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Digital Access for Nostra Aetate Webinar Videos. Details on how to access these webinars will be sent to you after you complete your purchase.
In September & October 2022 and 2023, Yarra Theological Union (YTU) and Garratt Publishing offered a series of webinars exploring other religious traditions from a Catholic perspective.
As Australian Catholics, we increasingly engage others from differing faiths – in our everyday life, in our local communities, and especially in our Catholic schools.
‘Every Christian is called to go out to encounter others, to dialogue with those who do not think the way we do, with those who have another faith, or who don’t have faith. To encounter all because we all have in common our having been created in the image and likeness of God. We can go out to encounter everyone, without fear.’
–Pope Francis (Speech to Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelisation, 14 October 2013)
‘Students can deepen their sense of Catholic identity through their encounter with different faith traditions.’
–Welcoming Each Other, Ecumenical and Interfaith Commission of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne
The first series of four webinars introduced the religious traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, and Islam and explored the themes of God, Foundational Beliefs, Women, and Learning from Each Other.
The second series of webinars engaged with a leader from each of these faiths. The webinars took the form of a ‘conversation’, and were hosted by a Catholic scholar well versed in inter-religious dialogue.
WEBINAR SERIES ONE PROGRAM
SESSION ONE
God
Hindu perspective: Rev Albano Da Costa
Buddhist perspective: Rev Dr Thien Nguyen
Jewish perspective: Dr Mary Reaburn
Muslim perspective: Rev Dr Patrick McInerney
SESSION TWO
Foundational Beliefs
Hindu perspective: Rev Albano Da Costa
Buddhist perspective: Rev Dr Thien Nguyen
Jewish perspective: Dr Mary Reaburn
Muslim perspective: Rev Dr Patrick McInerney
SESSION THREE:
The Place of Women Historically and Today
Hindu perspective: Rev Albano Da Costa
Buddhist perspective: Rev Dr Thien Nguyen
Jewish perspective: Dr Mary Reaburn
Muslim perspective: Rev Dr Patrick McInerney
SESSION FOUR
Learning from Each Other – What Christians/Catholics Can Learn From…
Hindus: Rev Albano Da Costa
Buddhists: Rev Dr Thien Nguyen
Jews: Dr Mary Reaburn
Muslims: Rev Dr Patrick McInerney
WEBINAR SERIES TWO PROGRAM
SESSION ONE
Judaism
A Conversation with Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio
Hosted by: Dr Mary Reaburn
SESSION TWO
Hinduism
A Conversation with Swami Sunishthananda and Mrs Aradhana Ganguly
Hosted by: Rev Albano Da Costa
SESSION THREE:
Buddhism
A Conversation with Venerable BomHyon Sunim
Hosted by: Rev Dr John Dupuche
SESSION FOUR
Islam
A Conversation with Associate Professor Zuleyha Keskin
Hosted by: Rev Dr Patrick McInerney
PRESENTERS AND HOSTS:
Rev Albano Da Costa
Fr Albano is a lecturer at Yarra Theological Union in the Department of Theology: Mission and Ministry. He offers units such as Interreligious Dialogue in a Multireligious Society and A Comparative Study of Religions. He holds a Licentiate degree in Missiology from the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome and a master’s degree in Philosophy from RDVV University, Jabalpur, India. Fr Albano has taught, ministered, and volunteered in pastoral ministry, and has engaged in numerous religious congregational and archdiocesan ministerial roles, as well as a board member of Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand. He is Dean of Studies at Dorish Maru College, located at Box Hill, Victoria.
Dr Mary Reaburn nds
Mary is a Sister of Our Lady of Sion – an international congregation of religious women which has an emphasis on Jewish-Christian relations, Biblical study and reflection and the biblical imperative for justice and peace. She currently teaches Biblical Studies at Yarra Theological Union in Melbourne. Special areas of interest: Psalms, Wisdom Literature, and Daniel. Sr Mary is involved in Jewish Christian relations and is a member of the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Council for Ecumenical and Interfaith relations.
Rev Dr Patrick McInerney
Fr Patrick is a Columban missionary priest. He was assigned to Pakistan for over twenty years. He graduated from the Pontifical Institute for the Study of Arabic and Islamics in Rome (1986), the Melbourne College of Divinity (2003) and the Australian Catholic University (2009). Fr Patrick is the Director of the Columban Centre for Christian-Muslim Relations. He is a member of various interfaith and academic organisations, participates in interfaith and multi-faith conferences, and gives talks on Islam, Christian-Muslim Relations and Interreligious Relations to a wide variety of audiences..
Rev Dr Thien Nguyen
Fr Thien is a Catholic priest, belonging to the Society of the Divine Word. Born in Vietnam, Fr Thien came to Australia in 1998 to pursue further studies in linguistics and theology. Thien graduated with a Master of Applied linguistics in 2000 from Macquarie University; Bachelor of Theology in 2003, Master of Theological Studies in 2004, Master of Theology in 2008 from Melbourne College of Divinity; and doctoral degree in religious studies in 2019 from Monash University. After being ordained in 2004, Fr Thien has been involved in parish ministries, interreligious dialogue and intercultural relations. At the present, Fr Thien works at the Janssen Spirituality Centre in Boronia and teaches interreligious dialogue at the Yarra Theological Union.
Rev Dr John Dupuche PE
Rev Dr Dupuche has two major academic foci: spirituality and interfaith. These have led to significant academic and community involvement, as well as a wide-ranging list of publications and presentations in academia and for the wider media. BA(Hons), BD(Hons), GradDipHum, MA, PhD.
