This means making sure each employee is treated equally. Religious diversity - differences within and between religious groups in a society - has re-entered the sociology of religion in new and powerful ways. (Burton 2010). (Prothero 2010). But some had always held on to theories about ways into the church other than water baptism, and since the European discovery of the New World it had become clear that the gospel had not been preached to the whole world, and many held that such pagans were non-culpably ignorant of the gospel. All the major religions, then, are really oriented towards, and involve the experience of some reality regarded as ultimate (Creativity, God, or Cosmos). Hick doesnt argue for the salvific or cure-delivering equality of all religions. (Netland 2001, 23-54) Theories of religious diversity have largely been driven by attacks on and defenses of such claims, and discussions continue within the realm of Christian theology. marriage and civil partnership. Legenhausen, Hajj Muhammad [Gary Carl]. (Dupuis 2001, 86-9), However, what about Jews, pagans, unbaptized babies, or people who never have a chance to hear the Christian message? Finally, inclusivist theories try to steer a middle course by agreeing with exclusivism that one religion has the most value while also agreeing with pluralism that others still have significant religious value. Insofar as they in good conscience practice what is good in their religion, people in other religions receive Gods grace and are anonymous Christians, people who are being saved through Christ, though they do not realize it. (Hick 2000, 2004), As to Hicks idea that the correlation of birthplace and religious belief somehow undermines the rationality of religious belief, it has been pointed out that religious pluralism too is correlated with birthplace. Religious diversity is the fact that there are significant differences in religious belief and practice. Exclusivism, Pluralism, and Anarchy.. But these lesser ways should and eventually will give way to Christianity, the truest religion, intended for all humankind. On the one hand, it is difficult to consistently distinguish inclusivism from exclusivism, because the latter nearly always concedes some significant value to other religions. With the split of the catholic movement into Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox branches, the church was understood in Western contexts to be specifically the Roman Catholic church. Abes views have been criticized by other scholars as misunderstanding some other religions claims, and as privileging Mahayana Buddhist doctrines, insofar as he understands these doctrines as being truer than others. (Mawson 2005), Historically, Buddhist thought about other religions has almost never been pluralistic. This view has not been widely accepted because the Process theology and philosophy on which it is based has not been widely accepted. (McDermott and Netland 2014) Other Protestants choose forms of inclusivism similar to Rahners (see 4b below). Physical appearance becomes a way of allowing particular groups of people to feel that they are . Religious Diversity and its Challenges to Religious Belief.. What Exactly is Meant by "Religious Diversity"? Given that any core pluralism inevitably downplays the other non-core elements of the religions, this approach has also been called reductive pluralism. (Legenhausen 2006), The most influential recent proponent of a version of core pluralism has been Huston Smith. Thus, it has been observed that identist religious pluralism (see 2e below) is essentially a Hindu position, and closely resembles Advaita Vendanta thought. Some philosophers, going against the much-discussed identist pluralism of John Hick (see 2e above) use exclusivism to mean reasonable and informed religious belief which is not pluralist. Religious Pluralism: Generic, Identist, Deep., Griffin, David Ray. Or are those gods mere fictions? The degree of religious diversity in the US is also reflected in Americans' core social networks. one? Methodology | Pew Research Center (Abe 1985). ), which argues that previous versions of Buddhist teaching were mere expedient means, that is, non-truths taught because in his great wisdom, the Buddha knew that at its then immature stage, humanity would be aided only by those teachings. Such an outlook is commonly perceived as meaningless, hopeless, and devoid of value. How DIVERSE Are the Religions? - Religion 101 (Hick 2011), A less developed identist pluralism is explored by Peter Byrne. Finally, because of their fit with many traditional religious beliefs and commitments, sometimes exclusivism and inclusivism are considered as two varieties of confessionalism, views on which one religion istrue andwe must view other religions in the light of that fact. (Byrne 2004, 203). (Long 2005), Building on the speculative metaphysics of Alfred North Whiteheads (18611947) Process and Reality (1929), and work by his student Charles Hartshorne (1897-2000), theologians John Cobb and David Ray Griffin have advocated what the latter calls deep, differential, and complementary pluralism what is here described as ultimist. (Cooper 2006, ch. (Hick 2004, ch. One may object that