Interreligious Friendship as Method for Interfaith Relations: Vatican II and Beyond

precis: This essay explores the use of friendship as a method in interfaith relations and comparative theology for strengthening interreligious relations and fostering mutual understanding. For Roman Catholics, friendship offers an ecclesial dimension waiting to be developed in a post-Vatican II ecclesiology. Friendship captures the wider ecumenical spirit of the Council. The essay explores some key philosophical notions of friendship and the use of friendship in various interfaith initiatives and in comparative theology, specifically through the work of James Fredericks. It concludes with a call for an ecclesiology of friendship to bolster these initiatives further in the Catholic Church.