Catholic Participation in Interreligious and Ecumenical Dialogue

This paper examines how the Catholic Church has engaged in interreligious and ecumenical dialogue since the Second Vatican Council and analyzes the theological developments and global applications of this engagement. Using a qualitative approach that blends hermeneutic, phenomenological, and interpretive theological methods, the study reviews conciliar documents, papal encyclicals, and a corpus of 25 peer-reviewed articles from various regions. The findings reveal a pronounced shift from an exclusivist stance to dialogical inclusivism, recognizing divine revelation as a dynamic process unfolding through interfaith encounters. In the post-Vatican II era, theologians—most prominently Hans Küng—reconceived salvation and truth as relational and contextual realities, thereby encouraging mutual learning between religions. Asian inculturation practices (for example, ancestral veneration in Vietnam or integrating Confucian ethics in China) demonstrate how Catholicism can harmonize its faith with local cultural traditions. Similarly, models in Africa and Latin America incorporate concepts like Ubuntu and liberation theology, linking interfaith dialogue with civic ethics and social justice. Moreover, Catholic educational efforts and feminist theological contributions promote greater inclusivity, and digital media platforms have broadened global participation in dialogue. The concept of dialogical embodiment emerges as a key theoretical contribution, emphasizing that dialogue is not merely discursive but also experiential and performative. Overall, the results show that Catholic interreligious dialogue operates simultaneously as theological discourse and social praxis, advancing peace, solidarity, and democratic coexistence. This research contributes to comparative and contextual theology by proposing a multi-level interpretive model that links doctrine, culture, and lived experience. Ultimately, it affirms that interreligious dialogue remains essential for sustaining faith and ethical collaboration in today’s pluralistic global society.