The Concept of Sin in Judaism, Christianity and Islam

This volume at hand of the book series “Key Concepts in Interreligious Discourses” (KCID) documents the results of a conference which dealt with the concept of “Sin” in Judaism, Christianity and Islam and was held at the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt. The conference was organized by the research unit “Key Concepts in Interreligious Discourses” and took place on June 23–24, 2021.

The research unit “Key Concepts in Interreligious Discourses” was jointly run by the Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg and the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt between June 2018 and June 2021. As the title already implies, the mutual project focused on interreligious discourse. However, it was not about conducting an interreligious dialogue, but rather reflection upon this dialogue, thereby facilitating a theologically well-founded interreligious dialogue. For only if every dialogue partner has a clear picture of what is discussed about, a dialogue can be conducted reasonably. It was the project’s ambition to provide such clarification by examining concepts that are central for Judaism, Christianity and Islam, both historically and in terms of their interdependencies and by setting them in a relation to one another. By reflecting on central ideas and beliefs historically and comparatively, common values and origins, but also differences and contradictions between the three monotheistic religions are to be clearly elaborated. By disclosing key concepts of the three closely interconnected religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam, a deeper mutual understanding is fostered, prejudices and misunderstandings are counteracted and thus a contribution is made to peaceful interaction based on respect and recognition.

Only through precise knowledge of the central ideas of the foreign as well as of one’s own religion a well-founded, objective and constructive interreligious understanding can prevail. Conferences at which international experts from the fields of theology, religious studies and philosophy of religion intensively discussed and clarified core religious ideas from the perspective of the three religions served this purpose. Developments within religious history never proceed in isolation; rather, they interpenetrate each other and are mutually dependent. Thus, the research unit “Key Concepts in Interreligious Discourses” pursued fundamental research and aimed at an “archaeology of knowledge” with its comparative conceptual-historical investigations.

Inasmuch as world peace cannot be obtained without religious peace, the project contributed importantly to a peaceful social coexistence and thus corresponds to the obligation that has been newly assigned to the universities in recent decades, namely to engage in social concerns in addition to teaching and research. This is expressed by the term “third mission.”