Order Out of Chaos: A Philosophical Model of Inter-Religious Dialogue

Abstract

I am truly grateful to John Hick for offering me this opportunity to reflect philosophically on models and criteria dealing with the multiplicity of religions. With his customary genius he has noted that there is now a rather large theological literature on inter-religious dialogue, especially from the Christian perspective, with some from other religious traditions as well. But there is much less reflection of a purely philosophical sort. In my own case, philosophical beliefs are intertwined with Christian ones, so that my contributions to the theological discussion are deeply affected by philosophy. But writing as a theologian, I have cut short the articulation of the philosophical assumptions. Here I can give them free rein.