Peter Casarella – författare

Finding Beauty in the Other explores how beauty can be found in religions and cultures. It also views how the beauty of the Christian gospel should be communicated in different religious and cultural settings. This valuable collection of essays features a host of highly respected scholars, presenting a unique treatment of the concept of beauty as seen in a variety of religions and cultures. These include Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam. In addition, beauty as seen in various African cultures is discussed.

Pope Francis has applied the principle of 'the whole is greater than its parts' to ecumenical and interreligious contexts. For example, Pope Francis often speaks about a unity that is greater than its parts in terms of the polyhedron. Unity born of a polyhedron preserves difference, and unity born of the sphere reinforces homogeneity. The epoch of globalization invites us to think about the cultural and economic exchanges in the world today in such a way that difference is never abandoned for the sake of wanton hegemony. Pope Francis has thus applied this new notion of encounter to questions of ecumenism and interreligious dialogue. Christians can be encouraged not only to seek greater unity amongst themselves but also to bear witness to their faith to seek greater unity among Christians and, with no less vigor, to advance understanding with adherents to non-Christian systems of belief. In this process, Protestants, Catholics, Muslims, Christians, and Jews can learn about one another through a consideration of the complementarities between the two kinds of dialogue. The more we address the specific challenges and blessings of each particular dialogue, the more we become true agents of dialogue for the Church and for the world.