LESSON 1: INTER RELIGIOUS environment.

DIALOGUE
- Inter-religious dialogue is a crucial tool for
promoting understanding and harmony among
different religious communities.
- It allows individuals to come together to discuss
their beliefs, values, and practices, fostering mutual
respect and empathy.
- In this lesson, we will explore the importance of
inter-religious dialogue and its potential to create
positive change in our society.

DEFINITION AND PURPOSE

- Inter-religious dialogue refers to the exchange of
ideas, perspectives, and experiences between
individuals or groups belonging to different
religions.
- The primary purpose of inter-religious dialogue is
to promote peace, harmony, and cooperation
among diverse religious communities.
- It encourages individuals to transcend religious
differences and work towards common goals,
such as social justice, human rights, and
environmental sustainability.
- Its purpose is to foster mutual understanding,
respect, and cooperation among religious
communities.
BENEFITS
- Increased Understanding and Empathy
o Inter-religious dialogue allows
individuals to gain a deeper
understanding of different
religious traditions, beliefs, and
practices, fostering empathy and
reducing misconceptions and
stereotypes.
- Strengthened Social Cohesion
o By promoting dialogue and
collaboration among diverse religious
communities, inter-religious dialogue
helps build trust, respect, and
cooperation, leading to strengthened
social cohesion and a more inclusive
society.

CHALLENGES
- While inter-religious dialogue has the potential to
bridge divides and foster understanding, it also
faces various challenges.
- Overcoming stereotypes and prejudices is crucial
to creating an open and accepting dialogue
- Additionally, navigating theological differences
and addressing historical conflicts and grievances
requires sensitivity, patience, and a commitment to
finding common ground.
Examples:
- Inter-faith Councils
- Interfaith councils are community-based
organizations that bring together
representatives from different religious
communities to promote dialogue,
understanding, and cooperation at the local
level.
- United Religions Initiative (URI)
- URI is a global grassroots interfaith network
committed to promoting cooperation,
understanding, and sustainable peace among
individuals and communities of different
religions.
- Inter-faith Youth Core
- Interfaith Youth Core is an international non-
profit organization that empowers young people
to lead interfaith dialogue initiatives and
promotes religious pluralism
GUIDELINES FOR EFFECTIVE IRD
 Active listening is crucial in inter-
religious dialogue. It involves fully
engaging in the conversation, seeking to
understand the perspectives of others,
and demonstrating respect and empathy.
 Respecting the beliefs and practice of others
is essential for creating a safe and inclusive
dialogue environment. It is important to
recognize and honor the diversity of religious
traditions and avoid imposing one's own
beliefs on others.
 Finding Common Ground
o Identifying shared values, principles,
and goals can help foster
understanding and collaboration
among different religious communities.
Seeking common ground enables
dialogue participants to focus on areas
of agreement rather than solely on
differences.
 Establishing trust and building relationships is
essential for effective inter-religious dialogue.
Creating spaces for ongoing dialogue,
developing personal connections, and
engaging in joint projects can help foster trust
and strengthen relationships among
participants.
 COMMONALITIES: CHRISTIANITY AND
JUDAISM
Monotheism
 Both Christianity and Judaism are monotheistic
religions, worshipping one God.
 Sacred Texts
o Both religions consider the Hebrew Bible (Old
Testament) as a sacred text.
 Ethics and Morality
o Christianity and Judaism both emphasize the
importance of ethical behavior and moral
values, such as compassion, justice, and love
for one's neighbor.
COMMONALITIES: CHRISTIANITY AND
ISLAM
 Christianity and Islam share several
commonalities, including a belief in
monotheism, a reverence for prophets like
Moses and Jesus, and a focus on ethical
behavior and compassion. Despite theological
differences, both religions promote peace,
justice, and love for one's fellow human beings.
COMMONALITIES: CHRISTIANITY AND
HINDUISM
Concept of Divinity
- Both Christianity and Hinduism recognize the
presence of a divine power that governs the
universe.
