Christianity Quote by Namsoon Kang
““Whenever one comes to the the table for interreligous dialogue, there is what I would call an _ecumenical taboo_ that one has to comply with. The ecumenical taboo_ does not exist in a written document, but people tend to practice it around the dialogue table. One should not raise, for instance, such questions as gender justice, sexual orientation issues, religious constructions of the other, multiple forms of violence in a religious community, or religious cooperation with neo/imperialism. each religion has its own _history of sin_ that has justified and perpetuated oppression and exclusion of certain groups of people through its own religious teaching, doctrine, and practice. In order to be _nice_ and _tolerant_ to one another, interreligious dialogue has not challenged the fundamental issues of injustice that a particular religion has practiced, justified, and perpetuated in various ways. I do not disregard that most ecumenists have based interreligious dialogue on a politics of tolerance, and this has played a significant role in easing the antagonism between religions, at least among the leaders of established religions. However, we should ground an authentic ecumenism and theology of religion in a _politics of affirmation and transformation, rather than a politics of tolerance_.””
About This Quote
The author critiques an unspoken rule in interfaith dialogue that avoids confronting deep injustices, urging a shift from mere tolerance to active affirmation and transformation.
In simple terms: Dialogue often sidesteps core injustices; call for transformative engagement.
Push beyond tolerance to address systemic oppression.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- religious conferences
- academic panels
- community workshops
- policy discussions
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What injustices are hidden by “ecumenical taboo”?
- How can dialogue become a tool for transformation?
Tolerance alone may ignore structural harms.