Announcing PT 16.1: Theology, Plurality, and Society

Issue 16.1 of the journal Political Theology is devoted to theology, plurality and society. Below guest editor, Dr. Peter Scott, introduces the issue.

Must a religiously plural society fall apart? How does theology process plurality? This special issue of Political Theology addresses the issue of plurality from a variety of theological perspectives. It began life as an attempt to respond to an earlier special issue of the journal, which assessed critically the political and theological phenomenon of Red Toryism. In the earlier volume, there was persistent criticism of an appeal to a common tradition in the context of a religiously plural society.

In a religiously plural and multi-cultural society, what is the common tradition that might be recovered, and in what senses is it ‘‘common?’’ We must, it seems, acknowledge that there are competing religious versions of the good. What is the relationship between these competing notions and how do these relate to a common tradition? A common good or a common tradition presupposes participation — but by whom, and in what ways? This raises the matter of dissent, and the encouragement and tolerance of dissent. Does the state have a role in addressing participation — and can it be relied upon to pluralize? With religious plurality, there also comes cultural and political diversity. Moreover, this is partly the case for religio-practical reasons. The communities of religious traditions have their own cultures, which are wider than acts of worship — and which may include social activities, community support, etc. We should expect that people might participate in the wider religious culture and not only the worshipping culture. This, then, is the contribution of religious communities to a wider cultural plurality.

Secularism and the role of churches in governance also become key issues. What role does religion play in the governance of a multicultural society? How has plurality influenced the religious beliefs of the people, and how does theology respond? How does theology engage with the theological issues, which materialize in socio-cultural settings beyond the academy and beyond the Church? In addition, further aspects of plurality are also brought to the fore: is anthropocentrism a form of anti-plurality, and can a pluralistic worldview also incorporate non-humans and nature? The notion of otherness is also brought into question in a number of these articles: does plurality necessarily imply difference? Why not instead opt for an approach stressing unity — would that not be more diplomatic, or would that devalue and under represent diversity? In countries like Britain, plurality becomes a pivotal concept in terms of theological discussion and indeed socio-political discussion. The articles in this issue point to these questions, and offer insightful reflections on the nature of plurality and its use conceptually, metaphysically, and pragmatically.

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