this above proposal is counter to the equalizing spirit of pluralism. (King, 2008; Rowe 1999; Yandell 1999) In response, Hick concedes that some concepts, formal ones, can be applied to the Real, while substantial ones cannot. In the Decree for the Copts of the General Council of Florence (1442), a papal bull issued by pope Eugene IV (r. 1431-47), for the first time in an official Roman Catholic doctrinal document the slogan was asserted not only with respect to heretics and schismatics, but also concerning Jews and pagans. Diversity refers to all of the ways in which people differ, including primary characteristics, such as age, race, gender, ethnicity, mental and physical abilities, and sexual orientation; and secondary characteristics, such as nationality, education, income, religion, work experience, language skills, geographic location, family status, Though not true, doctrines such as the Trinity or the Incarnation, he argues, may be interpreted to have mythological truth, that is, a tendency to influence people towards getting what Hick postulates is the cure offered by the religions, the ethical transformation described above. Differing people, perspectives, topics, ideas, etc. (Heim 1995, 163) This is consistent with the Christian thinking that the end pursued by Christians is in fact better than all others; thus, heaven is better than Nirvana. This sort of pluralism, following Gunon and Schuon, has been championed by Iranian philosopher Seyyed Hossein Nasr (b. Religious Diversity, Theories of | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy Religion and belief includes: Atheists Agnostics Bah' Buddhists Christians. RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY. Diversity also includes characteristics such as professional skills, working style, location, and life experiences. In the first case, a person who is killed in an accident on her way to be baptized would nonetheless be in the church. (Dupuis 2000, 165-170) A key area of disagreement is whether or not these imply that a person may be saved by means of their participation in some other religion. Dabblers and hobbyists freely stitch together unique quilts of religious beliefs and practices, but such constructions seem to make little sense once a believer has accepted any particular religion. 6). (Sedgwick 2004) Like traditional religions, it too offers a diagnosis of the human condition and a cure. While there have been Buddhist teachers and movements who have been exclusivists, in general Buddhism has been inclusivist. Age diversity Age diversity means working with people of different ages and, most importantly, generations. However, such a person is probably only thinking of large, respectable, and historically important religions. Heim suggests that those who attain Nirvana would be, from a Christian perspective, either a subgroup of the saved or of the damned, depending on just what, metaphysically, is actually going on with such people. Paradoxically, such pluralism is often expressed along with claims that Hinduism is greatly superior in various ways to other religions. Religion, Politics and Society. Diversity, Divisions, Religion, Caste Thus, the Hindu intellectual Ram Mohun Roy (1772/4-1833) held that Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity, when understood in their original, non-idolatrous and non-superstitious ways, all teach the important truths about God and humankind, enabling humans to love and serve God. This view was affirmed by Pope Pius X (r. 1846-78) in his Singulari Quadam (1854): outside the Apostolic Roman Church no one can be savedOn the other handthose who live in ignorance of the true religion, if such ignorance be invincible, are not subject to any guilt in this matter before the eyes of the Lord. (Neuner and Dupuis 2001, 311). For example, people have empirically disconfirmed claims that Jesus will visibly return to rule the earth from Jerusalem in 1974, or that magical ghost shirts will protect the wearer from bullets, or that saying a certain mantra three times will protect one from highway robbers. These qualities include but are not limited to: being humble, reasonable, kind, broad-minded, open-minded, informed, cosmopolitan, modern, properly appreciative of difference, non-bigoted, tolerant, being opposed to proselytizing (attempts to convince those outside the religion to convert to it), anti-colonialist, and anti-imperialist. However, he thought that it is arbitrary and indefensible to hold that only ones own experiences or the experiences of those in ones group are veridical, while those of people in other religions are not. Heim strenuously objects to pluralist theories that they impose uniformity on the various religions. Exclusivism, Inclusivism, Pluralism: The Tripolar Typology Clarified and Reaffirmed., Sharma, Arvind. Equality, diversity and inclusion in the Workplace - CIPD (b. pregnancy and maternity. (Krkkinen 2003; Netland 2001) The most famous of these has been the view (held by some Christians) that all non-Christians are doomed to an eternity of conscious suffering in hell. One of Lucy's patients is a Buddhist man whose family immigrated from China before he was born. People over age 40 are more