Engaging with the Other

Abstract

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has recently stated that we live in a “poly‐crisis” world. This context raises questions about finding common ground with people of other faiths or no faith for the common good. How do Christians practise ecumenical diakonia in the public sphere and offer transformative diaconal services in their contexts? To explore these questions, I reflect on the essence of faith in Korean Sŏn Buddhist monk Chinul (知訥, 1158–1210) and that of the contemporary Canadian theologian Douglas John Hall to identify implications for the practice of ecumenical diakonia and its commitment to interreligious dialogue. Chinul and Hall agree that faith encourages reaching out to others. Buddhists and Christians can be companions on the journey of working together across differences for the common good of the world.