Journal of Interreligious Studies

From the Editor-in-Chief

Axel Marc Oaks Takács — 2026-02-21

Issue 48 is a rolling submissions issue with five articles and five book reviews.

An Ecumenical Approach to Interreligious Dialogue in Asia

Baltazar Acebedo — 2026-02-21

This article examines the merits of Protestant theologian Miroslav Volf ’s Theology of Embrace as a Catholic framework for interreligious dialogue in Asia. The paper claims that the present Catholic orientation on the issue of interreligious dialogue in Asia, presented In the 1999 papal document Ecclesia in Asia, exhibits worrying implications: that non-Christians are at best lesser Christians, that adaptation of non-Christian cultural elements is pretentious and disingenuous, that Christianization is the primary motive for dialogue and not peaceful coexistence, and that the recognition of the role of the Holy Spirit in dialogue can even be a hurdle for the Christian mission. The researcher explores the lessons of Volf ’s ecumenical theology, the Theology of Embrace, and suggests that these may shed light on the shortcomings of Ecclesia in Asia on the issue of interreligious dialogue in the region. The author articulates the four gestures of embrace (opening of arms, waiting, closing of arms, and opening of arms again) within the bounds of Volf ’s ecumenical theology, while at the same time generally considering Asia’s colonial history, socio-economic realities, rich religious demography, and widespread religious violence.

Observing the Sabbath While the Body of Christ is Quarantined

Ana Petrarche — 2026-02-21

This article offers an in-depth examination of the religious challenges and creative adaptations that emerged during the March–April 2020 COVID-19 lockdown. Adopting an interfaith and ecumenical perspective, the study draws on semi-structured interviews with Christians, Muslims, and Jews in Rome and Bucharest. The analysis shows that the theological language of the Church as the Body of Christ, together with its connection to the Eucharistic celebration shared by both Orthodox Christians and Catholics, shaped the perception of the pandemic by critically engaging with state limitations on religious practice. By contrast, Jewish and Muslim practices of purification—linking ablution, hygiene— often rendered sanitary measures more theologically and ritually coherent. A marked contrast thus emerges: While many Catholic and Orthodox respondents expressed pronounced dissatisfaction rooted in ecclesiological understandings of the Church as the “body of Christ,” Jewish and Muslim participants tended to integrate pandemic measures within established frameworks of ritual purity. Despite divergent responses in other domains, death and burial practices acted as a unifying element across traditions, as all communities confronted similar constraints and grief under governmental biopolitical regulations concerning the treatment of bodies. Finally, the article examines the proliferation of “homemade” rituals—such as the domestic Seder or Friday prayer—and the inherent limitations of digital technologies in reproducing the sensory and embodied dimensions of traditional religious practice. Notably, the shift to domestic ritual life often intensified personal engagement, relocating responsibility from collective institutions to individual practitioners and underscoring the centrality of the body in contemporary theological reflection.

Wood of Sacrifice and Wood of the Cross

Samantha Lin — 2026-02-21

This article explores the figure of Isaac and the sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham in both Judaism and Christianity. First through a broad exploration and then through an in-depth analysis of two influential thinkers—St. Augustine and Rashi—this paper will explore how the concept of the Aqedah came to be understood by each religious tradition and ultimately demonstrate how both Judaism and Christianity grappled with and integrated the Aqedah into their own traditions. By drawing on a variety of sources throughout the first several centuries of the growing division between Judaism and Christianity, this article argues that both religions were engaged in a broad exchange of ideas about shared, foundational religious figures and a seminal historical moment that came to be interpreted as a more encompassing systematic symbol. Though this exchange was often polemical, by highlighting the centrality of shared religious motifs and re-examining them through a modern lens, this article hopes to provide an academic perspective in the pursuit of building a shared tradition of scriptural study, ultimately providing direction and inspiration for modern Jewish-Christian dialogue.

