Interview
Rev. Dr Benjamin Simon, dean of the Ecumenical Institute and director of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission on Ecumenical Education and Formation, reflects on both the spiritual and intellectual gifts the students bring to each other.
Can you tell us a bit about the student visitors?
Dr Simon: All the Shia student visitors come from different places. Some of them reside in the US, others in Canada, but also from the United Kingdom and Iran. It is a very international group. Dr Shomali and the students are highly interested in learning more about Christianity and especially where we at the WCC involve ourselves.
Related to inter-religious dialogue, we have collected good experiences with teaching in tandem – the students get a presentation from a Christian scholar and also from a Muslim one, one after the other, so that they have heard the two perspectives before the floor opens for an inter-religious exchange and dialogue. This year we focussed a lot on the Holy Scriptures and the understanding of God in the two religions. The presentations led to intensive discussions and respectful exchanges. These personal encounters make all the difference! We hope that we will be able to continue the very good cooperation and even be able to deepen it.
What were some of the activities with Dr Shomali and the students?
Dr Simon: The first part of the visit was focussing on an academic encounter with the Masters of Advanced Studies students at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey. The second part in an encounter with different Christian organisations in Geneva, including the WCC, Lutheran World Federation, and Globethics.
How does inter-religious dialogue enrich the lives of Bossey students, both academically and spiritually?
Dr Simon: For the Bossey students these encounters are always an eyeopener!
Through these encounters, especially with Shia students from Iran, prejudices are broken down and relationships are forged. It's clear that the next time our students meet a veiled Muslim woman, they will do so in a different way—much more respectfully and without judgment.
Especially in times of geopolitical tensions, when the media strongly influences us and shapes our opinions, it is important that we continue to promote personal encounters in the personal and academic field and, as the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey and especially as the WCC, bring people of good will together to make a difference and contribute to more trust, reconciliation, and peace.
