Philosophy Bridging the World Religions

268 Pages·2003·6.515 MB·English

by  Peter Koslowski (auth.), Peter Koslowski (eds.)

PHILOSOPHY BRIDGING THE WORLD RELIGIONS
PHILOSOPHY BRIDGING THE
WORLD RELIGIONS
Edited by
PETER KOSLOWSKI
Hannover Institute of Philosophical Research,
Hannover, Germany
SPRINGER-SCIENCE+BUSINESS MEDIA, B.Y.
A C.I.P. Catalogue record for this book is available fi·om the Library of Congress.
ISBN 978-90-481-6029-7 ISBN 978-94-017-2618-4 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-94-017-2618-4
The German language version of this book .is published simultaneous! y by
WILHELM FINK VERLAG
Munich
Editorial Assistant: DAVID W. LUTZ
Cover Photograph:
JANNIS KOUNELLIS, Untitled, 1985
Claudio Abate, cape Musec d'art contemporain, Bordeaux 1985
Printed on acid-free paper
All Rights Reserved
© 2003 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
Originally published by Kluwer Academic Publishers in 2003
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword vii
Philosophy as Mediator between Religions: Introduction
PETER KOSLOWSKI
Christianity and the Discourse of the World Religions: The Contribution
of Philosophical Theology
RICHARD SWINBURNE 7
The Dialogue oflslam and the World Faiths: The Role of Speculative
Philosophy
SHABBIR AKHTAR 21
Judaism: Intra-Religious Plurality as a Chance for Discourse between
Religions
KARL-ERICH GROZINGER 38
Discussion of the Role of Philosophy in Christianity, Islam, and Judaism 54
The Role of Good Manners as a Bridge between the World Religions
in the Saniitana Tradition (Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism)
NAV JYOTI SINGH 66
The Speculative Philosophy ofthe Triunity in Chinese Universism
(Taoism) and Buddhism: Its Philosophical-Religious Significance and
its Contribution to the Taoist-Buddhist-Christian Dialogue
SHEN-CHON LAI 96
v
vi TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Contribution of Religious Studies to the Dialogue of the World
Religions
MICHAEL VON BRUCK 123
Discussion of the Contributions of Good Manners, Triunity Speculation,
and Religious Studies to the Dialogue of the World Religions 155
Philosophical Dialogue of the Religions, instead of Clash of Civilizations,
in the Process of Globalization, from an Islamic Perspective: With an
Appendix: "In Europe there arc no 'Indigenous' and 'Impmted' Religions"
ENES KARIC 161
Discussion of Dialogue instead of the Clash of Religions in Islam 179
The Philosophy of the World Religions as the Philosophy of Revelations
PETER KOSLOWSKI 183
Discussion of the Revelations of the Religions 217
Conversation between the Representatives of the World Religions after
the Conclusion of the Public Discourse 220
Contributors 224
Index of Persons 227
Index of Subjects to Volumes 1-5 of the Series "A Discourse of the
World Religions" 231
FOREWORD
Tensions between religious groups, even severe persecution of those who be
lieve in other faiths, are the order of the day in our time. The West often rep
resents these religious tensions as the clash of the Western, secular world with
religious fanaticism, and dismisses it as "un-Western." It is obvious from cases
like the religious tensions in Northern Ireland, however, that the West itself is
not free of religious conflict. Therefore, we already have empirical evidence
that the frequently evoked "clash of civilizations" can arise not only between
the Western, secular world and the religious, especially Islamic world, but any
where, including the West itself. In saying this, the conflict between the Judea
Christian and secular West and the Islamic world should not be underestimated
in its seriousness and dangerousness. We should, however, avoid attributing the
source of this conflict at the present time to Islam alone. Inter-religious and
inter-confessional conflicts can affect all regions and religions of the world. The
question addressed by this book, therefore, is one of contemporary importance
and urgency. It is a question that concerns not only the past, but also the "en
lightened" present.
Since the attack of September 11, 2001 in New York, the problem of the
clash of religions and civilizations has intensified in an unexpected way and has
focused greater attention on the theme of this book, which was written for the
most part before that event. The attack makes the dialogue of religions both
more urgent and more difficult. It also makes it necessary to distinguish precise
ly between terrorist and extremist groups, on one hand, and the religions out of
which they emerge, on the other hand.
The extremist, Islamic groups claim the right to defensive jihad, to defensive
Holy War against all persons of the West, and also of India, and the right to act
in self-defense, even without a declaration of war by legitimate authorities, such
as heads of state or religious leaders or imams. With this declaration of war
these terrorist groups declare all persons of the West, combatants and non
combatants, to be enemies, against whom the right to violence in self-defense is
justified. Such a view of the relationship between members of different reli
gions and cultures calls into question the basis of the coexistence of different
ethnic groups, as well as the basis of law. The extremist groups assume as their
starting point the supposed legitimacy of a right to self-defense on the part of
the Islamic world against the West, which they declare to be outlawed. Those
who are declared outlawed can then claim the right to self-defense for them-
vii
viii FOREWORD
selves. When both sides consider themselves to be acting in self-defense, the
escalation of violation is inevitable.
It is obvious that this declaration of war in self-defense, which is de facto
blind aggression against the West, is incompatible with Islamic jurisprudence,
because there exists no situation of self-defense between the Islamic world and
the West. Many countries of the Islamic world have made this point with per
fect clarity. It is important for the dialogue of religions to demonstrate theologi
cally, juridically, and politically the abuse of legal concepts, such as that of de
fensive jihad. It is necessary both to make clear to the world that the supposed
justification of indiscriminate aggression against the people of the West as
