Finally, a fourth conception of religious pluralism refers to a political. Pluralism is a term used in philosophy, meaning doctrine of multiplicity, often used in opposition to monism doctrine of unity and dualism doctrine of duality. Religion and the public sphere in early modern south india. In india may accentuate or even require, as much as be hindered by, the plurality the indian contexf. For example, pluralists contend that no one religion can know the fullness of. The term hindu or hinduism requires st few words of explanation for the sake of precision and clarity. Moore argues that though the united states is one of the most religiously diverse nations in the world, the vast majority of citizens are woefully ignorant about religion itself and the basic tenets of the worlds major religious traditions.
The philosophers democritus and epicurus posited a plurality of worlds. More than mere tolerance, religious pluralism accepts multiple paths to god or gods as a possibility and is usually contrasted with exclusivism, the idea that there is only one true religion or way to know god. The author focuses on topics that contradict what most people believe about hinduism, from women and animals to heresy, dharma, and karma. That is, pluralism is a simple recognition of the fact that there are many different faith groups active in the country.
By calling into question the colonial categories implicit in the term sectarianism, fishers work excavates the pluralistic textures of precolonial hinduism in the centuries prior to british intervention. Some consider religious pluralism and religious diversity to be synonyms. Pdf the pluralistic turn in modern hindu thought corresponds with the rise of an emphasis on direct experience of divine realities in this. Test 1 short essay topics pluralism, hinduism do all religions lead the same destination university. In this sense, fisher contends that hindu sectarianism and hindu pluralism cannot, finally, be disentangled from each other, because precisely what makes hinduism pluralistic is its ability to tolerate genuine culturalreligious differences within itself without reducing them to some model of homogenous universalism. However, with the increased interaction between followers of different religions and interfaith dialogues, religious pluralism has taken a new life in the stream of current thought. Religious pluralism is a set of religious world views that hold that ones religion is not the sole and exclusive source of truth, and thus recognizes that some level of truth and value exists in other religions. As such, religious pluralism goes beyond religious tolerance, which is the condition of peaceful existence between adherents of different religions or religious denominations. In the form of a memorable sanskrit verse, tilak defines hinduism as follows.
Using this definition, religious pluralism is a statistical fact according to data collected by census offices and public opinion pollsters. Religious pluralism, on the other hand, is tolerant of religious differences. The rich internal plurality of hinduism has led scholars to. Working paper number 82 indias religious pluralism and its. The cluster addresses themes of central importance to europe, par. As hindus put down roots in america, they also articulate a distinctively hindu vision of america. In the third, pluralism is a philosophical school, what is known as valuepluralism in which values are irreducibly plural. The concept of pluralism within hinduism is, in essence, tolerance taken one step further. The paradigmatic example in the modern period of a religious subject embarking upon a pluralistic quest.
Hinduism, in its own words, is a religion thoroughly permeated by difference. Hinduism religious literacy project harvard university. World religions in america, a resource of the pluralism project. Now let us see how the word hindu or hinduism has emerged and understood. Pdf religious experience, hindu pluralism, and hope. With so many ways of understanding hinduism, of practicing hinduism, of being hindu, it is obvious that there is an inherent pluralism in hinduism and that this pluralism is an inclusive one. The pluralistic turn in modern hindu thought corresponds with the rise of an emphasis on direct experience of divine realities in this tradition. Despite the claim that the idea of religious pluralism is a product of. Pluralism and religious diversity, social cohesion and.
Religious pluralism is basically accepting that all religions are equal, valid, and ultimately lead to god. The term religious pluralism has already been defmed. It is a rich collection of hundreds of spiritual and philosophical traditions followed throughout asia for more than 5000 years. Many times, the doctrines that appear to be pluralist are, in fact, inclusivist or exclusivist at a deeper layer. After an overview of religious pluralism in the current constitution, the chapter takes up the controversy over the kadhis courts during the process of creating the constitution. This is a difficult question to answer, given the wide array of practices and different national, generational, and geographical identities and beliefs in hinduism. I have often heard hinduism described as a polytheistic religion. This book is a collection of fortythree essays on hinduism, arranged logically rather than chronologically, and designed specifically for an indian audience. Fisher complicates the traditional scholarly narrative of the unification of hinduism. Hinduism as a folk culture and as propertyless people, and of their. Pluralism in india pdf indias religious pluralism and its implications for the economy.
The term hindu was first used by people outside of the tradition particularly by the greeks and the persians to refer to people who reside beyond the indussindhu river. The prominence of pluralism in modern hinduism is illustrated by the fact that it is a central theme in the writings and teachings of major hindu thinkers of the modern period, including. Swami vivekanandas pluralism at the worlds parliament of religions, thinking together. The hindu american foundation haf is a nonprofit advocacy organization for the hindu american community. The path of religious pluralism starts with the fact that our world contains a number of religious faiths having different ideas of the nature of divinity as the main and fundamental principle of religions and therefore, different and various dogmas, rites, and rituals. Islam, buddhism, hinduism, taoism, christianity and some forms of. Understanding the concept of religious pluralism with examples.
