religious pluralism: a hope for religiously contested space

Religious pluralism refers to the coexistence of different religious beliefs and practices within a society or an individual's worldview. It is based on the recognition and acceptance of diversity in religious beliefs and the idea that multiple religious traditions can coexist peacefully. This concept contrasts with religious exclusivism, which asserts that only one religion is true and valid, and religious inclusivism, which holds that one particular religion is the most complete, while others may contain elements of truth.

Religion is never the sole cause of violence. It intersects in explosive ways with territorial disputes; unstable and oppressive institutions; economic and social inequalities; and ethnic, cultural, and linguistic divisions. But today as in previous eras, passionate religious identities and commitments have often served to exacerbate tensions and promote bloodshed. Less visible, but no less significant, is the peaceful engagement of religious communities in contemporary world affairs (Banchoff, 2008).

At a declaratory level, leaders drawn from the world’s leading religious traditions—Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, and Buddhist—have long endorsed ideals of peace, human dignity, equality, freedom, and solidarity. Today, more than at any time in history, exponents of these and other traditions are promoting conflict resolution, human rights, and economic and social development in practice—within national borders but also across them. The Good Friday agreement in Northern Ireland, the resolution of Mozambique’s civil war, and support for the Millennium Development Goals—all provide examples of transnational religious engagement, not in isolation but through interaction with other religious and secular actors in state and society.

Riding the wave of globalization, religious actors have deployed new communications technologies and invoked human rights norms to mobilize public support, reframe debates, and support winning political and policy coalitions. Peaceful engagement of this kind should not be confused with harmony. It can oppose different interests and ethics, generating competition and controversy.

Key aspects of religious pluralism include:

1. Respect for Diversity:

Religious pluralism promotes respect for the diversity of religious beliefs and practices. It acknowledges that people hold different views on spiritual matters and that these differences should be acknowledged and respected.

2. Tolerance and Coexistence:

Pluralism encourages tolerance and peaceful coexistence among individuals and communities with different religious affiliations. It emphasizes the importance of understanding, dialogue, and cooperation among people of various faiths.

3. Interfaith Dialogue:

An essential component of religious pluralism is interfaith dialogue, where representatives of different religious traditions engage in conversations to foster understanding, build bridges, and promote mutual respect.

4. Secularism: In some contexts, religious pluralism may be associated with secularism, where the state is separate from religious institutions, ensuring equal treatment for individuals of all faiths or none.

5. Freedom of Religion:

Religious pluralism is often linked to the concept of freedom of religion, emphasizing the right of individuals to practice their chosen faith without discrimination.

Religious pluralism in world politics is an increasingly noticeable backdrop for national identity politics, defined as struggles over representation and recognition in multicultural contexts. Historically, where one religion has dominated a nation-state or when an equally dominant secularist ideology has taken its place, as in parts of Western Europe; religious pluralism has not always proved divisive. The majority tradition, religious or secular, has determined the rules of the game and imprinted the national identity, the dominant norms and narratives that bind citizens to the state and one another.

Today, transnational religious activity, carried by globalization, can generate perceived threats to national identity overlaid with emotional passion. Global flows of people and ideas unsettle majority traditions and create space for political challenges by minority communities that invoke human rights. The presence of growing Muslim minorities in Denmark and the Netherlands, for example has generated sustained controversies about national identity in both countries.

reference

Banchoff, T. 2008. Introduction: Religious Pluralism in World Affairs. Oxford University Press, Inc, 3-38