A BOOK REVIEW: Religious Pluralism, Globalization and World Politics

 Author: Thomas Francis Banchoff

ISBN: 9780195323412

PAGES: 348

 Thomas Francis Banchoff is an American mathematician specializing in geometry. He is Director of the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University.He is a professor at Brown University, where he has taught since 1967. He is known for his research in differential geometry in three and four dimensions, for his efforts to develop methods of computer graphics in the early 1990s, and most recently for his pioneering work in methods of undergraduate education utilizing online resources. Banchoff attended the University of Notre Dame and received his Ph.D from UC Berkeley in 1964, where he was a student of Shiing-ShenChern. Before going to Brown he taught at Harvard University and the University of Amsterdam. In 2012 he became a fellow of the American Mathematical Society. He was also a president of the Mathematical Association of America.

This book is anoteworthyaid to the study of religion in the public sphere. At its core, the book opens up profound discussions, not so much on the neutrality of the state, but rather on the conditions surrounding the much crucial alliance between states, secular organizations and religious groups. This is really helpful for the awareness of the present state of religious groups in its relation and comparison to political rise.

Thomas Banchoff ’s Religious Pluralism, falling between these purely theoretical and completely practical projects, is a book worth reading especially given the diverse backgrounds of the twelve scholars it brings together. These twelve contributors appealreaders consideration to the multiple roles religious actors have been playing in the international arena.

Banchoff (p. 5) states that religious pluralism “denotes a politics that joins diverse communities with overlapping but distinctive ethics and interests”.

The two main issues that are explored all over the book is the meaning of religious pluralism and the terms of communication across faith traditions and second is the tension amid religious rights and the concerns surrounding proselytizing.

PratapBhanu Mehta (p. 66) cautions that the challenge is to reconcile pluralism with a common political identity—how can recognition of multiple religious identities go hand in hand with the modern aspirations of the state and the accompanying definitions of citizenship? Can we represent religious pluralism in our existing political identities, or do we need to revise our traditional conceptions such as the twinning of nation and state? How do religious groups challenge the states?

Jean BethkeElshtain (p. 91) examines the question of whether proselytization is fully compatible with the politics of recognition or a challenge to it. Elshtain (p. 102) argues that “opposition to proselytization is opposition to a central dimension of religious freedom and therefore incompatible with a robust international human rights regime”.

John Witte Jr. (p. 107) states that what we are seeing in part of the world today is a “theological war, as rival religious communities have begun to demonize and defame each other and to gather themselves into ever dogmatic and fundamentalist stands”.

Although Witte Jr.’s labeling is bold and contestable, the clashing insecurities of political communities, be it religious or not, result in restrictions in the market place of religious ideas which Elshtain sees as an infringement of individuals’ rights. Even if not at the state level, these interreligious insecurities are overcome through peaceful religious movements and groups which are open to engagement with the other traditions. Thomas Michel notes how the Risale-i Nur movement has encouraged Muslim-Christian dialogue, and how the Gulen Movement has widened this partnership to “the conscientious followers of all religions” (p. 243). Michel cites Said Nursi’s call to join forces not only with pious Muslims but also with pious Christians in the face of “aggressive atheism” (p. 236).

Scott Appleby (p. 128) reminds the reader that the failure of religious leaders to perform their potential peace-building roles within the local community and the insufficient exploitation of their strategic capacity as transnational actors has resulted in a gap when it comes to peace-building in religious communities.

In sum, this is a recommended read, especially for those who are interested about the new roles religious actors are assuming and what kind of challenges the inclusion of religious actors into political dialogue brings. It is an excellent read because a variety of disciplines examine how the forces of religious pluralism and globalization are playing out on the world stage.

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