This book, Interreligious Dialogue in Southeast Asia: Achievements, Challenges and Prospects, is based on the structure of awareness of the importance of documenting and critically analyzing diverse experiences in dialogue from different regions of Southeast Asia. The theme of this book brings together some scholars and practitioners from KAICIID alumni, as well some non-KAICIID alumni scholars who are specially invited, to write from various disciplines—including religious studies, sociology, political science, anthropology, and peace studies—that have involved dialogue questions in different national and local contexts.
This book, basically, has three main objectives. First, it seeks to present a broader perspective on interfaith dialogue across Southeast Asia, highlighting the unique contexts in each country. Second, it aims to describe the practices and outcomes of dialogue—describing not only success stories but also failures, limitations, and contested spaces. Third, he contributes to a broader theoretical discussion of the meaning and function of dialogue in pluralistic societies, including within religious communities and local communities, linking the Southeast Asian experience to the global debate on religion and peacebuilding.