Philosophical perspectives on religious diversity : bivalent truth, tolerance and personhood

Dirk-Martin Grube holds the chair in Religious Diversity and the Epistemology of Theology/Religion at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Addressing the question of what kind of theoretical foundations are required if we wish to have a constructive attitude towards different religions, this book scrutinizes aspects of the human condition, personhood and notions of (exclusive) truth and tolerance. In the book, Wolterstorff suggests that persons have hermeneutic and related competences that account for their special dignity, and that this dignity implies the right to practice religion freely. Margolis emphasizes the contingent character of all religious pursuits - being products of a unique form of evolution, humans need to create convincing purposes in an otherwise purposeless world. Respondents criticize both views with an eye on the question of whether those views promote religious tolerance.