Reference no: EM133528542

Chapter 11 (Alternative Paths) from world religion, explores alternative religions and more contemporary developments in human spirituality. As these chapters point out, many of these newer faiths, including Neo-Paganism and Bahai, claim to be not new at all. They perceive themselves to be either retrievals of older traditions or as serving as some hidden unity that underlies and reconciles all of the great historical religions.

One philosophical perspective that claims to be both ancient and to reconcile the major world religions is called The Perennial Philosophy, or simply perennialism. This is the doctrine that religions may differ on the surface (Muslims believe in a Creator God and the soul, while Buddhists reject both), but deep down, they all lead to the same underlying Absolute Reality. The narratives, doctrines, and rituals may state different things: but the inner and contemplative traditions found within each religion (Sufi mysticism in Islam, meditation in Buddhism) point us toward a single and identical transcendent truth.

While such a doctrine sounds appealing to many--since it promises to respect the rich distinctions between religions while harmonizing them around a common center--it has fallen out of favor in recent years. What is called the post-modern or pluralistic model argues that the differences between religions are not simply on the surface: they go all the way down. The Buddhist goal of nirvana is simply not Allah or God.

Do you believe that all religions point to the same truth? If so, what is that truth; what is the common core of all religions? And if there is no common core, if all religions point toward different truths: how can we know which is correct, or which we should follow?