As a professor some years later, I found myself watching along with my pupils a well-known Greek movie, Politiki Kouzina (A Touch of Spice) by Tassos Boulmetis. There is a scene where the Greek and the Turk are conversing almost naked in a Turkish bath in Constantinople, and when one asks, ‘Why did you choose to have our meeting here?’ the other replies, ‘Here the souls open up like steamed mussels.’

Almost 15 years separated those two moments, and in between I had not been searching for answers; I had the answers; I was not trying to find what to say to the youngsters; I knew. Yet I was feeling that, as I myself had begun to mature, the society I was living in had begun to feel the need to tell the truth, without the distortions that the political extremities of the recent past had brought about. Nowadays you have to tell the truth, air your beliefs, because now, more than at any other time, you stand naked in front of the world and you cannot hide anything of whatever you are and whatever you believe in.

The religious person

So the identity, the ascertainment of the different, the avowal of the uniqueness of the individual, cannot and should not hinder bringing to the fore our environment, whatever that may be, and particularly when it concerns the establishment of various forms of collectiveness which specify social development. Especially nowadays, the religious person, the person involved in academic and mainly in empirical theology, has to leave behind the prejudices and preconceptions of the past and stand prepared to accept his or her personal starting point as a source of answers and of action ― notwithstanding the fact that today, ‘when talking about religion, we mean the credibility crisis that faith is experiencing within modernity.’

Though it is indisputable that nowadays the geographical definition does not always denote a common religion and that in the same area faith is maybe expressed through different forms of worship, even the most closed societies feel the pressure of multi-cultural infiltration. It is true that differentiation has been the cause of great conflicts, even within established religions (e.g. the Thirty Years War that broke out after the explosion of the Reformation).

Fundamentalism

Is fundamentalism the main characteristic of the religious person, though? For those who believe that we are living in a period of religious wars, the answer is ‘yes.’ Yet reality is multifarious and multiplex. Our inability to distinguish between the religious person and idealized religious fanaticism drives us to the wrong conclusions. The genuinely faithful person is devoted to the principles of ‘natural justice’ in its broadest possible perspective and application. The religious person realizes the value of human life and of human dignity. It is not something that he has been compelled to accept, but something that forms part of his life. This is the essential part. Therefore, fanaticism does not form part of his life, but rather a distortion of his faith.

Proclaiming one’s identity is not a mark of conflict but of convergence. Dialogue is the only proof of expression. ‘For the ecumenical dialogue to come to fruition, the differences that divide the churches should not be passed over. They should be brought out into the open and discussed with sincerity, respect and fullness.’ Especially now, when the multifaceted forms of communication (television, internet, etc) have opened new prospects to man, dialogue has transcended the organized groups and been taken up by individuals.

The society of individuals

Bringing forward the ‘society of individuals,’ as much as it is possible, constitutes the essential and decisive contribution the religious person has to offer. It is a responsibility that weighs much more heavily on the shoulders of those who, because of their position, are being called to serve theological discourse. We judged it advisable therefore, and necessary, to seek a meeting ground of all theologians, regardless of dogma or religion, and to open the dialogue societies themselves have already begun, not in order to come into conflict, but in order to meet with each other. Perhaps because, when we are ‘naked,’ our soul can be better seen; because it is not the ‘seeming’ that makes the difference but the ‘being.’

By Dr Ioannis A. Panagiotopoulos
Ioannis A. Panagiotopoulos is a theologian.
If you want to join us or are interested in the ‘Theologians’ Network,’ you may contact us:
Contact person: Irene Kasapi,
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it