Abstract

How may or should adherents of a particular religion assess other religious traditions? Whether they can avoid both absolutism and relativism depends on the availability of “ecumenical criteria”, i.e. a common scale in view of which the adherents of different religious traditions may jointly judge these traditions. It is argued that such a scale may exist even if we assume that the adherents of the different religions do not have any religious beliefs or criteria in common. This scale may exist insofar as believers may share certain meta-religious criteria, e.g. the coherence of beliefs, their existential relevance and efficiency – i.e. their capacity to meet needs and concerns, including ethical-political and scientific concerns – and the impressiveness of beliefs. As such these criteria coincide with conditions that regulate the effective functioning of religions as ultimate frames of reference. However, it is not assumed that these criteria constitute ahistorical foundations. Adherents of the different religious traditions may not agree on the coherence, the existential relevance and efficiency, or the impressiveness of beliefs. Neither will they necessarily agree that these considerations are appropriate. Whether such an agreement exists will only, if at all, become apparent through inter religious dialogue. S. Afr. J. Philos. Vol.23(3) 2004: 302-326