Monotheism and its Religious Alternatives

Christopher Knight — 2026-02-21

Vladimir Lossky’s focus on the apophatic and contemplative nature of theology may be extended to argue for a kind of “neo-perennialist” understanding of the faith traditions of the world. This neo-perennialism seeks to avoid the flaws of classic perennialism but to retain its belief that there is “one mountain but many paths to the summit” in relation to the Divine Reality and to maintain its distinction between esoteric and exoteric aspects of any authentic faith tradition, with the latter acting as “signposts” on the particular spiritual paths associated with such traditions. The present paper is intended as an extension to the arguments of the author’s book, Exploring Religious Pluralism (Cambridge University Press, 2024), focusing on its implications for understanding the relationship between monotheistic faith traditions and certain other traditions that are either non-theistic or polytheistic. Central to this study is the belief that what Brian Davies has called “theistic personalism” and David Bentley Hart has labelled “monopolytheism” has distorted much modern monotheistic thinking, and that what is required is a return to traditional theistic metaphysics that stresses that God is to be seen as the source of being.

Reimagining Interfaith Engagement

David Muthukumar Sivasubramanian — 2026-02-21

This article proposes a postfoundationalist paradigm for comparative theology to reimagine interfaith engagement, addressing the limitations of traditional approaches like exclusivism, inclusivism, pluralism, and postliberalism. These models often fail to adequately balance the particularity of religious traditions with aspirations for universal truth, leading to either exclusion or homogenization. Drawing on critical realism, postfoundationalism offers a mediating epistemology that acknowledges the contextuality of human knowledge while affirming the meaningful pursuit of objective truth. This framework provides a coherent epistemic foundation for comparative theology, enabling deep interreligious learning. It affirms parity among religions, respects each tradition’s distinctiveness, and recognizes universal truth claims without diminishing their particularities, fostering more genuine and fruitful dialogue.

Beyond Piety and Politics: Religion, Social Relations, and Public Preferences in the Middle East and North Africa

Salwa Alinat-Abed — 2026-02-21

Book Review: Beyond Piety and Politics: Religion, Social Relations, and Public Preferences in the Middle East and North Africa. By Sabri Ciftci, F. Michael Wuthrich, and Ammar Shamaileh. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, 2022. xv + 251 pp. ISBN: 978-0-253-06275-8 (hardcover); 978-0-253-06276-5 (paperback); 978-0-253-06274-1 (e-book).

Dust on the Throne: The Search for Buddhism in Modern India

Carlos Piccone Camere — 2026-02-22

Book Review: Dust on the Throne: The Search for Buddhism in Modern India. By Douglas Ober. Stanford University Press, 2023. 394 pp. ISBN 9781503635036 (hardcover); 9781503635036 (paperback); 9781503635777 (e-book). $95.00 (hardcover); $32.00 ( paperback and e-book).

Shariʿa and Life: Authority, Compromise, and Mission in European Mosques

Okan Dogan — 2026-02-22

Book Review: Shariʿa and Life: Authority, Compromise, and Mission in European Mosques. By Uriya Shavit and Fabian Spengler. University of Toronto Press, 2023. xiv + 276 pp. ISBN 978-1-4875-5437-8. $46.95 (paperback and e-book).

Gratitude, Injury, and Repair in a Pandemic Age: An Interreligious Dialogue

Fung Kei Cheng — 2026-02-22

Book Review: Gratitude, Injury, and Repair in a Pandemic Age: An Interreligious Dialogue. By Michael Reid Trice and Patricia O’Connell Killen (eds.). Georgetown University Press, 2025. vi + 195 pp. ISBN 9781647124809 (paperback); ISBN 9781647124793 (hardcover); ISBN 9781647124816 (e-book). $34.95 (paperback); $104.95 (hardcover); $34.95 (e-book).

Sacred Snaps: Photovoice for Interfaith Engagement

Chad Meister — 2026-02-22

Book Review: Sacred Snaps: Photovoice for Interfaith Engagement. By Roman R. Williams, Catherine Holtmann, and William L. Sachs. Routledge, 2024. xv + 193 pp. ISBN 978-1-032-85664-3. $49.99 (paperback).