St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology (Aug 2024)
Religious Disagreement in Analytic Theology
Abstract
Religious disagreement means holding incompatible views of the truth or of the plausibility of some position that is religiously relevant. It is well known that many religious and non-religious worldviews make apparently incompatible claims about ultimate reality. This poses both theoretical and practical challenges that in different ways seek to address the basic question: what should we do when we disagree? Sometimes, disagreement seems to call for conciliation so that all parties relativize their beliefs to some extent. Sometimes disagreements are so complex that it is not apparent what one should do, or one may have other reasons to consider the opposing arguments as non-threatening to one’s own views. In such cases, one may be steadfast in their convictions. In addition to these more philosophical concerns, disagreement often requires practices that help people to understand and manage disagreement. Christian tradition has offered various explanations for why disagreement exists in the first place, and also ways of seeking agreement among those who disagree.