acting in self-defense is not the position of Islam and to persuade the Islamic
world that this abuse of Quranic topics is not a problem of political rhetoric, but
threatens to discredit Islam in the eyes of the people of the world, so that it is in
the interest of all Moslems to stand up to this abuse and to isolate the extremist
and terrorist versions of Islamism intellectually and politically.
September 11, 2001 and its consequences show the importance of the world
religions' understanding of theology and jurisprudence. The establishment and
enforcement of international Jaw is not possible without agreement among the
world religions, which must clarify among themselves what is right and wrong
within them and between them, as well as the theological foundations of right
and wrong. The series A Discourse of the World Religions, of which this is the
fifth volume, hopes to make a contribution to this dialogue about the points of
agreement and disagreement in the theological and philosophical thought of the
world religions, which essentially influences their conceptions of legality.
This book documents the Fifth EXPO-Discourse, which took place on Octo
ber 20-21, 2000, near the end of the World Exposition EXPO 2000 in Hanover,
Germany, with the title "Philosophical Dialogue of Religions instead of Clash
of Civilizations in the Process of Globalization," in the NORDILB forum at the
World Exposition. The editor expresses appreciation to the NORD/LB Nord
deutsche Landesbank Girozentralc and its President Dr. h.c. Manfred Bodin for
their hospitality to this discourse and the two preceding discourses at the World
Exposition in the NORD/LB forum, the Bank's conference center on the
grounds of the World Exposition, now the grounds of the Hanover Fair, as well
as for logistical support.
It was possible to carry out the entire project of the EXPO-Discourses of the
World Religions, which is concluded with this volume, thanks to the generous
support of the Stiftung Niedersachscn-The Foundation of Lower Saxony- and
the Stiftung Forschungsinstitut fiir Philosophic Hannover - The Foundation of
the Hanover Institute of Philosophical Research. The conclusion of the project
is the appropriate opportunity to thank the President of the Foundation of Lower
Saxony until 2000, former Minister-President of Lower Saxony Dr. Ernst
FOREWORD ix
Albrecht, who took a personal interest in the Discourse of the World Religions
from its beginning and served as its co-organizer, but also his successor as Pres
ident of the Foundation, Dr. Dietrich H. Hoppenstedt, as well as the Founda
tion's General Secretary, Dr. Dominik von Konig. Gratitude is also expressed to
the Founder of the Hanover Institute of Philosophical Research, The Most Rev
erend Dr. Josef Homeyer, Bishop of Hildesheim, as well as the then Chairman
of the Board of Directors of the Foundation of the Hanover Institute of Philo
sophical Research, General-Vicar Karl Bemert, for putting the personnel posi
tions and the facilities of the Hanover Institute of Philosophical Research at the
disposal of the project. Only thanks to the support of these two foundations was
the Hanover Institute of Philosophical Research able to carry out the EXPO
Discourses of the World Religions before and during the World Exposition
EXPO 2000 in Hanover.
Finally, a special word of appreciation goes to the members of the Hanover
Institute of Philosophical Research- Brigitte Berges and Dipl.-Theol. Michael
Berges, Dr. phil. Luca Di Blasi, Anna Maria Hauk M.A., Dr. phil. habil. Fried
rich Hermanni, and Elisabeth Kiihn M.A. - for their support, their advice, and
their constructive criticism during the preparation for and carrying out of the
conferences and the book series A Discourse of the World Religions. A special
word of gratitude is due to David W. Lutz Ph.D., who not only translated many
of the contributions originally written in German, but also acted as a congenial
editorial assistant for all five volumes of this series. Without his help this series
could not have been published in English in time.
May the volumes of the Discourse of the World Religions make a contribu
tion to the dialogue of religions.
Peter Koslowski
PHILOSOPHY AS MEDIATOR BETWEEN RELIGIONS
IntroductWn
Peter Koslowski
With the claim that the philosophical dialogue of religions should replace the
clash of civilizations and religions, special significance is attached to philos
ophy as the medium of communication between religions. It should contribute
to defusing religious conflicts and promoting interreligious dialogue.
1. Philosophical Discourse as the Meta-Discourse of Interreligious Dialogue
Such a claim is not self-evident, first of all, because philosophy itself stands in
an extremely tense relationship with the different religions. It includes not only
the discipline of philosophy of religion, but also the philosophical critique of
religion and the rejection of religion as superstition and false consciousness.
Ancient philosophy forced early Christianity to clarify its foundation; modern
Western philosophy later forced Christianity and the Church to clarify their re
lationship to individual and political liberty. At the same time, philosophy has
also been used by Christianity since its beginnings as an ally for a deeper grasp
of the content of the faith and its defense against non-believers and persons of
other faiths.
In this two-fold significance of philosophy for religion, as supporting disci
pline and as critic. philosophy must be fruitful for the conversation of the world
religions, for the discourse of its foundation and application. In the process, one
particular philosophical tradition that has developed historically, namely West
ern philosophy, should not be made the standard of non-Christian religions.
Philosophy should instead be understood in the most universal sense of rational
discourse, based on rational and empirical arguments. This philosophical dis
course should serve as the meta-discourse of interreligious dialogue.
With that, philosophy is assigned new tasks. Besides the tasks of underpin
ning and critiquing religion, the task of mediation between the world religions
will be given to philosophy in the future. The philosophy of the world religions
investigates the similarities and differences in the thinking of the world reli-