Extension Worker: Correcting the "Skewed" Understanding of Religious Pluralism [1]

Introduction

Pluralism in the dictionary The Golier Webster International Dictionary, interpreted in two senses. First, as a theory or system that recognizes more than one highest principle or substance.

Second, Pluralism is “The quality of being diverse, the nature of a society in which there are ethnic, social and cultural interests and shared development.1

From these two meanings, it is clear that there are two kinds of pluralism, namely relativism and plurality which lead to the meaning of tolerance. The second meaning is supported by (Oxford Advance Learner's Ditionary of current English).

It states here that "Pluralism is the manifestation of various racial groups, political ideologies, and beliefs within a society. And it states that these different groups can live together peacefully within one society.2

Review Discussion

In the article entitled Criticism of the Pluralists' Accusations Against Ibn 'Arabi, written by Agung Nurcholis, it is explained how Fritjof Schoun came up with the idea Theory of Transcendent Unity of Religion (Transcendental Unity of Religions School) who converted to Islam and has fanatical followers of the Muslim scholar from Iran, namely Sayyed Hossein Nasr.

Nasr who translated the term Philosophy Perrenis becomes The Wisdom of the DivineThis theory holds that all religions have the same truths and no religion is superior to another.

This article also explains how Rene Goenon, Fritjof Schoun and Nasr all support the transcendental understanding of religions.

The approach taken by these schools is derived from the spiritual experiences of mystical traditions found within religious traditions. In the case of Islam, they draw on the spiritual experiences of the Sufi tradition, which means they claim that Sufis adhere to this theory of pluralism.

But is it true that Sufis accept the truth of the teachings of all religions? And it turns out they do not accept the truth teachings of all religions.

As for the second paper presented by Kholid Karomi, entitled: Sufis Reject Pluralism, Analytical Study of Ibn 'Arabi's Thought. As in the first author, he also rejects this idea and proves the error of Pluralism adherents.

The founders and supporters of this school of thought are Rene Guenon (m. 1951), TS Eliot (m. 1965), Titus Burckhardt (m. 1984), Fritjhof Schoun (m. 1998), Ananda K. Coomaraswamy (m. 1947), Martin Ling, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Huston Smith, Louis Massignon, Marco Pallis (m. 1989).

Then Henry Corbin, Jean Louis Michon, Jean Cantein, Victor Eaton, W. N Perry, G. Durand, E. F Schumacher, J. Needleman, William C. Chittick and others were the proponents of the theory Transcendental Unity of Religions.

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1. The Golier Webster int. Dictionary of the English language,1976), see “Pluralism”
2. Oxford Advance Learner's Ditionary of current English, Oxford University Press, 1948, see “Pluralism”