Pilate’s Question Revisited: Ideology and Religion

Abstract

Truth, especially religious truth, is an ambiguous concept that lends itself to ideological distortion. Religion and ideology are always closely intertwined, especially in the Israel-born or monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, all of which make truth claims. Jews, Christians, and Muslims must constantly struggle against ideological interpretations of their faith assertions. In the case of Christianity, the medieval Crusades represent a notorious example of the latter; in the case of Islam, the concept of jihad as exemplified by modern fanatics such as Osama bin Laden has resulted in widespread misunderstandings of the “true” character of Muslim faith. Ideology is always a simplifier and thus a falsifier. It is a perennial temptation, and the struggle against its subtle power never ends.