likely to identify with a religion or engage in religious practices. A difficulty for any pluralist theory is how to restrict the group of equally good religions without losing the appearance of being all-accepting or wholly non-judgmental. (Datta 2005; Morales 2008) It has been argued that whether and how a Hindu embraces a theory of religious pluralism will depend crucially on what she takes Hinduism to be. He applies the Mahayana doctrine of the three bodies of the Buddha to other religions. An improvement upon naive pluralism acknowledges differences in all the aspects of religions, but separates peripheral from core differences. One goes so far as to say that the Holy Spirit offers to all [humans] the possibility of being associated, in a way known to God, with the Paschal Mystery [that is, the saving death and resurrection of Jesus]. (Gaudium et Spes 22, quoted in Dupuis 2001, 162) Some Catholic theologians see the groundwork or beginning in these documents for an inclusivist theory, on which other religions have saving value. All religions, then, are equal in that they are responses to the ineffable Ultimate Reality which equally wellor for all we can tell equally wellbring about an ethical improvement in humans, away from self-centeredness and towards other humans and the Ultimate Reality. Early bishop Ignatius of Antioch (c. 35-107) writes that if any follow a schismatic [that is, the founder of a religious group outside of the bishop-ruled catholic mainstream] they will not inherit the Kingdom of God. (Letter of Ignatius to the Philadelphians 3:3) Leading catholic theologian Origen of Alexandria (c. 186-255) wrote: outside the Church no one is saved. (Dupuis 2001, 86-7) Yet Origen also held, at least tentatively, that eventually all rational beings will be saved. Other Buddhists experience Amida Buddha, while Christians experience Christ, and Jews Yahweh, Hindus Isvara, and Muslims Allah. For example, in Theravada Buddhism, one must realize that there is no self, whereas in Advaita Vedanta Hinduism one must gain awareness that ones true self is none other than the ultimate reality, Brahman. Spiritual and Religious Diversity | Consumer Enablement Guide But others teach that the ultimate reality is a perfect self, a being capable of knowledge, will, and intentional action. (Dupuis 2001, 127-9) Whether these non-Catholics are thought to be in the church by a non-standard means, or whether they are said to be not in the church in reality but only in desire, it was held that they were saved by Gods grace. His critics, he argues, are merely asserting without reason that there cannot be a transcategorial reality. (Smith 2003, 2012). RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY. While this trichotomy is sometimes thought of in terms of general attitudes that a religious person may have towards other religionsapproximately the attitudes of rejection, limited openness, and wide acceptance respectivelyin this article they figure as theories concerning the facts of religious diversity. Dale Tuggy What Is Cultural Diversity And Why Is It Important? - University of the Characteristics of cultural diversity : Multiplicity of cultures Each worldview is the product of the individual development of a people. There are three serious problems with verificationist pluralism. Furthermore, Hindu thought has shifted in modern times from a scriptural to an experiential emphasis. Insofar as a religion claims to possess a diagnosis of the fundamental problem facing humans and a cure, that is, a way to permanently and positively resolve this problem, it will then assume that other, incompatible diagnoses and cures are incorrect. Judaism is . Sometimes God and Cosmos are described as aspects of Creativity. And how can the ultimist pluralist demand such changes? Worldwide, more than eight-in-ten people identify with a religious group. According to Pew, it has a Christian majority (52% of the population), while the other half of the population is formed by two sizeable minorities: Hindus (close to 20%) and Muslims (about 15%). It would seem that that, for example, a Christian to accept this ultimist pluralism, she will have to reinterpret what many Christians will regard as a core commitment, namely, that the ultimate reality is personal. Consider the claim that the cosmos was intentionally made. This encompasses the idea that physical reality, the terrestrial plane, is contained within and controlled by a more real intermediate plane (that is, the subtle, animic, or psychic plane) which is in turn contained and controlled by the celestial plane. State University of New York at Fredonia In contrast, exclusivist approaches say that only one religion is uniquely valuable. Many people associate any sort of pluralist theory of religious diversity with a number of arguably good qualities. 4. A muted ally in this was the influential religious scholar Mircea Eliade (1907-86), whose work focused on comparing mythologies, and on what he viewed as an important, primitive religious outlook, which separates things into the sacred and the profane. What are the 7 key areas of diversity and their characteristics? But Stenmarks some-are-equally-right view can also be seen as a form of core pluralism, the core being truths about the one God and our need for relationship with God. 1919) In his view, the common core of religions is a tiered worldview. 