Transormatif Reading of Sacred Scripture: Christian and Muslim in Dialogue

Editor: Simmon Sinn, Dina El Omari and Anne Hege Grung

Transformative Reading of Sacred Scripture is still in difficult ways. It must be known that
usually dialogue with the sacred text end up with unending debate. That’s why to do an
interreligious dialogue, usually people are directed toward dialogue of life. This kind of dialogue
is less critical than theological dialogue.
What is discussed in The Luteran World Federation (LWF) on Transformatif Reading of
Sacred Scripture is a breakthrough by which interreligious dialogue will find its better way. As a
Catholic, tranformatif reading when we read our own Sacred Scripture is a good way to know
ourself better. I agree with the Anne Hege Grung stand point that to do a transformative reading
we have to read the sacred scripture with others religious people. Their understanding on our
sacred text based on their subjectivity will bring more understanding about our sacred text. Thou
it must be noted that this kind of way only will work well if there is the spirit of openness,
togetherness and solidarity between inter-religious people.
The way that is taken by Stefan Schreiner that there is comutuality in the revelation
(through the Prophet and the Sacred Scripture) is also a good way to do a transformative reading
of the sacred scripture. In other words we can say that through other prophets and sacred
scriptures, we will understand our prophecy and sacred scripture better. By others I know myself.
What the Christian and Muslims scholars do with a transformative reading of the sacred
scripture is a good way to get the meaning of the Sacred Scripture that usually closed to us. It
will open so much horizon. That’s what propose by Marianne Bjelland Kartzow. Otherness will
open so much new meaning in our understanding. I agree that actually there are so much way to
do transformative reading.
Though it is a good way, actually there are some fear kept in my mind. Sofet Bektovic has
shown to us that in Muslims society, it is unusual to use hermeneutics to comprehend the Qur’an.
Many Muslims scholar with their heremenutic are not received well by majority of the Muslims.
In Catholics life, using heremenutics to preach lay people also a difficult way. Morover to
compare The Bible with The Qur’an.
 This situation than left a question about how we and every scholar in the inter-religious
field cope the situation and make the lay people, whether they are Christians, Catholics,
Muslims, Hindus, Buddhist, and Confusianist understand and do a transformative reading toward
their own Sacred Scripture. It will need so much struggle and hard work among scholars.

Antonius Virden Eresto Gaudiawan