Problem with Interreligious Dialogue, The

Problem with Interreligious Dialogue, The

By Muthuraj Swamy

Book Description

In a world where religious dialogue is often celebrated as the path to understanding, scholar Muthuraj Swamy presents a provocative challenge to this widely accepted approach. Drawing from extensive fieldwork in southern Indian villages, he reveals how the very foundation of interreligious dialogue may be built on flawed assumptions about how faith actually operates in people's lives.

Swamy argues that the concept of distinct "world religions" creates artificial boundaries that don't reflect the complex, interconnected ways communities actually practice their beliefs. Through detailed case studies of Hindu, Muslim, and Christian villages, he demonstrates how people naturally blend religious, political, economic, and social elements in their daily spiritual experiences, defying the neat categories that religious scholars typically use.

The author contends that traditional dialogue approaches, while well-intentioned, inadvertently reinforce the very separations they claim to bridge. By treating religions as isolated entities requiring formal conversation to achieve understanding, these efforts may actually deepen divisions rather than heal them. Swamy exposes what he sees as an elitist framework that fails to recognize how ordinary practitioners already navigate multiple religious influences in their communities.

This groundbreaking work combines rigorous academic theory with rich ethnographic research, offering readers a fresh lens through which to examine interfaith relations. For those seeking to understand the authentic dynamics of religious plurality, Swamy's insights challenge conventional wisdom and invite deeper reflection on the nature of spiritual community.

Who Is This For?

📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~7 hours)

📄 Length: 248 pages

What You'll Discover

  • ✓ Understand Hindu philosophy and traditions
  • ✓ Explore Christianity and other religions
  • ✓ Explore Christianity
  • ✓ Explore Islam
  • ✓ Strengthen your faith journey
  • ✓ Explore Religion
  • ✓ Explore Relations
  • ✓ Explore Religions

Topics Covered

Hinduism, relations, islam Christianity and other religions Christianity Islam Interfaith relations Religion Relations Religions India, religion Christianity and other religions, islam Islam, relations, christianity Religions, relations Christianity and other religions, hinduism Islam, india Hinduism Hinduism, relations, christianity

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