Catholic–Muslim Spiritual Conversation in Search of God’s Will

Abstract One of the most significant legacies of Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491–1556) to the Catholic Church is the practice of spiritual discernment . Traditionally, this Ignatian spiritual heritage has been understood primarily as a personal or individual process of seeking God’s will. In recent times, however, there has been a marked shift among Ignatian practitioners – from individual discernment toward communal discernment. A further question then arises: Can communal discernment be meaningfully practised across two different religious communities – for instance, between Catholics and Muslims? Grounded in a spiritual‐theological framework and informed by a recent interfaith experiment held in Jakarta on 10–12 May 2025, this article examines the extent to which resonance between Islamic and Catholic spirituality can serve as a foundation for shared spiritual practice. The discourse presented here aspires to deepen and transform the vision of Nostra aetate . On the one hand, it engages in a dialogue of spiritual experience (spirit); on the other, it does not neglect the body, as it also addresses the real and urgent issues confronting humanity today – particularly within the Indonesian context.

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Publication Details

Journal
The Ecumenical Review
Published
2026-03-16
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/erev.70009
Primary Topic
Pentecostalism and Christianity Studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Catholic–Muslim Spiritual Conversation in Search of God’s Will

Greg Soetomo Sj
The Ecumenical Review
Pentecostalism and Christianity Studies
article

Catholic–Muslim Spiritual Conversation in Search of God’s Will

Greg Soetomo Sj
article en

Abstract

Abstract One of the most significant legacies of Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491–1556) to the Catholic Church is the practice of spiritual discernment . Traditionally, this Ignatian spiritual heritage has been understood primarily as a personal or individual process of seeking God’s will. In recent times, however, there has been a marked shift among Ignatian practitioners – from individual discernment toward communal discernment. A further question then arises: Can communal discernment be meaningfully practised across two different religious communities – for instance, between Catholics and Muslims? Grounded in a spiritual‐theological framework and informed by a recent interfaith experiment held in Jakarta on 10–12 May 2025, this article examines the extent to which resonance between Islamic and Catholic spirituality can serve as a foundation for shared spiritual practice. The discourse presented here aspires to deepen and transform the vision of Nostra aetate . On the one hand, it engages in a dialogue of spiritual experience (spirit); on the other, it does not neglect the body, as it also addresses the real and urgent issues confronting humanity today – particularly within the Indonesian context.

The Ecumenical Review
Reduced inequalities
Openalex Percentile: Top 19%
Pentecostalism and Christianity Studies
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