2004 Reviews

Review of "Making Harmony: Living in a Pluralist World," by Michael Amaladoss

Knitter, Paul

For Amaladoss, diversity is a good in itself; but it can become a greater good if it leads to harmony, dialogue, and cooperation. His book is an exploration of how that can happen. While he elaborates on political and cultural structures that will promote harmony (urging an Asian participative social democracy over the dominant American liberal democracy), his focus is on religious diversity and how it can become religious harmony. As he surveys the world of religions, he locates in claims of absolute truth the most imposing obstacle to religious harmony and a contributing cause of religious violence.