Newsletter LEAD Cohort 9
RELIGIOUS PLURALISM
Jarot Wahyudi, IAIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta
Much has been said concerning the phenomenon of pluralism. As a new theme and a new reality, it poses an interesting challenge to the followers of all religions. The term "pluralism" signifies heterogeneity. It presupposes environmental where world politics, economy and finance play an essential part in determining people's regional and international destiny. In practice, a global network which has come into being allows economist to speak of a world society and psychologist of a world civilization. Both suggest a field of interaction in which every sphere of activity is involved, either directly or indirectly. Yet a world civilization coming into being in a technical sense in no way implies a single world culture, religion or even aesthetic sense. A world civilization can include a multiplicity of cultures and religions.
Commenting on the phenomenon of religious pluralism, Wilfred C. Smith states that "future historians will look back upon the twentieth century not primarily for its scientific achievements but as the century of the coming-together of people, all mankind for the first time became one community, and united in one world history.
A religiously pluralistic world is aIso one where faith is more personal. Therefore, the acknowledgement of God has become a personal prerogative. No longer is it self-evident for Islam, no less than for other religions, that people will automatically follow their parents' beliefs. However, no one can justifiably claim to believe what he believes without reason, any more than one can love one's spouse without knowing why.
Every civilization needs some degree of unity and some consensus on norms and values. Philosophy and religion transmit the norms and ideals which the member of any society need to understand one another. And mutual understanding of different religious communities is of critical importance to a pluralistic society. Social harmony can be achieved through multi-dialogues.
The pluralist vision found in each religion, though given less emphasis than self understanding, need to be reactivated now more than ever. It is perhaps more clearly evident in Islam, with its designation of Jews and Christians as fellow ahl al-kitab. The Qur'an insists that "to God belong the East and the West: withsoever ye turn, there is a presence of God. For God is all pervading, all knowing and that "God doth guide whom He will to His light."
In the Jewish tradition, the Hebrew Scriptures likewise exhibit universal and pluralistic features. According to these scriptures, the world begins with God's creation of the progenitor of humankind. Much later in time, God admonishes the children of Israel to serve humanity. It is mentioned in Isaiah 49:6 that "I will also make you a light for the gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth". Again, the pluralistic conception is implicit in Malachi 1:11, "My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations." This pluralism which becomes more explicit in the oft-cited Rabbinic dictum that "the righteous of all nations will have the place in the world to come". A theological basis for pluralistic life is thus discernible in Jewish teachings.
In Christianity, a pluralistic conception is recognizable. One can find the theological basis of its pluralism in John 1:9, stating: "The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world." According to John Hick, "some of the church fathers regarded the 'the righteous of all nations' as in effect Christians without knowing it - in Karl Rahner's contemporary phrase, 'anonymous Christians' Moreover, modem Christian theologians assert the independent reality of salvation within the other great world traditions. From this, we infer that Jews, Christians and Moslems have their own theological basis for responding to the phenomenon of religious pluralism, and all are positive. It is thus incumbent upon them to translate this concept into action.
Harold Coward suggests that a level of "religious literacy" is essential to living together in a pluralistic world. It furnishes the foundation on which people of faiths can approach each other with sincere tolerance. Harold Coward introduces three basic aspects of respecting religious belief in a way that promotes such tolerance: first is the necessity of a deep personal commitment to a particular religion. This point emphasizes the 'button line' of one's religion experience which covers full commitment. Therefore, being a Moslems, for instance, one should be fully committed to the Islamic shari'ah and should know the universal messages of his Scripture. Consequently; there is no "half" or "may be" Moslem. By committing oneself to a certain religion, one can find that one's religious teaching does recognize the existence of others. From personal commitment, then one can expect increased tolerance. The latter is critical to acceptance and moral compassion. Religious tolerance does not suggest that committed believers should give up critical awareness; on the contrary, it should stimulate them to a constructive critique of others in a good manner. This is why people are warned to realize that modern pluralism is not something to fear but an opportunity for creative growth. A careful study of each religion shows that the most creative periods were those marked by the challenge of pluralism. The creative tension generated by the experience of the true difference has often been the catalyst for new insight and religious development. It was in the midst of the Mecca admixture of Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians, Manicheans, and others that Islam through its Prophet Muhammad emerged.
In a pluralist world, one inevitably has to encounter the beliefs of others. The wish for a single world religion is fanciful and the fear of the contrary unrealistic. The main reason why religious pluralism might be a challenge to the adherents of religion is the fear that this will endanger one's claim to finality and absoluteness. Many people fear that an affirmation of religious pluralism will lead to a vicious relativism and, finally, to a self-defeating scepticism. They see it as a viewpoint that will undermine their religious commitment.
