This year’s Asia Pacific Theological Encounter Programme (APTEP) had a cohort of Jesuit scholastics from the Loyola School of Theology in Manila, diocesan seminarians from the Philippines and Indonesian sisters from the Congregation of Divine Providence.
APTEP was held from April 10 to May 8 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, which has the world’s largest Muslim population. The nine participants were accompanied in their journey to learn about Islam and Christian-Muslim relations by Jesuit Fathers Herman Roborgh SJ, Aloysius Mowe SJ, Tom Michel SJ, Bernard Kieser SJ, Greg Soetomo SJ and Heru Prakosa SJ.
Topics covered in the first three weeks included the faith paradigm, the Qur’an, Qur’anic commentaries, Hadith, history of Islam in general, history of Islam in Asia, Muslims in Indonesia, Islamic Law, Islamic Theology and Philosophy, Islamic Mysticism, Islam and Radicalism, and Muslim-Christian Dialogue.
There was also discussion with seven Muslim students from the Center for Religious and Cross-cultural Studies, Graduate School in the state university of Gadjah Mada, in Jogyakarta. Each APTEC participant shared a reflection on Christianity e.g. Biblical commentaries, Eucharist, intercession prayer, Christianity in the Philippines, Christian-Muslim dialogue in Mindanao, and service to the street children and the victims of human trafficking. The Muslim students of CRCS shared reflections on faith teaching (aqidah), faith expression (ibadah) and faith manifestation (mua`malah) of Islam i.e. on tawhid, tafsir, maqasid al-shari’a, hajj, jihad, purity for Muslim women, Islam – sexuality and Gender, Islamic education.
The discussion that took place on Wednesday, April 18, 2012, from 09.00-13.00, was indeed very fruitful for both sides. The informal conversation during the lunch done after the discussion also made them to know each other. Here, they learn how to express their reflection, although perhaps their perspectives are different.
The participants visited Sanata Dharma University (Department of Religious and Cultural Studies); Islamic State University (Theology Department); Interfidei, the institution run by the Protestant Church for Christian-Muslim Dialogue, and the group developed by the Borromean sisters as well as the Muslim youths of Nahdatul Ulama. They also visited Pandanaran, an Islamic boarding school (pesantren).
A key element of APTEP is the immersion week. This year, the group went to Jombang, in East Java, a 4-hour train ride from Jogyakarta. Accompanied by Fr Greg Soetomo SJ and APTEP Programme Director Fr Heru Prakosa SJ, the participants had a 7-day stay in a prestigious and historical Islamic boarding school called Tebuireng, which was built by Kyai Hashim Ashari, the founder of Nahdatul Ulama, the largest Islamic organization in the world. They followed the daily schedule of the pesantren, including the hour of prayers, and visited the works of the pesantren in the areas of education and social service.
Fr Heru said the week spent living and immerse in the life in the pesantren was a very valuable experience, through which the participants could verify and perhaps falsify what they had received from the class sessions and the books related to Islam.
In the last two days, accompanied by Fr Bernard Kieser, a German Jesuit teaching Theology at the Theology Department of Sanata Dharma University, the participants reflected on their experiences with Muslims and their understanding of Islam from the perspective of Christian Theology, including Ignatian Spirituality. What did I encounter and what happened to me? How did I respond to that encounter? Faithfully as a Christian? Where do I recognize myself being confronted or challenged or encouraged? Or perhaps discouraged? What would I like to say or think or state about my experience, in my conscience and conviction in the presence of our Lord? What would I like to say about my experience? How would I express this to my non-Christian fellows?
In the light of the Gospel (cf. Matthew 25: 31-46) and Ignatian Spirituality (cf. SE. 230-237), perhaps we can also ask: “Is it possible for us to find Christ among those who did not believe in Him?”