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Rowan Williams’ Lecture on Sharia Law : From the Perspective of Public Theology

  • Muslim-Christian Encounter
  • Abbr : MCE
  • 2018, 11(1), pp.41-85
  • DOI : 10.30532/mce.2018.03.11.1.41
  • Publisher : Torch Trinity Center for Islamic Studies
  • Research Area : Humanities > Christian Theology > Mission Theology
  • Received : February 7, 2018
  • Accepted : March 19, 2018
  • Published : March 31, 2018

김창환 1

1독립연구자

ABSTRACT

Public theology is Christians engaging in dialogue with those outside church circles on various issues. It involves urging Christians to participate in the public domain and to converse with citizens on issues wider than religious matters. Public theology proceeds by critical, reflective, and reasoned engagement of theology in the public sphere. The lecture by Archbishop Rowan Williams in 2008 on“Civil and Religious Law in England: A Religious Perspective” provides a very good example of this. In this article, I shall first examine key aspects of public theology, including theological foundations of public theology and its meaning in the public sphere. From the perspective of public theology, I shall then summarize the lecture given by Archbishop Williams on the controversial topic of Sharia Law. His lecture can be divided into three parts: first, an overall discussion of the rights of religious groups within a secular state, especially the meaning of Sharia law for the Muslim community in the UK, and its implications; second, a critique of the validity of the legal monopoly of the secular state in the context of contemporary plural societies, arguing that this in fact goes against the spirit of the Enlightenment and also does injustice to communities and individuals who hold various affiliations and commitments; and third, a treatment of three objections to his proposal regarding Sharia law and a suggestion that the key perspective should be the promotion of what he sees as“interactive pluralism”in which a“complementary”legal system helps in the promotion of human dignity for all members of society by allowing the full expression and exercise of their aspirations. Afterwards, I shall discuss questions regarding Sharia law: first, a rationale for the involvement of the Church in public affairs; second, the role of media in public discussion; third,“secular legal monopoly”versus“interactive pluralism”; and lastly, women’s rights. Finally, I argue that instead of introducing Sharia law into the British context, permeating Sharia principles and values is far more effective for cultural change than the actual implementation of the law.

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