Centre for Religion and Society (CRS)

CENTRE FOR RELIGION AND SOCIETY(CRS)

1. HISTORY OF THE RESEARCH CENTRE

1.1 Brief background and evolution.

In 2007, the Seminari Theoloji Malaysia (STM) established the Institute of World Religions (IWR) under the leadership of its founding director Rev Dr Solomon Rajah, a former Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malaysia. The institute’s primary mission is to equip Malaysian Christians with a deeper understanding of the various religions around them, both locally and globally. Over time, IWR has grown under successive directors, including Rev Dr Joseph Komar, and Rev Dr. Sivin Kit who assumed leadership in 2015.

1.2 Expanded focus since 2015.

Since 2015, CRS under Rev. Dr. Sivin has broadened its scope beyond inter-religious understanding, exploring fields such as politics, culture, and civil society. Notable efforts include:

• • • Forums on public theology, featuring European and Asian perspectives.
    • Collaborations with organisations like Project Dialogue and World Vision Malaysia to address Christian-Muslim relations and nation-building.
    • Field trips and interdisciplinary initiatives to deepen contextual understanding of religion and society.

1.3 Engagements and partnerships.

CRS has worked alongside various partners to foster dialogue and advocacy:

• • • Collaborations with NGOs, including Kairos Dialogue Network and Sisters in Islam, to address religious concerns and build solidarity.
    • Participation in workshops, consultations, and initiatives on topics such as religious extremism, nation-building, and tolerance, engaging groups like the Islamic Renaissance Front and Iman Research.

1.4 Programmes and initiatives.

CRS organised and supports events, workshops, and talks that address the role of religion in society. Highlights include:

• • • Talks on topics like Islamic law, religion and mental health, and digital religion.
    • Events such as “Women and Islam” and discussions on religion along the Silk Road.
    • Contributions to research and dialogue on issues affecting religious minorities and society transformation.

1.5 Theological and social collaborations.

CRS has fostered collaborations with theologians, researchers, and institutions to enhance theological reflections and social research:

• • • Collaboration efforts with theological collaborators to strengthen the Malaysian church’s identity and witness.
    • Research initiatives exploring interactions between Christianity and media, politics, and intercultural relations.

1.6 From 2016 onwards

Actually at the STM faculty consultation in October 17-19, 2016, nine years after its inception in 2007, the faculty supported the renaming of IWR to “Centre for Religion and Society” (CRS) in order to better reflect and make the emphasis on religion and society more explicit as we move forward from 2016. Furthermore, this move is in line with other centre that STM has started such the “Centre of Bible Engagement”.

Thus, the new name “Centre for Religion and Society” (CRS) not only provides us with a renewed focus and fresh energy towards the future, it also aims to see itself as part of the integrated effort of STM to support a faithful Christian witness in the complex and often chaotic world that we live in.

(The following was some pictures of programmes where CRS is involved under Rev. Dr. Sivin Kit).

Following the transfer of Rev Dr. Sivin Kit to Geneva, Switzerland in 2018, Dr. Wilfred John took over as the director of CRS, ushering in a new phase of growth. Under Dr. Wilfred’s leadership, CRS expanded its contributions to public theology and interfaith engagement, addressing key issues relevant to Malaysia. During his leadership, CRS was also involved in many activities and implemented many programmes. One of the major programmes of CRS at his time was “Religion and Public Space: Inter-religious Discourse and the Role of Media” which was a joint seminar between STM, FAU and Mission One World on 23-27 February 2020.

Everything was doing well until the spread of Covid-19 to Malaysia disrupted the continuation of the CRS programme. Dr. Wilfred only served a few years at the leadership of CRS before he moved to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

Then in 2021, another STM lecturer, Mr. Ram Buraat took over as the director of CRS. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many plans or programmes couldn’t be implemented physically. Despite this in the first and second semester, CRS  managed to hold two hybrid seminars on interfaith topics together with Kairos Dialogue Network and National Unity Programme, UID Sejahtera, and also on the topic of RUU 355’s ideology together with CFM. In December 2023, Mr Ram Buraat transferred to the Sabah Theological Seminary as a lecturer in Kota Kinabalu.

Rev. Jensey Mojuin took over the leadership of CRS in January 2024.

2. CURRENT STATUS

2.1 OBJECTIVES AND GOAL.

Under the leadership of Rev. Jensey Mojuin, the objectives and goals of the CRS still remain rooted in its commitment to fostering understanding, engagement and harmony in the diverse and dynamic context of Malaysia. CRS continues to maintain the previous objectives and goals of this centre, but developed them as follows:

1. Promote inter-religious dialogue and understanding

CRS aims to deepen knowledge and foster mutual respect among various religious communities, helping Christians engage thoughtfully with neighboring faiths.

