New approach to religious literacy aims to foster deeper understanding, avert conflict

LAWRENCE – An estimated 10,000 religions exist worldwide. So how can people truly coexist if they are unable to understand their own and each other’s religion?

That’s the question addressed by Ryan Lemasters, a doctoral student in philosophy at the University of Kansas.

His new article titled “Interreligious attentiveness: A revised approach to religious literacy” argues that his titular approach works better than those endorsed by other scholars in the academic study of religion. He draws attention to their limitations by virtue of three challenges: conversion, multiple religious belonging and motivation. The article appears in Religious Studies, published by Cambridge University Press.

Lemasters first noted a gap in conventional theory when discussing religious affiliation with his university classes.

“It’s common for students in my religious studies courses to reveal their religious affiliation,” he said.

“For instance, I commonly hear, ‘I’m a devout Catholic. I went to Catholic school. I wear a cross. I identify as one.’ And I’m like, ‘Oh, great. So can you tell me the seven sacraments?’ They’re like, ‘Huh?’ Scholars of religion identify these as basic tenets of Catholicism. That’s the puzzle. They think their religion influences their beliefs, their worldview and their actions. They identify as Catholic. But when asked basic tenets of Catholicism, they fail miserably.”

What does it mean, then, to be Catholic or, more broadly, identify with a religion? Lemasters said he believes religious literacy is key.

“What is the missing ingredient that should be included in an approach or an account of religious literacy?” he said. “Being attentive to the right kinds of things at the right time and for the right reasons.”

While delving into this topic, he identified three conventional approaches to religious literacy found in the current literature: knowledge, skills and analysis.

He said, “Knowing stuff about the ‘religious other’ seems to be important. Having skills to communicate with the religious other in terms of a respectful conversation also seems to be important. Analysis means we should be able to understand what the term ‘religion’ refers to. All these are significant, but even more crucial is how character interacts with these approaches.”

Lemasters said he believes each succumb to three challenges he introduces in the article.

“I don’t think of the challenges I introduce as a combative critique of those different approaches, rather an extension of them,” he said.

The first challenge is “conversion (exclusivist groups),” which posits that an account of religious literacy must be sensitive to those religions that have no interest in engaging with others. Lemasters wrote that “by their very nature, exclusivist groups are prone to being misunderstood because accurate information about their religion may be inaccessible to outsiders.”

The second is “multiple religious belonging.” This discusses how previous approaches to such literacy may cause problematic conclusions to be drawn about what role people who belong to multiple religions can have in ameliorating religious divisions.

“Motivation” is the third challenge. It poses the question: What motivates individuals to develop religious literacy? A robust account of religious literacy “should not only define its purpose but also inspire individuals to cultivate it actively,” he wrote.

The scholar also advocates for a more robust philosophical framework he calls “covenantal pluralism.” He defines covenantal pluralism as a pattern of interaction across religious boundaries that overall is increasingly peaceful, productive, characterized by engagement and respectful of difference and the integrity of each party.

This term was recently introduced by the Templeton Religion Trust as one of its funded research areas. Lemasters is currently working on a three-year grant led by KU philosophy professor Nancy Snow, bringing together an interdisciplinary team to advance scholarship on covenantal pluralism.

“Covenantal pluralism goes beyond mere tolerance,” he said.

“Scholars have proposed forms of religious pluralism in which tolerance is sufficient. Ongoing religiously charged conflicts around the world make clear that tolerance alone is inadequate for resolving conflicts and building bridges between religious communities. Covenantal pluralism offers a more robust model, aiming to foster deeper understanding and a more peaceful world.” 

A native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Lemasters has been at KU for four years. His research focuses on the philosophy of religion, applied ethics (especially bioethics) and social metaphysics. This article represents one piece of his dissertation. 

“If someone is religious, do you think that influences the way they act, their worldview and their actions?” Lemasters said.

“Assuming this is the case, that is a huge part of what it means to be a person, in terms of identity. So if most people are religious — and we live in this religiously diverse world — in order to not offend the religious other and to have peaceful and respectful engagement with people in our society, we should strive to know a little bit about other religions. In other words, we need religious literacy.”