 Ethics and Morality
- Christianity and Judaism both emphasize the
importance of ethical behavior and moral values,
such as compassion, justice, and love for one's
neighbor.
 Compassion and Empathy**
- Christianity and Buddhism both emphasize the
importance of compassion, empathy, and loving-
kindness towards all sentient beings.
 Spiritual Growth**
- Both religions offer teachings and practices
that guide individuals towards spiritual growth,
enlightenment, anD liberation from suffering.
COMMONALITIES: CHRISTIANITY AND
TAOISM
Christianity and Taoism share some commonalities,
such as the belief in a higher power or ultimate
reality, the importance of moral conduct, and the
pursuit of spiritual enlightenment. Both religions
offer guidance for leading a meaningful and
virtuous life.
COMMONALITIES: CHRISTIANITY AND
ZOROASTRIANISM
 Belief in Good and Evil
- Both religions recognize the existence of good
and evil forces in the world and emphasize the
importance of choosing good over evil.
 Final Judgment
- Both Christianity and Zoroastrianism believe in
a final judgment where individuals are held
accountable for their actions in life.
 Worship and Rituals
- Both religions involve worship practices and
rituals that help followers connect with the divine
and express their faith. Examples include prayer,
offerings, and participation in religious
ceremonies.
COMMONALITIES: CHRISTIANITY AND
JAINISM
 Non-violence (Ahimsa)
- Both Christianity and Jainism emphasize the
principle of non-violence, advocating for
compassion and harmlessness towards all living
being
 Equality and Justice
- Both religions promote principles of equality
and justice, emphasizing the importance of treating
all individuals with respect and fairness.
COMMONALITIES: CHRISTIANITY AND
SHINTOISM
 Connection with Nature
- Both Christianity and Shintoism recognize the
spiritual significance of nature and believe in the
divine presence within natural elements.
 Purification Rites
- Both religions involve purification rituals and
practices that aim to cleanse individuals from
impurities and restore
 spiritual harmony.
COMMONALITIES: CHRISTIANITY AND
SIKHISM
 Concept of God
- Both religions believe in the existence of a
single, all-loving God who guides and sustains
creation.
 Service to Humanity
- Christianity and Sikhism both emphasize the
importance of selfless service and helping those in
need as an expression of religious devotion.
TAKEAWAYS
- Inter-religious dialogue promotes understanding,
empathy, and cooperation among diverse religious
communities. It allows individuals to transcend
religious differences, address common
challenges, and work towards shared goals.
- Through active listening, respect for differences,
finding common ground, and building trust, inter-
religious dialogue has the potential to foster peace,
social harmony,
PROMOTING IRD
Creating Safe Spaces for Dialogue
Establishing safe spaces where individuals feel
comfortable expressing their beliefs, opinions, and
concerns is essential for promoting inter-religious
dialogue at the community level.
Organizing Interfaith Events’
Organizing interfaith events, such as panel
discussions, workshops, and cultural celebrations,
provides opportunities for individuals from different
religious backgrounds to interact, learn from each
other, and build relationships.
FUTURE OPPURTUNITIES OF IRD
Inter-religious Educational Programs
Developing educational programs that promote
inter-religious literacy, understanding, and dialogue
among students and educators can lay the
foundation for future generations to embrace inter-
religious dialogue.
Collaborative Interfaith Projects
Encouraging collaborative projects and initiatives
between different religious communities can foster
mutual respect, cooperation, and collective action
to address social, environmental, and humanitarian
challenges.
Government and Policy Support
Advocating for government policies and initiatives
that promote religious freedom, interfaith dialogue,
and the protection of minority rights can create an
enabling environment for sustained inter-religious
dialogue.
