Religion and Religions: Gandhi and Tillich

Abstract

This essay seeks to analyse the views of Gandhi and Tillich on the subject of religion. It seeks to show that Gandhi’s view of religion is inextricably bound up with the Hindu way of life and has implications for his attitude to religious symbols, the secular, missionary activity and other historical religions. Comparisons with Tillich’s views on religion will show that similar implications apply for those who belong to the western tradition and that the mystical-prophetic distinction sometimes drawn between eastern and western religious traditions may well be too sweeping a generalisation.