In September 1998, a group of devotees and scholars attended a one-day seminar in Abentheuer, Germany, entitled 'Puja: Different Aspects of Worship in Religious Traditions'. It was envisioned that these meetings would be held on a regular basis in the future, in order to promote interfaith dialogue and facilitate in-depth study of religious practices.

 Although the content of the seminar was originally planned to deal with  Christianity and Vaisnavism, it was soon realised that there were other interesting topics to be discussed which could not be summarised under this general heading. It was therefore decided to invite speakers to choose their own subjects, with an open discussion after each presentation.

The meeting opened with Dr Peter Schmidt, who discussed his thesis, 'A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami in Interreligious Dialogue.' Dr Schmidt began by analysing Srila Prabhupada's view of Christianity, which had been strongly influenced by Rev. Urquhart, his teacher at Scottish Churches College. Dr. Schmidt illustrated how Srila Prabhupada used many of Urquhart's less well-known terms to describe Christianity, concluding that both men shared similarities in expression and theological understanding. For example, Dr Schmidt pointed out that with his acknowledgement of the Lord Jesus Christ as a positive and integral part of Vaisnava theology, Srila Prabhupada was far ahead of his time in his acceptance of other religions.

Sacinandana Maharaja spoke about female aspects in Christian and Vaisnava theology, noting how monotheistic religions had traditionally portrayed God as a male entity. However, both Christian and Pagan religions were now attempting to redefine the Divine spirit, with witchcraft and fertility cults becoming more popular and prominent in the West. There were even demands for the neutralisation of all sexist expressions in the Bible.

Sacinandana Swami then went on to describe the two forms of devis (goddesses) in India, namely those who are dependent on and empowered by Bhagavan (Krsna) and those who are independent of Him. He cited two examples of the former. Firstly, Laksmidevi (Saktiman), who is depicted as being smaller than Bhagavan in many temples and portrayed as the Lord's wife (svakiya-rasa). Radharani has greater independence, but is still strongly connected to Krsna (parakiya-rasa). She is not married to the Lord and there is no consideration of the moral code (stri-dharma); indeed, Her love (prema) for Krsna is considered so strong that the Lord becomes dependant on Her, and through this Radha assumes superiority over Krsna. The Holi festival in India, where the ladies throw coloured powders at the men, is an expression of these feelings of love. Devis independent of Krsna include Sati Gaudavariya, Kali and Sakti. Sati gives women strength to achieve the ideal platform of chastity. For example, she enters into the body of a widow who has decided to give up her life at her husband's funeral pyre.

Sakti represents Krsna's energy, which is female by nature. Kali, on the other hand, not only represents good qualities but also wrath, a trait that has been completely negated in Christian theology. Sacinandana Swami also cited a modern example of an independent 'goddess' (although a purely political invention) — Mata Bharata, or Mother India.

Prof. Edmund Weber spoke about the definition of mercy and karma, which he illustrated with examples from two different theological sections in Vaisnavism which resemble the Protestant and Catholic understanding of mercy. Protestant philosophy states that salvation is independent of karma or qualification, believing that God's freedom alone is the cause of His mercy. An example of this would be the mother cat, who carries her kittens in her mouth, a process which requires no effort on their behalf. On the other hand, Catholic theology sees the individual soul as having a share in his/her own salvation, a process which depends on the person's pious achievements (karma), which is compared to baby monkeys who have to cling to their mother if they wish to be carried by her.

Thus, Protestant theology sees man as opposing salvation with God, who is looking for means to give His mercy. Professor Weber mentioned Namalva, a sudra poet, who allegedly lacked any prerequisite (good karma) for salvation. Namalva claimed that he had never allowed the Lord to enter his heart and never offered respect to his guru. He was, in fact, a rebel against God, but was finally overpowered by His mercy and became full of divine love. The Protestant therefore sees God as giving His mercy to those He wants to, and for no other reason. However, The Catholics counter that God does not save people whimsically, and he is not above justice.

Lastly, Martin Mittwede spoke about the problem of interpreting religious terms from different theological traditions and within varying contexts. In the discussion that followed, Professor Weber pointed out that it is not the change of interpretation, but the destruction of rituals, that threatens religion. Rituals, baptism for example, do not have to be understood in order to be effective. Sacinandana Swami added that in the Vedas it is said that spiritual power works independently at five places — the holy name, the sadhus, sastra, sacred places and worship on the altar.

These meetings are seen as a valuable chance for ISKCON members and scholars to exchange views. For devotees, it was very interesting to see the similarities between Vaisnava and Christian theology. In turn, the academic delegates appeared to appreciate the broad non-sectarian approach of the Vaisnava representatives and recognised universal patterns in the presentation of the female aspect of God, which many progressive Christian theologians are now welcoming as an enriched understanding of the Divine. Peter Schmidt's challenging and thought-provoking statements will have prompted a great deal of internal contemplation amongst the devotees present.

Plans are already underway for the next seminar, which will discuss Srila Prabhupada's views on Buddhism.