CONCLUSION
The study on the commonalities between
Christianity and Other Religions will help us
appreciate each other's uniqueness and desire to
find meaning and purpose of our existence. It is
also an attempt to emphasize the need to be
united, to foster respect among all people even in
our diversity through a civilization of love and a
culture of dialogue.
LESSON 1.2: BIBLICAL FOUNDATION
Introduction
Christianity is a religion of love because the founder
is Jesus Christ who taught us to love
unconditionally and calls everyone to love as He
loves.
Covenant between Yahweh and Abraham
 The accounts of the Torah express about the
COVENANT (a reciprocal relationship) between
God and Abraham.
 Abraham the land of Canaan where they could
live forever, He also promised him countless
descendants and the assurance of Yahweh’s
protection.
Covenant renewed and laws given.
However, these promises were put to the test when
the Pharaoh turned the Israelites into slaves. The
chosen people cried for help invoking God’s
promise of protection and Yahweh listened to their
cry and raised a liberator in the person of Moses.
With Yahweh on their side, the Israelites led by
Moses, journeyed to the promise land. Yahweh
made them His chosen people and gave them the
Ten Commandments to govern and guide their way
of life.
Israel now has grown more defined in its identity
and more organized and systematic in living out its
duties towards God as indicated by its laws and
precepts. They evolved into an organized
worshipping community of Yahweh or Qahal
Yahweh, guided by fundamental laws, beliefs and
rituals.
Violation of the Covenant and the great
messianic expectation
Despite God’s goodness, the Israelites gave in to
their own failures and unfaithfulness.
When everything that Israel could do was to turn
their back on Yahweh and grieve in guilt for the
price of their violation, Yahweh never gave up on
them.
Through the prophets, Yahweh revealed His great
compassion and love for His chosen people. And
Israel started to pray and to hope for divine
intervention, for the Savior who would restore the
sacred covenant between Yahweh and His people
and offer a lasting peace, prosperity and stability.
Jesus Christ, the Fulfillment of God’s promise
of salvation
The gospels of Matthew and Luke offer an account
of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth:
 That Jesus was from the lineage of
Joseph (by adoption), David and Abraham
 That his birth was preceded by an
announcement of an angel from the Lord
to Joseph and to Mary
 That the prophecy of Isaiah was realized in
Mary’s virginal conception of Jesus
 That Jesus’ name affirmed his identity as
the Messiah who saved people from their
sins
 That the child Jesus was born in
Bethlehem as a fulfillment of the prophecy
 That people visited and paid homage to
him (Magi and Shepherds)
 That Jesus was conceived by the Holy
Spirit in the womb of a human mother, Mary,
therefore, affirming both the DIVINITY and
HUMANITY of Jesus
Public Ministry
Central in the Public Ministry of Jesus is the
KINGDOM of God:
 Kingdom of God as a Present reality
 Kingdom of God both as a Present and a
Future Reality
 Love: Jesus’ Greatest Commandment
Kingdom of God as a present reality
It is to be embraced as a present moment where
God reveals Himself and His power through the
lives of men and women.
Kingdom of God both as present and a
future reality.
 [Matthew 1:14-15] Jesus is the Messiah, the
realization of the new Kingdom of God. Jesus
fulfilled the Kingdom of God through His
WORDS (teachings) and WORKS (miracles).
 Jesus made the Kingdom of God a pressing
concern: “Repent and Believe in the
Gospel” meant that God’s Kingdom will
demand a reorientation of life.
Love: Jesus’ Greatest Commandment
 The very foundation and origin of love is God
himself for God is love. Finally, God’s ultimate
expression of God’s love culminated in
sending his only begotten Son to redeem a
stubborn, sinful humanity.
Passion, Death and Resurrection
 Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice to atone
for humanity’s sinfulness.
 At the core of Jesus’ death on the cross
is God’s love and forgiveness for
humanity.
Jesus Resurrection is the source of faith,
meaning, and hope
Faith - even His persecutors realized that He is
truly the Son of God
Meaning - all of life’s suffering and miseries would
come to an end.
