AL-QUR’AN DAN EKARISTI SEBAGAI PUSAT HIDUP BERIMAN DAN KEROHANIAN UMAT MUSLIM DAN KRISTIANI

Abstract

This thesis is an attempt to explore and practice of comparative theology. Comparative theology itself is unique in terms of its sources and methods, in which theological reflection is built on the basis of a comparison of more than one religious traditions. Moreover, comparative theology emphasizes practice rather than theory. The context of the development of comparative theology is the reality of religious plurality and beliefs. Faced with reality, each religion believer must be open to understand other religious traditions while believing and deepening his/her own religious traditions. So he/she is challenged to remain faithful to his/her own religious traditions at once open to people who have other religious traditions. This is the real context of comparative theology. In short it can be stated that the comparative theology is a theology that is done in the context of diversity of faith “to keep the tension” between loyalty to his/her own faith and openness to the other. This method of theology refers to as “comparative” because it is done by comparing his/her own religious traditions and other traditions. The expected result of this comparison is a new understanding of the truth of his/her own faith in the light of other religious faith. Thus the results of the comparative theology will minimize any truth claims that often trigger a variety of inter-religious conflict. Whether we realize or not, religious diversity often creates the potential for conflict. Hence, comparative theology is also one of the alternative methods of theology capable of answering the challenges of the diversity itself. Comparative theology is also a contextual theology that can be developed in plural Indonesian society. As a practitioner interested in deepening comparative theology, the author chooses the Qur‟an and the Eucharist as the starting point of the discussion in this thesis. The author tries to discuss both as taught and believed by each religion. The discussion focuses on three dimensions: sociological/ecclesiological, theological and spirituality. This discussion will look at the important role of the Qur‟an and the Eucharist in each religion. Its process will take several steps as follows: first of all the author will discuss the Qur‟an and the Eucharist and then make a comparison by seeing the similarities and differences between the Qur‟an and the Eucharist. Later the author will reflect on the Eucharist in a new perspective after the encounter with an understanding of the Qur‟an. The results of this comparative practice between the Qur‟an and the Eucharist reveal that from the existing differences, Christians increasingly are confirmed in their understanding of the Eucharist as a sign of the presence of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, as Muslims do experience the Word of God in the Qur‟an.