The Possibility of Religious Pluralism in Turkey at the Crossroad of the Traditional and Global Existences
The Possibility of Religious Pluralism in Turkey at the Crossroad of the Traditional and Global Existences

Summary/Abstract: As a result of the interaction between religions, globalization has created a new context for various theories of religious pluralism. For the sake of brevity, the beginning of the 21st century witnesses that religious pluralism is one of the most basic challenges for different theologies of various traditional religions. Thence, religious pluralism is one with which all theologies are somehow expected to face. Understanding cultural religious pluralism requires a high level of knowledge. Individuals or communities who have a sectarian mindset and believe that only their religion or denomination represent the truth have no share in this level. The Muslims, as long as they stay within the borders of Islam, can find no evidence in the Qur’an or in the other sources that supports their claim that they are possessed of the truth to the exclusion of others. Turkey, in respect of both its religious and political culture, has the experience of developing and designating the ideal of pluralism. It is a necessity for the Turkish intelligentsia in general and for the members of the theology faculties in particular to promote and maintain the ideal of religious pluralism. It is an obligation for the actors above to support and assign this notion on account of the international community and Turkey’s geopolitical position. In this paper, I analyse and give a critical definition of religious pluralism in search for the possibility of religious pluralism in Turkey.

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