Singapore Religions: Visiting archbishop urges Muslim scholars to learn about Christianity

By Julia Ng, Channel NewsAsia

SINGAPORE: The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has spoken of the need for Muslim scholars to learn about Christianity.

Dr Williams, who is in Singapore for a three-day visit, was speaking at a global interfaith seminar on Christian-Muslim relations.

Thirty-five Muslim and Christian scholars from different countries and international institutions attended the Building Bridges Seminar.

It is the first time the seminar is held outside of Western and Middle East countries. It is also the sixth seminar in the series and is hosted by the National University of Singapore's Department of Malay Studies, Religion Research Cluster and the NUS University Scholars Programme.

Participants noted that dialogues between Muslim and Christian scholars can help promote better interfaith understanding.

The archbishop said, "We've not sought to issue communiqués or come to conclusions, but to inform ourselves and to ask God to help us grow through the experience of meeting.

"Those of us who've been regularly involved in these conversations will, I think, agree that we've been changed by them. That level of confidence, trust and expectation of one another, in a good sense, (has) been deep and fruitful."

Dr Williams also encouraged the seminar series to move on from narrow theological questions to other topics of discussion such as law, rights, human nature and even the environment.

On environmental issues, he said what is needed is to have religious leaders and teachers take a common stand on how people should relate to their environment.

He added that if religious leaders could speak together on the subject, it would act as a major moral incentive for world leaders to act. - CNA/ac