Biography Narrative

Fr. Shakeel John is a priest from the Catholic Diocese of Multan, Pakistan. At present he is working as a missionary priest in the Mission of the Order of Discalced Augustinians, Cebu, Philippines. For the last 6 years he was rendering his services as Dean of the Philosophy Department at Tabor Hill College, Cebu. He teaches Philosophy in the Philosophy Department at Tabor Hill and he is a faculty member of the St. Monica Institute for Religious Studies, Tabor Hill, Cebu.

He holds an MA in Philosophy from the University of San Carlos, Cebu. His MA thesis was entitled, Jalal Al-Din Rumi’s Philosophy of Tasawwuf or Sufism and its relevance to Interreligious Dialogue. At present he is doing his PhD dissertation at the same university. His academic interests lie in Catholic dogmatic theology, interreligious dialogue, ecumenism, existentialism, Philosophy of the Human Person, postmodernism, Indian philosophy, Buddhist philosophy, multiculturalism, Sufism and Rumi Studies. He holds the conviction that humanity grows and prospers when people of good come together and work together.

Interreligious Activities and Initiatives

Interreligious Dialogue (IRD) Training Workshop for Students of Theology and Religious Studies in St. Monica Institute for Religious Studies (SMIR) at Tabor Hill in Cebu City, Philippines.

The initiative was implemented in St. Monica Institute of Religious Studies (SMIRS) for the students of theology and religious studies. St. Monica Institute of Religious Studies (SMIRS) exists in Cebu City since 2004. It offers comprehensive religious and theological courses for the students (Seminarians) those who are the candidates to the priesthood and consecrated life in the Catholic Church. In curriculum of St. Monica Institute of Religious Studies a variety of subjects and courses are offered regarding theology, priesthood and consecrated life but it does not offer any course and subject on Interreligious Dialogue (IRD) and multicultural dialogue. This initiative of two days workshop on interreligious dialogue (IRD) has addressed this need and filled this academic gap in the academic formation of the students (seminarians). This initiative brought lots of information, knowledge and awareness to the students regarding Interreligious and Multicultural Dialogue. As future leaders in the Catholic Church this initiative has helped them to develop and build their interest in IRD Field for the future pastoral service and ministries. This initiative has also helped and brought IRD into the consideration of the institute (SMIRS) so that it may also focus on IRD Field in terms of curriculum arrangement.