2; see section 3c below). Protected characteristics | Equality and Human Rights Commission It is not hard to find religions or religious cults which would not plausibly be thought of as good in the way(s) that a pluralist has in mind. 1933) and English convert to Islam, Martin Lings (1909-2005) who was a biographer of Muhammad. Why Diversity in Religion is Important - SelfGrowth.com Equally, Advaita Vedanta Hindus must let go of their insistence on Nirguna Brahman as ultimate. Race Race is a protected characteristic that refers to an individual's race, colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins. For example, all non-Christians go to hell, or all non-Buddhists fail to gain Nirvana, or to make progress towards it. A Primer on Diversity - Resources Another view which is taken by Bible-oriented evangelical Protestants allows the possibility of non-Christians receiving saving grace, but is firmly agnostic as to whether this actually occurs, and if it does, how often, because of the paucity of relevant biblical statements. One idea is that all religions would turn out to be parts of one whole (either one religion or at least one conglomeration of religions). (Krkkinen 2003, 197-204, 309-17). 1928) and Paul Knitter (b. Similarly, in Christianity, one must realize that ones self is a sinner in need of Gods grace. It is a matter of dispute whether certain famous Sufi Muslims such as Rumi (1207-73) and Ibn Arabi (1165-1240) have held to some form of religious pluralism. Further, Hick presupposes the correctness of recent socially liberal ethics, for example, sexual liberation, and thus rules out as inessential to any religion any conflicting ethical demands. Attending a culturally diverse institute of education will prepare students for their future in a workplace. (Hick 1997). It is only modern people who are blinded by the misunderstanding that science reveals all, who have forgotten it. He switches to the term transcategorial, points out historical versions of this thesis, and urges that the Real simply is not in the domain of entities to which concepts like personal and non-personal apply. Another way in which pluralism can be naive is the common assumption that absolutely all religions are good in significant ways, for example, by improving their adherents lives, facilitating interaction with God, or leading to eternal salvation. You are protected under the Equality Act 2010 from these types of discrimination. 1950) proposes what he calls a true religious pluralism, which is nonetheless best understood as a version of inclusivism, as it allows its proponent to maintain the superiority of her own religion. Monotheistic religions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam agree that there is a sole God. An exclusivist stance is often signaled by the claim that there is only one true religion. Other religions, then, are false. A naive person may infer from this that no claim, or no central claim of any other religion is true, but all such are false. Characteristically Religious Feelings Awe, a sense of mystery, a sense of guilt, and adoration are "religious feelings" which tend to be aroused in religious believers when they come in the presence of sacred objects, in sacred places, and during the practice of sacred rituals. (Dupuis 2001; Meeker 2003; section 3c below) Similarly, Buddhists usually allow that a person may gain positive karma, and so a better rebirth, by the practice of various other religions, helping her to advance, life by life, towards getting the cure by means of the distinctive Buddhist beliefs and practices. In modern societies, religion and its diversity is attached to public institutions. Reimagining Religion: The 10 Qualities of Creative Communities Nonetheless, the Roman Catholic church remains the unique divine instrument; no one is saved without some positive relation to it. And secondly, we have all the different: Experiences Talents Skills Opinions Personalities These differences, for example employees' talents, are less obvious and require the organization's effort and proactiveness to shine. This, it is hoped, rules out anyone having grounds for believing any particular religion to be the uniquely best religion. Although you may be nervous about broaching the subject, it is important to discuss religious diversity so . In the second, even a virtuous pagan might be a church member. What values are at issue? Importantly, he construes the various religious goals as experiences obtaining in this life and continuing beyond. 2-4; Meeker 2003), Hicks identist religious pluralism has been objected to as thoroughly as any recent theory in philosophy. same? Influential German theologian Karl Rahner (1904-84), in his essay Christianity and the Non-Christian Religions, argues that before people encounter Christianity, other religions may be the divinely appointed means of their salvation. (Legenhausen 2006, 2009). 