 7), Canberra (Wednesday 9), and Sydney (Friday 11). More information about venues, times, and registration can be found here.

In Port Macquarie, the forum will be chaired Emeritus Professor Ross Chambers, Chair of the Board of the ACC&C and former CSU Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic). In Canberra, the forum will be chaired by leading Canberra-based journalist Mr Paul Bongiorno, AM, and in Melbourne it will be chaired by distinguished journalist Mr Jim Middleton. In Sydney, television presenter Ms Geraldine Doogue is organising the event for ABC TV's Big Ideas.