course hero how does religious pluralism respond to the problem of religious diversity?

In response to this problem, two solutions have been proposed: pluralism and exclusivism. Pluralism makes a claim that all of the religions are true in their own way where exclusivism, on the other hand, makes the claim that only one religion is true in its beliefs.

Full Answer

What is religious pluralism and diversity?

Religious diversity refers to the empirical fact that different religious worldviews surround us. Religious pluralism (or, just pluralism) refers to an attitude, social and theological, to that diversity. Of course, pluralism, an embrace and openness to diversity, is not the only option.

What is pluralism and inclusivism?

As such, pluralism is often contrasted with exclusivism, a rejection and closedness to diversity. In between these two, we can speak of inclusivism, which is a form of limited toleration and acceptance of some validity to diversity.

What is the Christian theological response to religious diversity?

In very general terms, exclusivist and inclusivist attitudes have been the primary Christian theological response to religious diversity. Arguably, theological inclusivism has been most prevalent, but the social and ecclesiastical attitude has been exclusive. Pluralism, while having some deeper roots, really took shape in the twentieth century.

What are the problems of religious pluralism?

The particularity problem has been stated in many forms: pluralists are starting a new religion, not affirming existing religions; in their quest for universality, pluralists whitewash differences among religions, forming conceptions of other religions unduly informed by their home religions;vii and pluralists are ...

What is the role of pluralism in religion?

Religious pluralism is the state of being where every individual in a religiously diverse society has the rights, freedoms, and safety to worship, or not, according to their conscience.

What is an example of religious pluralism?

India can be seen as the best example of religious pluralism. It is a nation with a Hindu majority but it is also home to various minority groups with different religious and cultural backgrounds.

What is Theology of religious pluralism?

Pluralism. Pluralism is the belief that multiple religions are true and equally valid in their communication of the truth about God, the world, and salvation.

What are the advantages of religious pluralism?

Normally, religious pluralism gives equal opportunities to different religions to function in a particular state. Thus, worshipers have the freedom to worship in their own liturgical way, without encroaching on the rights of other religion's worshipers of different faith.

What is the meaning of religious diversity?

Religious diversity is the fact that there are significant differences in religious belief and practice. It has always been recognized by people outside the smallest and most isolated communities.

What is an example of religious diversity?

The Pervasiveness of Religious Diversity Monotheistic religions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam agree that there is a sole God. Polytheistic religions such as Taoism, Japanese Shinto, and Chinese folk religion hold that there are multiple deities (gods).

How can we promote religious diversity?

How to promote religious diversity at work. Organisations can start by accommodating their employees' or potential employees' need for prayer and observance of religious duties, subject to operational requirements. Ideally, this means having a quiet room for the purposes of prayer, contemplation and private reflection.

Which is an example of pluralism?

An example of pluralism is a society where people with different cultural backgrounds keep their own tradition. An example of pluralism is where labor unions and employers share in meeting the needs of employees. The holding by one person of more than one office or church benefice at the same time.

Which of the following best defines religious pluralism?

Religious pluralism can be defined as "respecting the otherness of others". Freedom of religion encompasses all religions acting within the law in a particular region.

What is pluralism in society?

Pluralism assumes that diversity is beneficial to society and that autonomy should be enjoyed by disparate functional or cultural groups within a society, including religious groups, trade unions, professional organizations, and ethnic minorities.

What does the Catholic Church say about pluralism?

In the case of a com- munity that is not purely voluntary one should always distinguish between pluralisn as such and well-accepted pluralism. In recent years, particularly at the time of the Vatican II Council, the Catholic Church not only tolerated pluralism but gave it, one can say, a very positive welcome.

What is the difference between religious pluralism and religious diversity?

I’d like to start by making a distinction that I will use here. Religious diversity refers to the empirical fact that different religious worldviews surround us. Religious pluralism (or, just pluralism) refers to an attitude, social and theological, to that diversity.

What is pluralism in religion?

Religious pluralism (or, just pluralism) refers to an attitude, social and theological, to that diversity. Of course, pluralism, an embrace and openness to diversity, is not the only option. As such, pluralism is often contrasted with exclusivism, a rejection and closedness to diversity. In between these two, we can speak of inclusivism, ...

When were Christians exclusive?

Before the twentieth century, most Christians were as exclusive to Christians in other denominations as much as non-Christians. (The ecumenical movement is largely a product of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.)

Is John 14:6 pluralist?

Let’s go back to that classic verse of the exclusivist, John 14:6. It may not seem like a good place to start looking for pluralists, but as we have seen, when read within the wider context of the whole gospel it also has an equally credible inclusivist reading. A pluralist meanwhile may assert that Jesus shows us a route to ultimate reality that relates to what Jesus calls “the Father,” but we also see other people living good, holy, and morally exemplary lives in other traditions, and having prayer lives that seem as rich and full as any Christian. So, while maybe only Jesus shows us the “Father route,” the Buddha showed us the “nirvana route,” Muhammad showed us the “Allah route,” and Guru Nanak pointed to the “Ek Onkar route,” etc. A classical pluralist analogy is that religions may be like many paths up the mountain, and so they may be thought of like road maps. Or, again, some invoke the ancient Indic analogy of blind men feeling an elephant with each knowing only one part of the animal – but all mistakenly believing that the bit that feel is the real representation of the animal, so one says it is like a snake (trunk experience), another like a tree (leg experience), a third like a large leaf (ear experience), and so on.

Can we know which religion is true?

Most pluralists assert that we cannot absolutely know which religion (if any) is true, but rather we have grounds for believing that many religions may be equally valid. This may go beyond traditions we typically label as “religions” (itself a tricky signifier), because atheist, Humanist, and other “non-religious” pathways may equally be ways for people to express humanity’s highest values.

Is pluralism the only option?

Of course, pluralism, an embrace and openness to diversity, is not the only option. As such, pluralism is often contrasted with exclusivism, a rejection and closedness to diversity. In between these two, we can speak of inclusivism, which is a form of limited toleration and acceptance of some validity to diversity. In very general terms, exclusivist and inclusivist attitudes have been the primary Christian theological response to religious diversity. Arguably, theological inclusivism has been most prevalent, but the social and ecclesiastical attitude has been exclusive. Pluralism, while having some deeper roots, really took shape in the twentieth century.