Religious pluralism

frameworks of Western culture, religious and spiritual practices have repeatedly been pushed aside and neglected. Although followers’ adherence to religion has seen a significant decline (Altemeyer, 2014), the notions and practices usually attached to religion or spirituality remain relevant in contemporary culture. The relevance of these religious notions and practices are seen explicitly through examining mental health, observing Hollywood media, and analyzing campaigns and decisions of political leaders. These aspects of society, give insight in examining the religious influences on the societal level and subsequently the individual level. Furthermore, this occurrence…

and exclusivists is one that stems from a misinterpretation of the two groups as separate. What I mean by this point is that pluralism and exclusivism are the effect of a similar cause, that being the infinite nature of divine reality. In nature, most religious doctrines appear exclusivist. In the more primitive era of religious doctrines, tribal gods were beings that united the tribe but also separated the residents of that tribe from their neighboring tribes. Even within our present religious…

California State University Northridge is a conglomerate of different cultures, ethnicities, and religions. The students and faculty are a good sample size of the American religious landscape: numerous ethnicities from different locations around the world come together and bring their religious practices with them. This nation holds great pride in its diversity and acceptance of others. This concept of pluralism is something the nation would prefer to have as a common belief, however there are…

argues that secularization has not occurred in a linear trajectory in Canada, and points to the complexity of the religious climate in Canadian society. The study uses the results of the World Values Survey in order to analyze various aspects of religious life such as subjective religiosity, involvement in religious services and organizations, the role of prayer, religious beliefs, confidence in religious institutions and their advice, and how much influence people believe religion should have…

his work as spiritual warfare and understood the Gospel to be more that some scholarly game. Moore explained that Nash was like the Apostle Paul “taking on the wolves,” because real lives and souls were concerned. In 1994, Nash released Is Jesus the Only Savior to address issues and explain the differences between pluralism, exclusivism, and inclusivism. This evaluation examines the first six chapters of Nash’s work on pluralism through…

In his book Fundamentalism, Steve Bruce starts by admitting that religion is a “very rich diet” for most. Most people are not willing to put their entire lives into religious traditions and choose instead to practice religion with few rituals, helping fund their religious communities, and trying to work with what their religious leaders say is a moral, good life. After all, not everybody can be a monk or priest, as there have always needed to be people keeping the secular life functioning,…

In this foundational work, Hatch finds that the rise of evangelical religious movements was directly related to the American Revolution and the language of popular sovereignty. Hatch argues, quite directly that “the theme of democratization is central to understanding the development of American Christianity.” (Hatch p.…

Religion in philanthropy and faith-based organizations have been frequently discussed in academic literature and research. Through this literature review, I will discuss the research on both. All major religions emphasize generosity to those in need. In Christianity, believers are called to love their neighbors (Seelarbokus, 2016). In Islam, there are the concepts of the zakat and sadaqua to care for those in need (Lambarra & Riener, 2015). Judaism stresses the importance of tithing to…

demonize whole groups we label as an “other”. The witch trials and religious wars make it clear that people eliminate what they do not like, or even understand. An old…

Carson McCullers’s novel The Heart is a Lonely Hunter can be read as a religious allegory that validates why people depend on religion and religious figures through the symbolism of John Singer as a religious figure. This struggle is portrayed with the interaction between Singer, whom is romanticized in a religious way, and other characters such as Dr. Copeland and Mick Kelly. As a man who opposes religion and his family’s religious beliefs, Dr. Copeland seeks comfort and consoling nearly…