Religious Diversity and the American Experience: A Theological Approach

This book surveys the 8 basic approaches to religious pluralism, ranging from exclusivism (evangelical right) through classic inclusivism (Rahner), revised inclusivism (DuPuis), particularism (Paul Griffith), radical diversity (S. Mark Heim), pluralism (Knitter), comparative theologies (Frank Clooney), and dual belonging (Raimundo Panikkar). The unique contribution of this book is the ability to situate the issue of pluralism in the cultural site in the US (here relying on ＂thick＂ cultural analyses of Robert Wuthnow, Vincent Miller, and others) and in the religious site of Roman Catholicism (as offering mainstream Christian responses to religious diversity).

Terrence W. Tilley is professor and department chair, Department of Theology, Fordham University. Prior to that he was professor and department chair, Department of Religious Studies, University of Dayton, and before that he taught at Florida State University. He is the author of 5 previous books: Story Theology (Liturgical Press, 1985) and the rest published by Orbis Books: The Evils of Theodicies (1991), Postmodern Theologies and the Challenge of Religious Diversity (1995), Inventing the Catholic Tradition (2000), and History, Theology, and Faith: Dissolving the Modern Problematic (2004). Story Theology was named book of the year (1986) by the College Theology Society. Inventing Catholic Tradition took First Place in Theology from the Catholic Press Association. He is a member of the Catholic Theological Society of America and the College Theology Society. His wife, Maureen Tilley, is a patristics scholar who also teaches at Fordham. They have 2 grown daughters. Louis T. Albarran is a graduate student at the University of Dayton. John F. Birch is a graduate student at the University of Dayton. Ernest W. Durbin II is a graduate student at the University of Dayton, USA. Coleman Fannin is Visiting Professor at the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, Virginia, USA. Daniel E. Martin received his Phd from the University of Dayton, USA. Matthew G. Minix is a graduate student at the University of Dayton. Lora M. Robinson is a graduate student at the University of Dayton.