The reaction to religious pluralism may be classified into three major attitudes; first, there is a view that the members of other religions are rivals to be rejected and converted; second, that other religions are parallel and that, therefore, one should honour them; and third, that one ought to recognize other with greater openness. William Earnest Hocking and Wilfred CantwelI Smith are two illustrious examples of contemporary thinkers who emphasize that religion is universal and inherent in all human kind. As the Japanese express their openness to other religions:
Though paths for climbing a mountain
From its foot differ,
We look up at the same moon
Above a lofty peak
These diverse attitudes towards other religions should be seen as positively capable of producing the self-consciousness to understand and to learn from each other, in essence understanding other beliefs the way their adherents understand them.
Being youngest of the world religions, Islam had to acknowledge and live with the other religions of mankind. It did so by recognizing Jews, Christians, Buddhists, Hindus and others as creatures of God. As a reaffirmation of the Semitic religious tradition, Islam had to correlate itself to other Semitic religions. It had to find its connection with Judaism and Christianity and it stood in closest proximity to them.
If we observe life in the world today, we might discern at least three great religious "river system" with their sources surprising the individual streams-the nations and cultures of the world. First are the religions of Semitic origin of prophetic character. They always begin with a contrast between God and human beings. Second are the religions of Indian origin: they essentially have a mystical orientation tending towards a unionist conception. The early Indian religions of the Upanishads. Buddhism and Hinduism are the major branches. Third, are the religions of the Chinese tradition. These are characterized by the key ideas of wisdom and harmony and are represented by Confucianism and Taoism.
Within this categorization, Islam is of course with the other Semitic religions-Judaism and Christianity. As the late Cardinal Sergio Pignedoli of the Vatican stated, these three great Semitic traditions are heirs to the religion of Abraham," the father of our faith. This link may be explored through their respective teachings on monotheism. Their histories are linked by divine purpose, mentioned in surat AI Imron (3):81 as follows: Behold! God took the covenant of the Prophets, saying: "I give you a book and wisdom; then comes to you an apostle, confirming what is with you, do you believe in him and render him help. God said:."Do you agree, and take this my covenant as binding on you?" They said: "We agree." He said: "Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witness."
Here the whole history of revelation may be seen at a glance and internal links brought out by way of a covenant handed down by prophets at the dawn of history. This covenant binds those prophets to confirm other prophets who followed, for they have prepared the way for subsequent messages from God.
Leonard Swidler has proposed four convincing reasons why the three great traditions-Judaism, Christianity and Islam are bound together. First, all three religions come from the same root and claim Abraham as their spiritual ancestor. "The historical, cultural, and religious traditions all flow out of one original source, an Urguelle". Second, they are religions of ethical monotheism. They claim that there is only one loving, just creator God who is the source, sustainer, and goal of all things. God expects all human beings as images of God, to live in love and justice. In other words, belief in one God has ethical implications for oneself, other people, and the world in general. Third, the three religions are historical religions; "They believe God acts through human history and communicate through historical events and particular human person"-especially Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad. The three events illustrate this well; the prophet Muhammad migration (hijrah) from Mecca to Medina in Islam, the crucifixion in Christianity, and the exodus in Judaism. Fourth, these three traditions constitute a religion of revelation; God had communicated religious teaching through particular person for the enlightenment of humankind. In all three religions, these revelations have two special vehicles: prophet and scriptures. It may be explained that God has sent the prophet Muhammad with the Qur'an to the Moslems, Jesus with the Gospel to the Christian, and Moses with the Torah to the Jews. That is why the Qur'an uses the term ahl al-kitab to include Jews and Christians in the religion of divine scriptures. Mahmoud Ayoub is of the opinion that the term ahl al-kitab suggests certain equality of faith among all three traditions.
Therefore, there is a theological foundation for relation among the adherents of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam to be maintained. In the last part of his essay, Hans Kung, a Christian theologian from Tubingen, correctly assessed relations between Islam and Christianity by citing a German handbook of the Protestant Church entitled, Christen and Muslim in Gesprach (published by J. Micksch and M. Mildenberger, 1982) as follows: "The most important point of all is that Christians and Moslem live in the same world and have to prove their faith. They will not always react in the same way to all the challenges of this world. Yet despite all the differences, both are obliged by their faith to live responsibly before God and to serve the human community. In full respect for one another, they cannot fail to provide evidence of their faith for each other (German edition, pp. 12 ff).
Pignodeli, Leonard Swidler and Hans Kung have emphasized the importance of relation among the followers of religion in order to work for harmony and peace in the world. How can .the followers of the Abrahamic faith condemn each other if religion is destined to guide people to the same God, allowing for satisfactory response to the essential problems of contemporary life. In order to avoid conflict among the adherents of religion, universal teachings ought to be favored over theological differences and conflict.
Intereligious relations can find more complete fulfillment if Jews, Christians and Moslems can come closer together as a single ummah, worshiping the one true living God in their own ways but living in peace. An open ummah, whilst globally indivisible will accept and respect diversity.***
