Patel: “Affirming particularity and achieving pluralism”
Dr. Leo Sandon, participating in two of our panels this year, calls pluralism “a generative ideology for Americans since before 1776.” You know, the whole “out of many, one” thing. (You must really mean it if you pick it as a motto.) Last night our Dinner at the Square discussion focused on just how you walk the complex walk of pluralism.
In his book Acts of Faith author Eboo Patel developed the idea for us a bit:
Religious pluralism is not forced consensus. It is a form of proactive cooperation that affirms the identity of the constituent communities while emphasizing that the well-being of each and all depends on the health of the whole. It is the belief that the common good is best served when each community has a chance to make its unique contribution.
Patel puts this concept into operation in an organization he formed called Interfaith Youth Core. He describes the approach: “We call it shared values-service learning. We begin by identifying the values that different religious communities hold in common-hospitality, cooperation, compassion, mercy.”
Patel agrees that you can go too far with the notion that we’re the same:
“I wash my hands before I pray; you wash your hands before you pray; everything else is details. We don’t believe that’s true. We believe the differences between religions are extremely important. As a devout Muslim, I certainly want to preserve the uniqueness of my religion. But you can go too far in that direction, which is the thinking that religious differences are so great that we can’t even talk. The middle path, the only route to collective survival really, is to identify what is common between religions but to create the space where each can articulate its distinct path to that place. I think of it as affirming particularity and achieving pluralism.”
Patel says that he has come to one conclusion: We have to save each other. It’s the only way to save ourselves.
(Photo credit.)
Add comment July 15th, 2009
