Applying Transcendent Wisdom to the Elucidation of the Issue of Religious Plurality

Articles in Press

Document Type : پژوهشی

Authors

1 PhD student in Islamic Theology, Faculty of Theology, University of Tabriz

2 Department of Philosophy and Theology, Faculty of Theology, University of Tabriz

Abstract

This research explains religious plurality and proposes a local philosophical model based on Mulla Sadra’s transcendental wisdom to reduce interfaith conflicts. It critiques the Masha’i approach—rooted in the “authenticity of essence”—which leads to exclusivism or relativism. Instead, it introduces “authenticity of existence,” “substantial movement,” and “skeptical unity” as an alternative framework.



Religions are not separate pluralities but longitudinal stages of a single truth, evolving through the soul’s substantial movement and humanity’s changing capacities throughout history. The human soul, as the source of revelation, receives laws suited to its stage of actualization. A three-level system (essence, attributes, actions) explains how one religious truth—the religion of self-control—manifests as diverse laws (Torah, Gospel, Quran).



Islam, as the final religion, does not negate previous ones but incorporates their perfections into a comprehensive whole. By distinguishing fixed principles from variable branches, this model resolves apparent conflicts and offers a middle path between rigid exclusivism and relativistic pluralism. Legitimacy and salvation in any era depend on adherence to that era’s true law. In the present age, Islam is the most direct and complete path to salvation.



Ultimately, transcendent wisdom provides a dynamic, existential foundation for constructive dialogue and a deeper understanding of unity within religious plurality.

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New Religious Researches

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 23 August 2026

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