Two traditions,one space: orthodox Christians and Muslims in dialogue

The Eastern Orthodox Church has encountered Islam from the first decades of its appearance and they interacted in a variety of ways. Most frequently the meeting took the form of polemical clash and confrontation. However, in the many centuries of silent coexistence, it was often expressed in a concrete form of dialogue that sought to define the differences and the positions of the two religious forms and experiences. The present study focuses on the contemporary academic dialogues between Orthodox Christianity and Islam which began in the spring of 1985 at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, MA. These dialogues were initiated by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and further meetings were held under its auspices in Chambésy, Constantinople (Istanbul), Athens, and Amman. This article presents the issues discussed, pointing to the fact that peaceful coexistence and justice may only prevail on a basis of mutual knowledge and understanding of the other.