ABSTRACT
The fourth meeting of the Christian–Muslim Theological Forum, held in 2008, explored the subject of ethics in the two faith traditions under the theme of “Responsibility for Life”. Sub-topics at this meeting included identifying anthropological and theological bases for ethical responsibility and the application of ethics in partnerships, family life, government and politics, economic actions, and the field of biomedicine, among other issues canvased and discussed. The Forum also addressed issues of ethical differences, variations in ethical motivations, the context of secularity and non-theological ethical perspectives, and Christian and Islamic responsibility within a more general social context. The fourth Building Bridges Seminar, held in 2005, also focussed on ethical matters in relation to the idea of the “Common Good” and, at the fifth Building Bridges meeting, in 2006, ethical issues pertaining to the theme of “Justice and Rights”. In this chapter the common underlying theme of ethics that featured in the three dialogue events will be explored by way of four key areas: the foundations of ethics and justice; religion and society; ethics and social justice; and issues of justice, rights, and freedom.
