INVITATION
The Goa Jesuits are pleased and proud that Professor Dr. Francis X. D'Sa SJ,
a member of the Goa Jesuit Province was recently awarded an honorary
Doctorate in theology by the University of Frankfurt, Germany. Dr. D'Sa is
an eminent theologian of international repute and has specialized in the
area of theology and cultures.
As a mark of our appreciation for the honour conferred on Prof. D'Sa, the
Goa Jesuits cordially invite you to a felicitation function. On this
occasion Prof. D'Sa will deliver a brief discourse, followed by an
interactive session with the audience. His discourse is entitled:
CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONS AND THE DIALOGUE OF CULTURES
Reflections on the Present Encounter of Cultures
Venue: Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendr, Porvorim
Date: April 1, 2007
Time: 5:30 - 7:00 PM
The main thrust of Dr. D'Sa's discourse...
Media-presentations about the relationships between the diverse cultures are
increasingly speaking of an imminent clash of cultures. But prior to any
clash is the fact of misunderstanding the "other" and the failure to build
bridges. Hence apart from goodwill there is an urgent need to understand the
dynamics that are at work in socio-economic and cultural interconnections.
It is important to discern between the chaff of rhetoric and the wheat of
reality. This is the precondition for discovering the rich but hidden
potential inherent in intercultural communication.
The dialogue of cultures, experts agree, is unavoidable if we wish to tread
the path to peace. Only dialogue can help preserve the uniqueness of a
culture in the rainbow of cultures. The question that arises in this
context: Can the ordinary citizen contribute to such a dialogue of cultures?
Professional background: Prof. Dr. Francis X. D'Sa SJ has been a Professor
of Indian Religions and Theology of Religion at the Jnana Deepa Vidyapeeth
[Pontificium Athenaeum], Pune since 1973. His doctoral studies were
completed in 1973, at the University of Vienna, Austria with a dissertation
on the Purva-Mimamsa. From 1975 he has been a regular visiting Professor at
the Universities in Austria, Switzerland and Germany. In addition he is a
guest Lecturer at many academic Institutions in Europe. Since April
2003 he occupies the Chair for Missionwissenschaft und Dialog der Religionen
in the Faculty for Catholic Theology at the University of Würzburg, Germany.
Some of his publications are: a book on the Mimamsa (published by the
University of Vienna, Austria) and another on cross-cultural theology
(German) and a third one on the Bhagavadgita (German). He has also edited a
number of books. His recent publication is: The Rainbow of Revelation: The
Universe of Faith and the Pluriverse of Belief.