India is the only millionaire indias religious and philosophical diversity is legendary. In religious pluralism and interreligious theology, perry schmidtleukel offers a means of deciphering what is truly pluralist. What is hinduism remains one of the most persistent and challenging questions hindu americans face. For all members of this universal family, hinduism promotes not only tolerance and respect for differences in belief and religion, but also acknowledgement of the existence of more than one path to relating to truth god. Pdf reflections on religious pluralism in the indian context. Acceptance of the ultimate validity of the vedas, multiplicity of ways of worship and lack of restriction on the divinity that one may worship. India is a multicultural and a diverse nation with a flourishing history of pluralism that has been thriving for thousands of years. Hindu and hinduism reflect the culture and ethos of bharat india and hence include sikhism, jainism, and buddhism, says dr.
Now let us see how the word hindu or hinduism has emerged. America is based on an important hindu ideal, said a michigan businessman. Religious pluralism and interreligious theology reading. Such rather, rather must be mediated to promote a coexistence that minimizes eruptions of violence, fostering open exchange and dialogue on religious affairs. Both pluralism and a focus on experience have precedents in premodern hindu traditions, but have become especially prominent in modern hinduism. Indias pluralist society is an inspiration for conflictprone countries of the west asian region, ahmed badreddin hassoun, the grand mufti of syria said on saturday as he argued for greater. Founded in 2003, hafs work impacts a range of issues from the portrayal of hinduism in k12 textbooks to civil and human rights to addressing contemporary problems, such as environmental protection and interreligious conflict, by applying hindu philosophy. The idea of pluralism in the united states richard norman, ph. Hindu pluralism arose, then, from the spatial experience of religion and social contestation of the interpretation of sacred space 25. Few would venture to define pluralism, in fact, as the unqualified absence of a conflict of interest between religious groups.
It is open to question, however, whether this reputation is deserved. Understanding religious pluralism in india columbia. America is one country, with one ideal of freedom and democracy. Fisher stanford university abstract correspondence fisher, elaine, department of. In overcoming religious illiteracy, harvard professor and former phillips academy teacher diane l.
What hinduism really teaches is religious pluralism, not the need to make all religions the same, which is intolerant of religious differences that are often not at all minor inconsequential. Semantic scholar extracted view of reflections on religious pluralism in the indian context by margaret chatterjee. She talks about the nature of hinduism and defines what hinduism is, particularly its pluralism. Fisher complicates the traditional scholarly narrative of the unification of. A free ebook version of this title is available through luminos, university of california presss open access publishing program. Pluralism assumes that its practice will lead decisionmakers to negotiate solutions that contribute to the common good of the entire society.
Among the many faiths represented here are hinduism, islam, christianity, sikhism, buddhism, and jainism. Pluralism as a way of thinking emerged with the ancient greeks. Fisher closes by reiterating her argument that early modern india produced a genuinely emic religious pluralism 193 irreducible to any western form thereof. Pluralism is a political philosophy holding that people of different beliefs, backgrounds, and lifestyles can coexist in the same society and participate equally in the political process. As america continues her downward spiral into social, moral, ethical, and spiritual chaos, it is difficult to realize that the first 150 years of american civilization stand in such stark contrast to current culture. Hinduism, religious pluralism and interfaith dialogue. Pluralism is a belief in difference a philosophy supporting diversity, religious tolerance, and multiculturalism. This cluster synopsis focuses on pluralism and religious diversity, social cohesion and integration in europe, featuring projects funded under the 6th and 7th framework programmes for research. In malaysia ethnic and religious pluralism goes hand in hand. Publicly engaging pluralism for peace june 30, 2015 padma kuppa patheos explore the worlds faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality. Islam, hinduism, bahai, and african traditional religions also co.
Hinduism is a word very loosely used and extremely discult to define. A description of religious pluralism, the belief about the afterlife which claims that to get into the good place you just need to follow the rules of your religion. It is the coexistence of various religions under the same roof, and celebrating the presence of. Pluralism has always been controversial, as nearly all societies experience a tension between diversity and homogeneity, which can both give benefits and create problems for a society. Hinduism regards all other religions as nana panthas, as innumerable paths for spiritual realisation. Pluralism in india pdf pluralism in india pdf pluralism in india pdf download. There is also evidence of their being defined in opposition to. Religious pluralism and hinduism thinkstock photosgetty images its not about tolerance, says ashok vohra historians of religion often wonder why. Sectarianism is a term that has become firmly ingrained in western scholarly literature on hinduism for more than a centuryand with a definition that, at best, may seem peculiarly idiosyncratic, and at worst dangerously misleading.
In metaphysics, pluralism is the doctrine that contrary to the assertions of monism and dualism, there are in fact many different. By calling into question the colonial categories implicit in the term sectarianism, fishers work. Religious pluralism generally refers to the belief in two or more religious worldviews as being equally valid or acceptable. Comparison of religions eastern indianhinduism, buddhism, and jainism and western judaism, christianity, islam religions pravin k. Chapter 11 hindu approach to religious pluralism this chapter is an attempt to analyse hindu response to religious pluralism. Mahesh mehta, founder of the vishwa hindu parishad of america. The term has different meanings in metaphysics, ontology, epistemology and logic.
The dominant context often shapes how faith is articulated. The number of hindu temples in the united states has grown rapidly in the last decades, creating a landscape of varied expressions and structures within american hinduism that parallels both the sites and histories of india and the value of pluralism in the united states. Pluralism, multiculturalism, syncretism, and america. Savarkars coining of the termhindutvathe specter of a unified and hegemonic hindu nation underlying the hindu nationalist movementmany of hinduisms own spokesmen prided their religion for what they saw as an innate propensity for internal pluralism. The historians herodotus and xenophon emphasized the cultural. About every other week, i confront popular pluralist notions that have become a large part of the way americans think.
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