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Key Points to Dialogue

Blah Conversation Represents Chit Chat And Confab

  1. Enter into dialogue so that you can learn and grow, not necessarily to change the other person.
  2. Everyone must be honest and sincere, even if that means revealing discomforts with your own tradition or that of the other. Everyone must assume that everyone else is being equally honest and sincere.
  3. Everyone must be permitted to define their own religious experience and identity, and others must respect this.
  4. Do not feel that you are the spokesperson for your entire faith tradition or that you ought somehow to know everything there is to know about it. Admit any confusion or uncertainty you might have if a puzzling question arises.
  5. Don’t assume in advance where points of agreement or disagreement will exist.
  6. Everyone should be willing to be self-critical.
  7. All should strive to experience the other’s faith “from within” and be prepared to view themselves differently as a result of an “outside” perspective.
  8. Trust is a must. Confidences must be kept within the group. Everyone should feel “safe” to express their ideas and feelings without fear.

[Adapted from Leonard Swidler, “The Dialogue Decalogue,” Journal of Ecumenical Studies 20/1:1-4.]

8 thoughts on “Key Points to Dialogue”

  1. You are right my dear but what happens in a situation where after dialogue, the people involved just accepted your opinion out of defeat but still don’t truely believe in your opinion? You know there are people who will always find it difficult to express themselves no matter how you force them.

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    1. Thanks dear as usual for always reading and commenting. I think that there is need for the disposition to even dialogue prior to dialogue. And it is not necessary that someone’s accepts my position, but when someone accepts my position, it is also not necessary that he or she will stick to my position unless there is a consensus or formal agreement. Above all, what is important is that we both respect each other’s position and agree when possible without destroying each other. More still, dialogue towards agreement is a very long and difficult journey and so requires a lot of patience and understanding and openness. Thanks once again.

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      1. Noted father. The ability to respect and learn from each other’s opinion and grow in knowledge, experience and understanding matters most in dialogue.

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  3. Nice one Padre.
    We are all the products of our own individual upbringing and experiences, so it is completely natural that we will all have differences in opinions on a wide range of issues.
    The world would be a very dull place if we were all the same and it’s the incredible diversity amongst people throughout the world that makes it such a fascinating place. Thanks

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  4. Nice one Padre. Acceptance Of Others opinions, Respecting Others opinions.
    We are all the products of our own individual upbringing and experiences so it is completely natural that we will all have differences in opinions on a wide range of issues.
    The world would be a very dull place if we were all the same and it’s the incredible diversity amongst people throughout the world that makes it such a fascinating place. Thanks.

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