The Role of Culture as a Variable in Christian–Muslim Dialogue

Abstract

This article examines culture as a central analytical category in Christian–Muslim dialogue, addressing a significant gap in interfaith studies where theological commonalities often overshadow the formative role of cultural and ethnic differences. Recognizing the deep interrelation of religion and culture, the study argues that cultural configurations shape how beliefs are expressed, rituals performed, and sacred texts interpreted, thereby influencing both the possibilities and constraints of interreligious engagement. Using examples from diverse Christian and Muslim settings, the analysis demonstrates that variations in communicative style and interpretive expectation are frequently rooted in cultural divergences. The conceptual framework integrates Qur’anic perspectives with insights from Shiʿi thinkers ʿAllāmah Hasanzādah Āmulī and ʿAllāmah Shaʿrānī, who view religion as a comprehensive and identity-forming system. Edward Tylor’s classical definition of culture and Victor Kozlov’s model of ethnicity further clarify how cultural and ethnic identities intersect with religious belonging. Jürgen Habermas’s theory of communicative action provides an additional lens for evaluating the conditions necessary for constructive intercultural dialogue. Institutional analyses of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, the World Council of Churches, and Iran’s Center for Interreligious Dialogue, along with case studies from Myanmar and Nigeria, reveal the decisive impact of cultural variables on dialogical outcomes. The study concludes that interfaith dialogue gains depth and effectiveness when cultural and ethnic contexts are explicitly acknowledged and incorporated into its design.