Abstract

Religious Pluralism stems from a series of Gifford Research Fellowship lectures. A stipulation of these lectures is that they be "public & popular," addressed to the intelligent lay person, not just the specialist. Religious Pluralism is not written from the stance of any particular faith. It addresses issues that might concern anyone who thinks about religion, particularly the individual in search of, or interested in choosing, a faith. We live in a religiously plural world, one in which Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judiasm, Sikhism, Taoism, etc., variously picture the nature & purpose of human existence. Which religious account, if any, should we accept & on what ground? Is it legitimate to construct a world-view using material from several faiths? Using the image of a hall of mirrors to symbolize our new multi-religious consciousness, Religious Pluralism: A Metaphorical Approach considers how the individual might answer such challenging questions. Chris Arthur received a PhD from the University of Edinburgh where he took a First Class Honours degree in Religious Studies. In 1984 he was awarded the Gifford Research Fellowship at the University of St. Andrews. At the University of Wales he teaches courses in Buddhism, Religion & the Media, & Methodology.