Ninth International Conference on Religion & Spirituality in Society

Abstract

Whilst Australia is clearly a very successful multicultural society, ironically, a notable feature of its policy is the absence of inclusion as a governing principle. The policy merely provides a neutral space in which the religious “other” has the right to their beliefs and practices, whilst the religious majority has the obligation of tolerance. In an effort to compensate for this absence, well-intentioned state promoters of interfaith dialogue have generally focused on our religious commonalities, in an effort to highlight a “sameness.” This is intended to reduce our fear of the “other” and thereby promote greater levels of social cohesion. However this paper will argue that it is ultimately a cosmopolitanist emphasis on our religious differences that will not only be more ideologically aligned with multiculturalist theory, but more importantly, elevate us to an inclusivity that transcends the passivity of mere tolerance.