Hope - in Genesis, Adam brought sin and death
on human being while Jesus, the new Adam,
redeemed us from sins and brought the gift of
eternal salvation.
SYNTHESIS
Our knowledge of the original dynamism of the
Church beginning from the Old Testament and
realized in the person and life of Jesus in the New
Testament may help us to work for unity in the name
of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Christians must
respond to the challenge of the modern times to be
the face of our Savior today. Let us do the mission
that Jesus entrusted to us- SHARE the LOVE of GOD
to the entire world.
 LESSON 2: APOSTLES AND MARTYRS: Palestine. From their home country to the far ends
THE PILLARS OF CHRISTIANITY of the Mediterranean world.
Introduction As a fruit of their toil, converts were not only won
but groups and communities were even built. Thus,
After the resurrection of Jesus, the twelve
the apostles were credited to be responsible for the
apostles were never the same again. They, who
establishment of various Churches in the ancient
were hiding in fear and uncertainty at the time of
Mediterranean world. Christian communities sprang
Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion and were constantly
from the Jewish capital of Jerusalem to the capital
struggling to understand his person and mission,
of the Pagan Empire.
became exemplars of courage and conviction to
their faith in the risen Christ. V. The Martyrs of the Christian Faith
Then there was a time that the life-giving conviction
of the early Christians that Jesus is the God-sent
I. The Ascension of Jesus and the
Messiah faced its life-changing adversary- the test
Great Commission
of persecution and death. The Jewish authorities
Forty (40) days after Jesus’ resurrection, He initiated a religious persecution of the Christians
gathered His disciples and bid farewell to them who were considered to worship a condemned and
saying that He must return to the Father so that He crucified criminal, Jesus.
could send the Holy Spirit to be with them, to be
For them, the act of worshipping a crucified person
their guide, their strength in order for them to be
was an abhorrence before God, equal to idolatry
able to fulfill their mission.
and blasphemy. Thus, Stephen, the first Christian
Since then, the fire of the missionary spirit was lit martyr, was put to trial and later, stoned to death
up and the heart of every apostle was consumed due to his refusal to denounce his faith in Jesus.
by this irresistible calling to be SENT, to PREACH,
Synthesis
to HEAL, to EXORCISE and to BAPTIZE in the
name of Jesus, their Lord and Messiah. The lives of the apostles and the martyrs are
challenging us to search our hearts and ask
II. The Coming of the Holy Spirit
ourselves, in what ways have I made acts of
As promised, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit. Acts of the Christian generosity, dedication and heroism for my
Apostles 2 beautifully described the descent of the faith and love in Jesus? Or if we have not reached
Paraclete to the apostles who waited for its coming. such degree of maturity in our commitment, let us
The apostles were gathered on the upper room examine our intentions, motivations of being and
praying, then, the Holy Spirit came in the form of becoming a Christian, a follower of Jesus and
strong wind and tongues of fire. humbly assess our loving example to our
neighbors, especially to the least of our brethren.
The Holy Spirit descended not only to the apostles After all, we are called Christians for a reason.
but also to the people gathered in Jerusalem on From the witness of the apostles and martyrs who
that festival as manifested in their being able to lived and died for their faith in Jesus, let us all
understand what Peter were saying despite of become truly Christians in words and in deeds.
having different languages coming from faraway
plac:es. The people were moved, convinced, and
converted.
III. The Early Christian Community
Guided by the apostles, the Early Christians
followed “Baptism” and the “Breaking of the Bread”
as ESSENTIAL events of being Christians and
truly lived the teachings of Jesus.
IV. The Missionary Era
The apostles were so restless to preach the Gospel
to “all the ends of the earth” that they started on a
missionary journey even beyond the borders of
LESSON 3: SPREAD OF Nero (54-60 A.D.)
CHRISTIANITY AND THE GREAT Form of Persecution
PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS
- Christians were fed to the lions and were turned
Saul: The Great Persecutor of Christians into living torches.
