Muslims and Christians Crafting Theological Exchange Together for Faith Saving Water

Abstract

Inter-religious dialogue is often concerned with common frameworks or language to bridge multiple religions on the topic of environmental care. The dialogues between religions seek to establish the theological foundations for environmental action or to analyse environmental effects on religious communities sociologically. It is thus a question to what extent religious reflection on creation care considers the humanity of those affected by environmental concerns, and the relationships between different people in such contexts. This article appraises a community-led project called Women at the Well that brought a group of local Muslim and Christian women together in an inter-religious effort to care for the environment and for each other. Considering the activity in terms of four forms of inter-religious dialogues—of life, of action, of religious experience, and of theological exchange—the article analyses the value of practical environmental learning as an activity that bridges specialists with diverse local communities as they lead change. In its conclusion it argues not only for seeking a diversity of persons, but a diversity of voices in theological exchange on behalf of the environment.