Religious Pluralism in the Context of an Emerging World Culture

Extract

Two at least apparently contrary developments form the context within which a contemporary interpretation of the fact of religious pluralism proceeds. The first is the incipient world culture emerging under the impetus of those processes of modernization which arose initially in the West. And the second is the continuation and intensification of diversity within the various religious traditions. Few observers would deny the existence of either tendency. Yet the combination of the two serves to complicate the problem of interpreting the fact of religious pluralism to a greater degree than is often recognized. Consequently I propose to explore the interrelated implications of both developments in some detail.