Plurality and religious diversity

Developing a philosophical argument for the positive features of religious co-existence is among the crucial tasks in societies increasingly marked by polarization and religious diversity. The present article will argue in favor of a positive approach to religious plurality by presenting Hannah Arendt’s view on plurality and considering what it entails for understanding religious co-existence. Addressing religious coexistence and not only interreligious dialogue is due to the increasing realization in the study of religion about the need to overcome a mere cognitive approach to religion and see it as more than belief. Religious traditions are clusters of practices that can be seen in light of Arendt’s view about the vita activa. A practice-oriented approach also recognizes that religious traditions may share several common concerns that are not sufficiently taken into account if one only views them from the perspective of doctrinal differences. Although Arendt was not substantially concerned with the role of religion in the public sphere, the following will argue that her position also has something to say about why plurality and co-existence of religious traditions are essential to the quality of a given society.