JORAS - Nigerian Journal of Religion and Society

This paper explores the importance of Interfaith-sharing in a sustained peace building process in Northern Nigeria. Interfaith sharing or dialogue of faith sharing has the propensity to facilitate greater interfaith learning and enhance understanding between different religious groups and their adherents. Poor or complete lack of knowledge about the religious 'other' has continued to polarise and divide religious communities across the region with devastating outcomes. Hence, this article focuses on the religious theme of Mercy or Ar-rahim; mutual to both Islamic and Christian religious traditions as a common ground for continuous interfaith learning and sharing, in an attempt to foster harmonious interaction between different religious groups, identities and adherents. Since the need to foster tolerance, broadmindedness and interfaith erudition through interfaith sharing cannot be over emphasised, a deeper understanding of faiths remains critical for peace and religious harmony in a religiously diverse contemporary society. The methodical approach is to highlight the relationship between interfaith sharing and dialogue of faith sharing, analyse the notion of mercy within Islamic and Christian traditions and examine the centrality of mercy between the two traditions as a common ground for dialogue of faith sharing and end with conclusion and some recommendations.

Open Full Text (PDF)