1939), have formulated various pluralist theories. A similar pluralism is advanced by Japanese Zen scholar Masao Abe (1915-2006). Religious Diversity | Encyclopedia.com Inclusivism for some authors just means a friendlier or more open-minded exclusivism. If a religion cures only a shallow, derivative human problem, leaving the deeper problem intact, then what it offers would not deserve the name salvation, for it would leave those who achieve it still in need of the cure. There are even cases of Buddhists seeking to turn devotees of other religions traditions into anonymous Buddhists who worship Buddhist deities without realizing that this is the case. (Burton 2010, 11), Forming his views by way of a detailed critique of various core and identist pluralist theories, Baptist theologian S. Mark Heim (b. Religious Pluralism., Schmidt-Leukel, Perry. [This entry examines the origins and differing patterns of development of the world's major religious traditions, as well as the varying patterns of interaction between these religions and the social, political, and economic frameworks with which they coexist. In all these ways, they argue that their ultimist pluralism is superior to other pluralisms. Diversity definition: what do we mean by diversity in the workplace? A theory of religious pluralism says that all religions of some kind are the same in some valuable respect(s). Concept and Characteristics of Diversity: Linguistic, Regional & Religious Even God, the greatest concrete, actual being in this philosophy is, in the end, an all-encompassing unity of experience, and is to be understood as a process of Creative-Responsive love. (Griffin 2005b; Cooper 2006, ch. Later theologians added a baptism of desire, which was either a desire to be baptized or the inclination to form such a desire, either way enough to secure saving membership in the church. In reply, Hick urges that his claims are not themselves religious, but are rather about religious matters, and are, as such, philosophical. Thus, the slogan that there is no salvation outside the church (Latin: Extra ecclesiam nulla salus) was meant to communicate at bare minimum the uniqueness of the Christian church as Gods instrument of salvation since the resurrection of Jesus. There are other major ones which remain unseen. An increasingly prominent and potentially contentious phenomenon, religious diversity is intimately associated with contemporary issues such as migration, human rights, social cohesion, socio-cultural pluralisation, political jurisdiction, globalisation, and reactionary . Religions span national, geographic, cultural and ethnic boundaries and may be the focus of individual and family identification Religious institutions and observances play an important role in catering for people's social, psychological and cultural needs as well as their spiritual needs. This celestial plane is a personal God. (Griffin 2005a) They do, however, take seriously at least many of the unusual religious experiences people report. It's also important because in the 21st century there are global problems and issues which seemingly have religious origins and which will take a concerted effort of people of different faiths to help resolve. (Netland 2001; Burton 2010). At the same time, they argued that many people who are outside the one church cannot be blamed for this, and so will not be condemned by God. If the core is salvifically effective practice, then all will be equal in that each is equally well a means to obtaining the cure. Presumably not, as she already believes in levels of truth and levels of reality. But one may talk also of negative religious pluralism in which most or all religions have little or no positive value and are equal in this respect. Race | Equality, Diversity & Inclusion - University of Cambridge 7; Griffin 2005b). This patient's religious beliefs have led him to pursue mindfulness and meditation as ways of . (Burton 2010), In much religious studies, theology, and philosophy of religion literature of the 1980s through the 2000s, the term religious pluralism means the theory of philosopher John Hick. So too at least some other religions must still be means for salvation, though not necessarily to the same degree, for God wills the salvation of all humankind. (Legenhausen 2002) Those who believe the ultimate reality to be a unique god object to Smiths view that the ultimate reality is ineffable, and so not, in itself, a god. While such naive exclusivist positions are rarely expounded by scholars, they frequently appear in the work of pluralists and inclusivists, held up as unfortunate, harmful, and unreasonable theories which are in urgent need of replacement. It is not Reasonable to Believe that Only One Religion is True., Cohn-Sherbok, Dan. As explained above (section 3c) a major impetus for this has been statements issued by the latest official council (Vatican II, 1962-5). The nation's population is growing more racially and ethnically diverse - and so are many of its religious groups, both at the congregational level and among broader Christian traditions.But a new analysis of data from the 2014 Religious Landscape Study also finds that these levels of diversity vary widely within U.S. religious groups.. We looked at 30 groups - including Protestant .
characteristics of religious diversity