Dialogue Institute Austin, in collaboration with St. Austin Catholic Parish, is co-organizing JustMatters The Sultan and the Saint program.
Developed by JustFaith Ministries, a nonprofit organization, The Sultan and the Saint consists of eight 2 ½-hour sessions. All sessions include prayer, dialogue, active listening, and relationship-building.
A group of Christians and Muslims have been meeting at St. Austin Catholic Parish and Raindrop Foundation for eight-week-long study where they find opportunity to learn about each other’s faith as well as their own by using the book, In the Spirit of St Francis and the Sultan, as well as resources developed by JustFaith Ministries. As part of the program, participants also will attend each other’s religious services.
The Sultan and the Saint program seeks to bring Muslims and Christians together in dialogue. By fostering active listening and respectful sharing, it aims to cultivate mutual understanding and appreciation of what these faith traditions hold in common, as well as the ways in which they differ.
The program addresses the following themes:
- exploring the commonalities and differences between the two faiths
- considering praying together as one community
- understanding the historical and present relationships between Christians and Muslims
- learning about the social justice traditions in Christianity and Islam.