Understanding Religious Pluralism in Malaysia: A Christian and Muslim Debate

Abstract

Religious diversity in Malaysia has led to the development of what social scientists refer to as “religious pluralism.” Comprising of major religions of the world such as Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Chinese Religion, Taoism, Sikhism and “others,” it has become a recent challenge for Malaysia to manage religious diversity and maintain social harmony. The discourse of “religious pluralism” started when some prominent Muslim scholars warned that Muslims in Malaysia are threatened by liberalism and religious pluralism, which can impinge into the faith of Muslims. The method used is based on semi-structured interviews with Muslim and Christian representatives who have been coloured with religio-political voices which was carried out in the year 2015. One of the objectives of this article is to present various academic interpretations of the term religious pluralism, exploring selected writings of social scientists. In addition, the article examines the current debate of religious pluralism in contemporary Malaysia, particularly with respect to the Christian and Muslim communities in the country. Finally, it will propose a number of recommendations on how the discourse can be used as an instrument for healthy coexistence in Malaysia. The findings also assert that different interpretations of religious pluralism among scholars have resulted in misunderstanding of the concept, particularly of members of Muslim and Christian communities in the country.