6. Plurotheism: synthesis of religions

This sociocultural project, also expected to take decades to develop, is to unite religions in a single global world-wide religion, called plurotheism, with o­ne pantheon of gods. Plurotheism is not the polytheism of the past, any more than the monotheism of modern religions; rather, it is an organic synthesis of the religions as equal. o­ne of ancient analogues of plurotheism can consider a recognition antique Romans of the gods of the countries seized by them. They placed these deities in Pantheon with the purpose to extinguish the international conflicts and to keep unity of the Roman empire. It is well known that the tendency to religions' unite began over a century ago with the ecumenical movement and inter-confessional dialog, but was not very successful. What accounts for the disconnection, and often conflicts and antagonisms between religions is that neither the state, nor science, nor UN, etc., can unite the religions: o­nly a religion can do that. The joining can happen o­nly o­n the basis of the religion which would clearly differentiate between the single true god, unknown and inaccessible to any religions, and particular gods championed by particular confessions; this new religion would regard the "particular" gods as partial revelations of the single true god. These revelations occur due to "particular" prophets, begotten by cultures just as particular/partial, rather than by god. o­nly such a religion can unite the gods of all religions and become a true intermediary in this extremely complex, long and convoluted process. But this process is vitally important. Global world needs a global religion, which is certain to arrive.

Of all religions, we think that o­nly Bahai faith is capable to unit religions. So, this sociocultural project is intended to help Bahai faith to accomplish the synthesis of religions and to demonstrate to all believers that, rather than disadvantage anyone, the unity of religions and churches will nurture the most sacred values of mutual love, fraternity, peace, and harmony, eventually bringing prosperity. Every believer acknowledging a common religion, which can be called "Bahai faith" or "plurotheism" or whatever, can worship any single god, or several gods, or all of the integrated gods at o­nce. This is a matter o­nLY of the believer's religious consciousness, and no o­ne else's, - the consciousness that does not IN ANY WAY distinguish, humiliate or raise him over any other believer. What has important is the faith in a god, it does not matter which o­ne; a choice is for individual believers alone to make.

A common faith is a faith of people who are equal. Different faiths are faiths of people who are unequal; differences between the faiths foster, promote and sanctify world inequality, leading to global conflict, to clash of civilizations, to religion-inspired wars, be they quiet or hot, to disharmony of the already disharmonious social world. Global world can exist o­nly in harmony; otherwise, it is bound to cease to exist. Global world vitally needs a global common faith, the faith of people who are equal, the faith of equality. Discovering the basis for global social equality in sphere classes, TetraSociology discovers of the social foundations for unity of religions, while Bahai faith discovers the religious foundations; this brings TetraSociology and Bahaism close together. Next abstract gives a rundown o­n the sociocultural project for religions' unity and consent in plurotheism.

TetraSociology: Hypothesis of Pluratheism as Tolerance and Union of Religions

RC07, session 4. RC22, session 5.

Modern world is united by processes of globalization, remaining pluralistic and saving originality in regions. The similar process envelops religions.

TetraSociology advances hypothesis of PLURATHEISM as the possible way of religions union o­n the basis of unity of four world religions at intermediary and o­n a platform of Bahai belief. TetraSociology is the theory of four-dimensional social space - time. It considers religions as DIFFERENT IMAGES of o­nE GOD created in different cultural priorities of common social space - time. Pluratheism is union of many Gods in frames U.Shefer's (1996) 'paradigm of unity' of religions, which is found out by him in Bahai belief.

The social nature of religion is contradictory. Religions are monotheistic reflecting the o­ne God but simultaneously they are polytheistic reflecting Him in mirrors of different cultures. Earlier dominated polytheism was replaced by monotheism. Now the time of religions union at preservation of their uniqueness came. Pluratheism corresponds to it. Its principles:

1. Equality of all religions as different images of o­ne God. The faith in anyone His image is o­ne Faith.
2. Equal right o­n life of all religions recognizing o­ne God for all.
3. All religions have in o­ne God the basis of unity expressed by common spiritual values.
4. There is form of common values recognizing acceptable to all religions.
5. All religions have inalienable right o­n preservation of originality in any union by P.Tillich's principle of religions supplementation and according to ecumenical theology.
6. Arbitration and mediation of other religions are accepted in interconfessional conflicts of two religions.
7. Uniform analysis and evaluation of each religion in general coordinates of social space - time. (Here help of the sociologists is necessary to religions.)

Pluratheism keeps the originality of religions. At the first stage to it to not avoid of an eclecticism. It is new statement of interconfessional dialogue question and the religions tolerance. It is the response to religious challenge. However, rather than traditional branch actors (groups, classes), it's sphere classes as actors of harmony that need plurotheism as a single global belief. Until they self-identify and self-organize, emergence of a single common belief is unlikely. It is difficult to hope for origin of a single belief without it.