NOREF - Religious dialogue and the quest for peace in the Middle East

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Rev. Dr. and Canon Trond Bakkevig

Rev. Dr. and Canon Trond Bakkevig is the Convener of the Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land and dean of Vestre Aker, Oslo in the Church of Norway. He has a doctorate from the University of Oslo. He has served as general secretary of the Council of Ecumenical and International Aff...
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Religious dialogue and the quest for peace in the Middle East

Rev. Dr. and Canon Trond Bakkevig , 23 February 2011

Executive summary

Many political conflicts have a religious dimension, as religion is at the heart of the identities of those involved. Thus, religious dialogue may be a key to the peaceful resolution of these conflicts. Nowhere is this more true than the Holy Land. But how can such a dialogue be initiated and sustained, what problems does it face, and what is the character and role of a facilitator in the process? Here, Rev. Dr. and Canon Trond Bakkevig addresses these questions by drawing on his long experience of working in the area of religious dialogue between religious leaders of Israel and Palestine.

Dialogue, he says, is vital in creating space where religion can be made visible, common humanity affirmed, the “other” recognised, and constructive solutions which recognise the integrity of those involved in conflicts achieved. Thus, religious dialogue can clear the way for political decisions. All this, however, requires the facilitator of dialogue to play a distinctive role, which involves a range of attributes: among them attentiveness to the complex range of actors and factors in any encounter, understanding of and insight into the religious beliefs and sentiments of the participants as well as respect for them personally, the capacity to engage and network widely, and – a vital quality – the ability to listen.

The story of the Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land is a case-study in such efforts to practise religious dialogue between leading representatives of the faiths in this region – though small, more than half the world's people have religious or historical links to this tiny area. The story reveals the problems and obstacles the Council has faced in its early years, but also a glimpse of the great contributions the religious dialogue it represents can in principle make to a sustainable peace.