Arturas Lukasevicius

Aleksandr Men`¿s Approach to the World¿s Religions: a Critical Evaluation in Light of the Declaration Dominus Iesus Arturas Lukasevicius

Living and working under the oppressive Soviet regime, Fr. Aleksandr Men` managed to develop an extensive body of scholarly and pastoral work that established him as one of the most influential Russian Orthodox writers of the 20th century. This study focuses on his view of the world¿s religions examined in light of the Roman Catholic declaration Dominus Iesus. Lukasevicius divides his theological analysis into three areas: the place of Jesus Christ among other leaders of the world¿s religions; the teachings and practices of non-biblical religions in comparison to the revelation of Jesus Christ; the concept of faith as human response to Christ¿s revelation compared to the notion of belief, as seen by Men`, in non-biblical religions. It is argued here that before the promulgation of Dominus Iesus, Aleksandr Men` had already developed an explicitly Christian approach to other religions, generally consistent with the Papal document. Lukasevicius offers a thorough analysis of Men`¿s works, contributing to Christian theology¿s further understanding of the complexities of inter-religious dialogue.