New Ideas Concerning Arts and Social Studies Vol. 7

Interreligious dialogue refers to the intentional, respectful, and sustained engagement between individuals and communities of differing faith traditions with the aim of fostering mutual understanding, trust, and cooperation. In the wake of persistent and devastating violent conflicts across the African continent—whether fueled by ethnic divisions, resource-based rivalries, political instability, or religious extremism—there has emerged a renewed and urgent call for peacebuilding frameworks that go beyond institutional reconstruction. To achieve genuinely sustainable peace, it is essential to integrate religious, cultural, and ethical dimensions into post-conflict reconstruction processes. This chapter examines the ethical and philosophical foundations of interreligious dialogue as a transformative pathway for sustainable peacebuilding in post-conflict African contexts. It situates the conversation within a hermeneutical-philosophical framework, drawing principally on the dialogical ethics of Hans-Georg Gadamer and indigenous African moral traditions. Hans-Georg Gadamer’s philosophical hermeneutics centres on the idea that understanding is not merely a technical process but a dialogical event. The central objective is to investigate how an ethics of understanding—grounded in mutual recognition, narrative, and historical memory—can serve not only as a practical tool for reconciliation but also as a fundamental philosophical reorientation toward human dignity, pluralism, and coexistence.

The research addresses a critical problem facing many African societies emerging from conflict: the instrumentalisation of religion in political violence and its lingering effects on intercommunal trust and social cohesion. Despite various peace accords and transitional justice mechanisms, the ethical dimension of dialogue—particularly the deep listening and interpretive engagement required for genuine understanding—remains underdeveloped. This gap is especially pronounced in settings where religious diversity intersects with colonial legacies, ethnic tensions, and epistemic injustice. The study, therefore, asks: What philosophical resources can be mobilised to reframe interreligious dialogue as a process of healing and ethical transformation, rather than mere political utility?

Methodologically, the chapter adopts a qualitative, interdisciplinary approach grounded in philosophical hermeneutics. It engages in critical textual analysis of key philosophical texts— especially Gadamer’s Truth and Method—and African communitarian ethics from thinkers such as John Mbiti, Kwasi Wiredu, and Mogobe Ramose. It also incorporates case illustrations from select post-conflict African regions (e.g., Rwanda, South Sudan, and northern Nigeria) to contextualise the ethical claims within lived realities. The hermeneutical method enables a reading of both religious and cultural texts as dynamic sites of meaning-making, while philosophical inquiry provides the normative framework for ethical evaluation.

Ultimately, the study argues that interreligious dialogue in Africa must move beyond surface-level tolerance or utilitarian frameworks toward a deeper commitment to mutual understanding, existential solidarity, and epistemological humility. By foregrounding an ethics of understanding, this chapter contributes to the broader discourse on peacebuilding, religious pluralism, and decolonial thought in Africa. It challenges both policymakers and religious leaders to reconsider dialogue not merely as a tool of diplomacy but as a philosophical and ethical act of restoration and transformation. Policy directions should prioritise capacity building for interfaith leaders, institutionalise interreligious engagement in peace processes, and incorporate interreligious ethics into national education curricula. Governments, NGOs, and religious organisations must collaborate to build frameworks that support long-term, community-driven dialogue.