Saul was a Jewish name. He was born between 5 Famous Martyrs
and 10 AD at Tarsus in Cilicia with both Jewish
parents. He was well educated in Jewish and non- - Peter was crucified upside down while Paul was
Jewish studies. He studied the Jewish law under beheaded.
the famous and well respected rabbi named, Domitian (81-96 AD)
Gamaliel. He became an astute believer of the
Jewish faith that led him to defend it at all cost. Form of Persecution
Thus, when the apostles of Jesus started preaching - Domitian Murdered a lot of Christians during his
the new faith, he became threatened. He approved reign.
of the killing of Stephen, one of the deacons of the
Church. From then on, he made it his mission to Famous Martyrs
arrest, persecute and kill the followers of the Way. - John was tortured but did not die, so, the
From Saul to Paul: Apostle to the Gentiles emperor exiled him to a solitary island called
Patmos.
Because of the persecution perpetuated by Saul,
the Christians fled to different places particularly in Trajan (98-117)
Damascus in Syria. Upon learning of the Form of Persecution
whereabouts of the followers of Jesus, he then
asked for an authorization from the Jewish leaders. - He ordered the Death of all Christians
The Acts of the Apostles chapter 9, narrated the
Famous Martyrs
beautiful story of his conversion.
- Ignatius of Antioch (bishop) was fed to the lions.
Missionary Journeys of Paul: The Spread of
Christianity Antoninus Pius (138-161 AD)
After his baptism by Barnabas, one of the disciples Form of Persecution
of the Lord, Paul reflected on his mission of being
sent to the gentiles. Together with Barnabas, he - Severe punishment for not worshipping the
went to Antioch in Syria to strengthen the Church emperor.
there. Then, he contemplated to go further, reach
Famous Martyrs
more places.
- A lot of Christians were killed during his
He started this missionary venture from 48 AD to 68 reign yet there was no famous person killed.
AD, establishing Christian communities and writing
epistles to strengthen their faith. Paul was able to Marcus Aurelius (161-180 AD)
write 13 Epistles that are included in the New
Testament. Form of Persecution

The Great Persecution of Christians by Roman - He legalized the persecution of Christians.

Emperors Famous Martyrs
The Christian faith reached Rome, the center of the - Justin, the philosopher Polycarp of Smyrna
world at that time. There was no problem at the (bishop)
start, however, everything changed after Rome was
burned during the reign of Emperor Nero. He
blamed the Christians for arson, thus, initiating the
widespread and brutal persecution of Christians for
almost 300 years.
Septimus Severus (193-211 AD)
Form of Persecution
- Baptism was considered a criminal act.
Famous Martyrs
- Martyrs of Lyons (France)
- Perpetua and Felicitas (Carthage)
Decius (249-251 AD)
Form of Persecution
- Declared that all citizens of the Roman
empire must worship the Roman gods and
secure a certification from the government.
Famous Martyrs
- Cyprian of Carthage (bishop)
Valerian (257 AD)
Form of Persecution
- Ordered the closure and confiscation of
Christian Churches.
- Exiled and killed bishops
Famous Martyrs
- Pope Sixtus II
Diocletian (284-305 AD)
Form of Persecution
- Eyes and tongues were gouged out, feet were
sawed, many were thrown to the wild beasts,
others were starved to death or thrown into
dungeons.
Maximus Daia (313 AD)
Form of Persecution
- Revived the persecution but only for a while.
SYNTHESIS
More than a thousand years ago, to be a Christian was a decision of life and death. It was a decision that
manifested a passion for the truth and the unshakeable fortitude to stand for it at the risk of being arrested,
tortured and killed. Truly, to follow Christ is to accept the reality of suffering and death which Jesus encountered
as the consequence of preaching the Gospel. But the hope of Resurrection is also what awaits to those who
shared in His passion and Death.