Interreligious Dialogue in Portuguese Libraries: a critical analysis and development prospects

Abstract

This article is part of a new approach to Library Management based on the concept of New Public Management, which assigns new functions and new responsibilities to these cultural facilities. In this context, the social responsibility of libraries to develop their activities without any kind of discrimination, places them as privileged assets for the development of the Information Society, as spaces of discussion and religious freedom.

Within the scope of initiatives developed by Portuguese libraries, the topic of Religion and Interreligious Dialogue has been debated very little, although it has become one of the serious problems of the contemporary world.

Now, peace in the world depends on peace between religions, and the latter on the pluralistic, tolerant, universal and multicultural dialogue that is to begin. This dialogue implies the existence of global ethical criteria and the consensus and application of diverse presuppositions: the clarification between religious and sacred; The understanding of the concept of Revelation and of Sacred Books; The need for a historical-critical reading of the Sacred Books and the separation of Churches and State.

Interreligious Dialogue is the only weapon in the contemporary world to fight the threats of terror from all over the world that affect Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, agnostics, atheists and so on.

Therefore, all initiatives developed by libraries in this context must take priority in all their communication strategies, regardless their target segment (youth, adults, students, teachers, politicians, ethnic and linguistic minorities, refugees, etc.), the added value of the Interreligious Dialogue for Peace in the world and for local communities.