2. Equip Christians for societal engagement

Through seminars, workshops, and public forums, CRS empowers Christians to interact meaningfully with multi-racial and multicultural communities, addressing society and nation-building issues.

3. Advocate peace and harmony

CRS strives to contribute to universal peace by building bridges across different communities and actively engaging in initiatives that oppose violence and promote harmony in unity.

4. Enhance theological education.

CRS is dedicated to complementing the advancement of theological education in Malaysia with interdisciplinary and practical learning opportunity initiatives that benefit theological students, church leaders, and members.

5. Collaborate for the common good

CRS continues to collaborate with like-minded organisations to conduct research, support pressing community concerns, and address religious issues that negatively impact the lives of public in Malaysia.

6. Develop holistic skills and values

CRS aims to further develop the skills and values needed for engagement and leadership in diverse communities while promoting relevant Christian teachings and values to contribute to the harmony of diverse societies.

3. THE IMPORTANT PROGRAMMES IN 2024.

After being given the mandate in January 2024, CRS actively participated in several prominent conferences as one of the organisers. This involvement was not solely to represent STM but was driven by a shared focus on topics that are core priorities of theological education at the seminary. CRS’s involvement in several programmes throughout the year has provided CRS with opportunities to contribute to critical conversations on issues that align with its mission and to continue its influence in public theology, interfaith understanding, and community development.

CRS is focused on expanding its reach and strengthen our collaboration with research centre and organisations, both in Malaysia and abroad, exploring topics of mutual interest and concern. We aim to organize and participate in every event that meet the needs of theological students, church leaders and diverse communities. In addition, we hope to engage more deeply with multilingual and multicultural contexts, ensuring that our programmes have a broader impact and are heard by the community.

3.1 THE AWAKENING CONFERENCE: A conference on Biblical and Theological view of secularism and Religious Life, on April 23rd in Bible College of Malaysia (BCM).

This was the first conference of 2024 where CRS was involved as an organiser. There were more than 183 participants from Malaysia and other countries like Vietnam and Singapore. Dr Chong Siaw Fung, Dr.Tan Ee Yan, Mr. Eugene Yapp, Rev. Jensey Mojuin and some of our alumni and students also took part in this conference. You can watch this conference on YouTube by using the search keyword “The Awakening Conference 2024”. The conference was a success. CRS is grateful to be able to work together with BCM, and look forward to more future collaborations.

The following are photos of the conference description and some photos from the conference. (Photo Credit: Centre for Religion and Society).

3.2 ISTAC-IIUM Conference & Declaration on THE SANCTITY AND VALUE OF HUMAN LIFE. July 24, 2024 at UIAM, Gombak.

Dr. Chong Siaw Fung and his wife, Mrs Yong Su Yee, and Rev. Jensey Mojuin participated in this conference, representing the Council of Churches of Malaysa(CCM) and CRS. Our participation shows that we do not support any violence, terrorists and murder against fellow human beings regardless of language, religion and race around the world.

Dr Chong delivered a talk on “The value of Human Life in Christianity”. The talk was related to the theology of Nature, studying creation to learn about God as well as normative beliefs taught by individuals and Christian organizations throughout the ages. This talk has opened the eyes of the participants to the Christian view of the value of human kind.

At the end of the conference, the organisers issued a declaration of 9 points which can be found on the IIUM website.

(The following are photo of the conference description and some photos with the conference speaker and participants).

(Third from the right is one of the speakers, Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss, NETUREI KARTA)

3.3 REGIONAL SOUTHEAST ASIA DIGNITY CONFERENCE 2024.
“Dignity for everyone, everywhere: Best Practices & Success Stories for Building Inclusive Society” on 6th-7th August 2024.

This is a collaboration between the Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (IKIM), International Center for Law and Religion Studies (ICLRS), Brigham Young University, Religious Freedom Institute (RFI) and Seminari Theoloji Malaysia (STM).

The STM representatives were Dr. Albert S. Walters and Bishop Rt. Rev. Steven Lawrence who were conference speakers while Dr. Chong Siaw Fung and Mr. Eugene Yapp were moderators. Rev. Dr. Dennis Raj (STM board members), Mrs. Yong Su Yee, Dr. Tan Ee Yan, Dr. Chong Chuin Min and Rev. Jensey Mojuin also participated in the conference. The conference has been successfully conducted and has achieved its goals. CRS’ priority is with maintaining the harmony of Malaysians which was built together regardless of the differences in race, religion and language.

(Royal Address by His Royal Highness Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah Al-Maghfur-lah, Sultan of Perak Darul Ridzuan)

(Conference participants: STM representatives, Datuk Bishop Melter Jiki Tais, the Bishop of the Anglican Church of Sabah, Mr. Tan Beng Kong from the Christian Federation of Malaysia)

(Together with conference speakers. Mr. Ahmad Fahmi Mohd Samsudin, President ABIM & Mrs. Suraya Wen, Director JPNIN- Research Institute & Training on National Integration Malaysia).

