Beyond Pluralism: Esoteric Unity of Religions and the Ontological Reframing of Comparative Theology
Pharos Journal of Theology July 17, 2026 M. Nawa Syarif Fajar Sakti, M. Azfa Nashirul Hikam, M. Ikram Idris et al.
The article argues that modern religious pluralism in comparative theology has epistemological limits because it often avoids questions about the nature of ultimate reality, reducing religious diversity to mere symbolic or moral variation. Drawing on the perennial philosophy of Frithjof Schuon and Seyyed Hossein Nasr, it proposes that religious plurality is not epistemic relativism but a differentiated manifestation of a single transcendent reality. Doctrinal, ritual, and symbolic differences express the same metaphysical principle rather than contradicting ultimate truth. This framework reintroduces metaphysical reflection, offering an alternative to both exclusivism and relativistic pluralism that preserves theological distinctiveness while integrating religious diversity.