Building Bridges Seminar
Saturday, 6 April 2013, 9am – 1.00pm l Singapore Islamic Hub
273 Braddell Road, Singapore 579702
Building Bridges Programme
The Harmony Centre piloted the “Building Bridges Programme” in 2012 to strengthen
social cohesion and inter-community bonding by deepening interfaith understanding and
dialogue. The programme was conceived based on the feedback from friends and partners of
Harmony Centre who are keen to enhance their understanding of the different faiths beyond
the basic tenets and practices of each faith.
For a start, Harmony Centre collaborates with the National Council of Churches (NCCS)
in the Building Bridges Programme. This programme comprises a series of three engagement
sessions between the participating faith groups and a public seminar. The theme for this
inaugural Building Bridges Programme is “Religious Tradition and Authority in a Post Modern
World”. This theme was chosen by both Harmony Centre and NCCS for its relevance and
importance to all faith communities.
During the engagement session, each organization is represented by three discussants and
about 20 other participants. One discussant from the Harmony Centre and NCCS would present
their respective paper on one issue that is relevant to the theme of the seminar. After the
paper presentation, the remaining two discussants offer their insights and comments before
opening the discussion to all other participants. The issues covered during the engagement
sessions include:
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Religious Tradition and Authority in Islam and Christianity
Religious Tradition and Authority and the Challenge of Post Modernity
Educating Youth about Religious Tradition and authority in the Post-Modern World
The Harmony Centre is now organizing a Building Bridges Seminar to share the outcomes of the
engagement sessions and to hear the views of other faith leaders, activists, community leaders,
academics and interfaith practitioners on the subject matter. This is to enable a larger audience
to benefit from the papers and discussions that have transpired. The proceedings of the
seminar will be published and disseminated for wider reach.
Engagement Sessions :
During the engagement session each faith group is represented by three Core Discussants and
about 20 participants. The Discussants were as follow :
T National Council of Churches Singapore
1. Dr Leow Theng Huat – Faculty Member, Trinity Theological College
2. Dr Andrew Peh – Dean of Students, Trinity Theological College
3. Rev Malcolm Tan – Pastor in Charge of Barker Road Methodist Church
Harmony Centre and Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis)
1. Ustaz Alfian Yasrif Kuchit – President, Syariah Court
2. Ustaz Mohd Hannan Hassan – Vice Dean, Muis Academy,
3. Ustaz Mohd Murat Bin Aris - Executive Director, Madrasah Aljunied Al-Islamiah
Sub Themes of the Engagement Sessions:
1. Tradition and Authority in Islam & Christianity
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What is the meaning of tradition and authority in Islam and Christianity?
How have the notions of tradition and authority evolved in different epochs throughout
Islamic/Christian history?
How is tradition and authority understood in the context of Islam and Christianity in
Singapore?
2. Religious Tradition and Authority and the Challenge of Postmodernity
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What are the key characteristics of post modernity?
What is the impact of post modernity on religious tradition and authority?
How should religious tradition and authority evolve in the postmodern environment?
3. Teaching youth about religious tradition and authority in the postmodern world
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What is the impact of postmodern ideas in the way youths think about religious tradition
and authority?
How should the value of respect for religious tradition and authority be imbibed in
contemporary religious learning for the young?
What are the changes needed in religious instruction to effectively guide the young to cope
and deal with the challenge of post modernity