Assumptions for a Dialogue

Assumptions for a Dialogue' begins with the word “assumptions” because one of its purposes is to reveal something of what lies hidden in conversations about religious matters. It is not uncommon to assume that these are topics for which knowledge of other subjects is sufficient. The purpose of these clarifications is to make dialogues more fruitful by better understanding the context and scope of the questions and statements between the interlocutors. The content is presented in a schematic and clear manner, sending to notes the scholarly references that support the text, which can then also be understood without resorting to them. The book begins with a panoramic presentation of the ways in which the subject of God has been raised for a long time. It then deals with some forms of access to divine reality and then illustrates some effects that the relationship with God has on different aspects of human life. The last part contains a section of Appendices with illustrative documents of the subjects explained in the text. Following its practical purpose of preparing for dialogue, this section begins with a Vocabulary of Difficult Terms. The book explains the ambiguous meanings of some words used in this subject, which, because they are ignored, often inadvertently spread from colloquial use to the religious sphere and cause misunderstandings. The purpose of publishing the book is to continue the dialogue that constituted this course in its classroom version. A dialogue is very unpredictable, especially in its course, because each intervention depends on the interlocutor's reception.

CRISTIAN SOTOMAYOR LAR

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