An Interpretation of Sri Ramakrishna's Approach to Religious Truth and the Situation of Religious Plurality

Abstract

To be sure, the differences in the various religious ??? Which are to be faced by any individual concerned with understanding the situation of religious pluralism are multifaceted. These differences become manifest in the doctrines, sacraments, and moral obligations of the different religious traditions of mankind. Yet underlying these differences, there appears to be a more fundamental difference concerning the nature of Ultimate Reality. Such fundamental differences become manifest most emphatically in the various answers given to the questions "is God personal or impersonal?" and "Is God formless or with form?" For example, a Christian may reply that God is personal and with form whereas an Advaita Vedantist monk may reply that God is impersonal and formless. It is my conviction that if, for example, the Christian and the Vedantist monk could come to a mutual understanding of the meaning of these questions, the differing answers would no longer be problematic. [From Introduction]