One God of all? probing pluralist identities - Hallett, Garth L. (Continuum, 2010)
Includes bibliographical references (pages 129-138) and index
Preface; 1. PLURALIST IDENTITY CLAIMS: A PRELIMINARY OVERVIEW; 2. THE CLAIMS' SIGNIFICANCE; 3. FIXING A FOCUS; 4. TRANSCENDENT REFERENCE; 5. FOR AND AGAINST IDENTICAL REFERENCE; 6. NEGLECTED QUESTIONS; 7. MULTIPLE MISGIVINGS; 8. COUNTER-EXPLORATION; 9. DIALECTICAL RESPONSE; 10. PLURALISM IN A NEW KEY?; Works Cited; Index
The claim has repeatedly been made, and has often been contested, that a single transcendent being is present or active in all of the world's major religions. In this view, names such as "God," "Allah," "nirvana," "Vishnu," and "Brahman" all refer to the same transcendent reality. Absent from the debate and here provided is a serious study of such claims in the light of the most pertinent philosophical literature, namely that concerning questions of identity and individuation. Of necessity, the terms that the claims employ are very general and abstract: the world's religions, it is said, all r