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Wisdom (Hikmah) as a Holistic Basis for Inter-religious Education

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Book cover International Handbook of Inter-religious Education

Part of the book series: International Handbooks of Religion and Education ((IHRE,volume 4))

Abstract

The concept of wisdom is a crucial aspect of all religious education and is a dynamic factor in human relationships. In general, wisdom is a worldview by which a person can live in this world in a balanced way. The chapter affirms the place of wisdom in the religious realm and inter-religious education. Various definitions of wisdom are offered, and focus is given to world wisdom literature and the religious traditions started by the prophets and founders of religions.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    According to Heracleides Ponticus, a disciple of Plato, Pythagoras was once asked; “What are you?” and he replied, “I am a philosopher (philosophos)” since he believed that only God knows everything and He is wise but humans are not able to be wise. Therefore, for him, humans should be “lovers of wisdom” (Eliade, 1987, Vol. 15, pp. 5, 6, 216).

  2. 2.

    Indian Philosopher, born in Bihar. He is the founder of Nyaya school of India, a classical system which was primarily concerned with methodology and reason and developed a system of logic (see Goring, 1994).

  3. 3.

    The liberal development within Buddhist practice in the first century A.D. in China, Tibet, Mongolia, Nepal, Korea, and Japan. In Mahayana Buddhism the prime emotion is compassion and is ranked equal to wisdom as a means of achieving enlightenment.

  4. 4.

    It is the most important and best known religion of pre-Islamic Iran. It takes its name from its founder Zarathhustra (Zoroaster) who probably lived around the beginning of the first millennium B.C. Although some claim that Mazdaism was a different religion, in fact Zoroastrianism and Mazdaism are synonymous. Ahura Mazda (wise lord) is the only name for the Zoroastrian God (see Eliade, 1987).

  5. 5.

    Normative custom of the prophet Muhammad by which he clarified the application of revealed commands as a second important source of Islam after the Qurân.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Adnan Menderes University, Aydin, Turkey

    Mehmet Önal

Authors
  1. Mehmet Önal
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Correspondence to Mehmet Önal .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Australian Catholic University, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia

    Kath Engebretson

  2. National School of Religious Education, Australian Catholic University, Mair St 1200, Ballarat, 3350, Victoria, Australia

    Marian de Souza

  3. Graduate School of Religion &, Religious Education, Fordham University, Bronx, 10987, New York, USA

    Gloria Durka

  4. Digby Stuart College, Roehampton University, London, SW15 5PH, United Kingdom

    Liam Gearon

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Önal, M. (2010). Wisdom (Hikmah) as a Holistic Basis for Inter-religious Education. In: Engebretson, K., de Souza, M., Durka, G., Gearon, L. (eds) International Handbook of Inter-religious Education. International Handbooks of Religion and Education, vol 4. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9260-2_14

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