4. STRATEGIES

4.1 Implementation of programmes: CRS is continually involved in domestic and international programmes, as well as organising conferences and seminars to introduce the unique voice, role and existence of STM as a seminary that maintains and continues to foster peace between multi-faith communities as well as showing the multi-faith community that we care about global peace.

4.2 Collaboration and networking: CRS continues to collaborate and networking with NGOs, groups and organizations such as Kairos Dialogue Network and the Network of Centers for Christian-Muslim Relations (NCCMR) that share the common goals of universal peace to make our voices heard at all levels.

4.3 Study and field trip: CRS organises study and field trips to non-Christian houses of worship, such as mosques and temples, with the aim of learning and fostering closer relationships.

5. GOALS, PLANS, PROGRAMMES AND HOPES FOR THE FUTURE.

5.1 GOALS.

1. 1. Promote peace and harmony: CRS aims to build bridges across religious and cultural divides, contributing to universal peace and opposing violence.
   2. Advance theological education: Strengthening theological education in Malaysia remains a central goal, equipping theological students, church leaders, and members with the tools to engage meaningfully especially with a diverse society in Malaysia.
   3. Empower Christian witness: CRS seeks to prepare Christians to engage in society and intercultural dialogue, reflecting their faith in the public sphere.
   4. Foster inclusive dialogue: Creating platforms for inter-religious, intercultural, and inter-disciplinary dialogue to address society and global challenges.

5.2 PLANS

1. 1. 1. Expand outreach efforts: Continuing to develop and implement programs that can be implemented effectively in Malaysia’s multi-faith community and abroad for the purpose of peace and understanding one another.
      2. Strengthen research and program networks: Continue to collaborate with more local and international institutions and centres who share the same goals, and to conduct programmes and research that has an impact on religion, culture, and society.
      3. Organize seminar and conferences that address pressing issues such as religious tolerance, public theology, and society transformation.
      4. Develop leadership training: Offer and conduct workshops, seminars, and conference for leaders in the seminary to enhance church and communities skills in navigating multicultural and religious environments.

5.3 PROGRAMMES IN 2025.

1. 1. 1. Seminars, conference and forums: Participate in and hold conferences related to interfaith relations in Malaysia and abroad.
      2. Participating in webinar by the Network of center for Christian-Muslim relations (NCCMR) by Professor Adnane Mokrani (Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome)
         Title:”Toward an Islamic Theology of Religious Pluralism”.
         Date: Tuesday, May 27, 13:00 GMT
      3. Centre for Religion and Society Conference
         Title: Religion Should Bring Peace.
         Date: 25 – 26 January 2026
         Venue: Seminari Theoloji Malaysia (STM).
      4. Table talks: Engage seminary students, STM communities and visiting experts in theological reflection on current society issues during STM Pastoral Groups on Wednesday and STM community lunch every Thursday.
      5. Community and other religion engagement activities: Conduct field trips and community programs to foster firsthand understanding of Malaysia’s diverse religious and cultural landscape. In May-September 2025, conducted visits with students to non-Christian houses of worship to learn from each other and get to know each other as well as build a strong relationship.
      6. Equipping the STM Alumni: Participate in the STM Alumni Homecoming event by delivering a presentation on “Malaysia Madani” to STM Alumni on 23 July 2025.

5.4 HOPE FOR THE FUTURE.

1. 1. 1. Inspiring advocacy and dialogue: Arousing the will for continuing meaningful interfaith dialogue, setting an example for harmony and mutual respect.
      2. Inspiring peaceful coexistence: Playing a key role in shaping a more inclusive and peaceful Malaysia, where diversity is celebrated as a strength.
      3. Contributing to nation building: Supporting Malaysia’s growth as a nation through initiatives that uphold justice, compassion and shared values.
      4. Advancing theological insight: Fostering holistic theological education to meet contemporary challenges and equipping leaders for effective ministry in the church, as well as in diverse societies.

6.  SUMMARY

CRS greatly appreciate the contributions of the former leaders who have been the founders and directors of this centre since its establishment. It is a privilege to lead a centre that is devoted to fostering dialogue, public theology, inter-religious and society engagement in our nation.

Over the past 18 years CRS has made remarkable progress in addressing the pressing challenges of multi-faith and multi-cultural societies while promoting harmony, understanding and cooperation.

CRS remains deeply committed to equipping Malaysian Christians to engage effectively with the complexities of our nation’s diverse landscape. The partnerships we have fostered, the spaces we have created for dialogue, and the impact we have seen are all evidence of God’s faithfulness in this God’s calling and ministry. All glory be to God for His grace and providence.

Prepared by,

Rev. Jensey Mojuin.
Director of the CRS.

May 2025.