Pluriel

University platform for research on Islam

Initiated by
the Federation
of European
Catholic
Universities

Supported by
the International
Federation
of Catholic
Universities

Publisher : Islamochristiana, 42 - Rome

French

2016

Islamochristiana N°42 : Mercy

The year 2016 will be remembered in the history of the Catholic Church as the “Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy”. We know that mercy is at the heart of both Christianity and Islam. For this reason, PISAI organized an international symposium during this jubilee (13-15 October 2016) entitled ‘Raḥma. Muslim and Christian Studies in Mercy’. The proceedings of this well-attended symposium will be published during 2017 in the collection ‘Studi arabo-islamici del PISAI’, but Islamochristiana would like to anticipate this publication, presenting five interventions that will testify to the quality of this symposium.

The first contribution is that of Cardinal Walter Kasper who, thanks to his research, had stimulated the reflection of Pope Francis. His relevant and synthetic intervention presents the biblical-theological Christian data, but does not hesitate to provoke also the Muslim party. To do so, we have inserted Ramon Harvey’s article on the revelation of mercy into the Muslim theological vision. Then come the two major interventions of Angelika Neuwirth and Mustansir Mir. The Berlin professor analyses with precision the meaning of mercy and its expressions in the Koran and the Pakistani-American professor analyses, again in the Koran, the same concept from a different and complementary angle.

Finally, we have the contribution of Dirk Ansorge on a difficult and complex theme, namely mercy as a theological problem, especially in relation to justice. The richness of this issue of Islamochristiana is still evident in the series of studies that follow all the contributions on mercy. Two articles are reflections on Islamic-Christian relations in history, one by Marek Nasiłowski with Diego R. Sarrió Cucarella and the other by Jaume Flaquer.

Some current themes are reflected in four other articles: Maurice Borrmans, Tobias Specker, Bishop Jean-Marc Aveline; Sami Riahi translated into Arabic an important article by Gideon Libson on custom as a source of Muslim legislation. Finally, as a concrete experience of dialogue in life, Ignazio De Francesco traces a beautiful experience that has just taken place in the Dozza prison in Bologna. The numerous reviews and presentations of books on Islam and Islamic-Christian relations complete this issue.

L’année 2016 sera retenue dans l’histoire de l’Eglise catholique comme celle du ‘Jubilée extraordinaire de la Miséricorde. Nous savons bien que la miséricorde est au cœur tant du christianisme que de l’islam. Voilà pourquoi, le PISAI a organisé un colloque international durant ce jubilée (13-15 octobre 2016) intitulé Raḥma. Muslim and Christian Studies in Mercy’. Les actes de ce colloque très suivi seront publiés au cours de 2017 dans la collectionStudi arabo-islamici del PISAI’, mais Islamochristiana voudrait anticiper sur cette publication, en présentant cinq interventions qui témoigneront auprès des lecteurs de la qualité de ce colloque.

La première contribution est celle du Cardinal Walter Kasper qui, grâce à sa recherche, avait stimulé la réflexion du Pape François. Son intervention pertinente et synthétique présente les données biblico-théologiques chrétiennes, mais n’hésite pas à provoquer aussi la partie musulmane. Pour faire pendant, nous avons inséré l’article de Ramon Harvey sur la révélation de la miséricorde dans la vision théologique musulmane. Viennent ensuite les deux grandes interventions de Angelika Neuwirth et de Mustansir Mir. La professeure berlinoise analyse avec précision les sens de la miséricorde et ses expressions dans le Coran et le professeur pakistano-américain analyse, toujours dans le Coran, le même concept sous un angle différent et complémentaire.

Enfin, nous avons la contribution de Dirk Ansorge sur un thème difficile et complexe, à savoir la miséricorde comme problème théologique, surtout en relation avec la justice. La richesse de ce numéro d’Islamochristiana se manifeste encore dans la série des études qui suivent l’ensemble des contributions sur la miséricorde. Deux articles sont des réflexions sur les rapports islamo-chrétiens dans l’histoire, l’un d’eux par Marek Nasiłowski avec Diego R. Sarrió Cucarella et l’autre par Jaume Flaquer.

Quelques thèmes actuels se manifestent dans quatre autres articles : Maurice BorrmansTobias Specker, l’évêque Jean-Marc Aveline ; Sami Riahi traduit en arabe un article important de Gideon Libson sur la coutume comme source de la législation musulmane. Enfin, comme expérience concrète du dialogue dans la vie, Ignazio De Francesco retrace une belle expérience qui vient de se dérouler dans la prison Dozza de Bologne. Les nombreuses recensions et les présentations de livres relatifs à l’islam et aux rapports islamo-chrétiens complètent ce numéro.

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