Introduction

Religious believers of a certain conservative bent, whether they be simple followers of the faith, or leaders of a religious community, or scholars and theologians, have a distinct tendency to downplay or dismiss the value of discussion and dialogue with individuals and groups of alternative religious faiths. Explanation, evaluation and judgement are fundamental to the academic and especially the philosophical study of religion. The American pragmatist philosopher William James, who has had an enduring influence in philosophy of religion, expressed well the distinctive character of philosophical inquiry in the first of a series of lectures he delivered at Oxford in 1908. One of the intended effects of the dialogical exchanges is to reorient and renew the philosophy of religion in a fundamental way. Religion is primarily a form of life centred around participation in corporate worship, liturgical practices and other forms of shared spiritual disciplines.