Jean-Luc Marion’s Hermeneutics of Charity and its Relevance to Religious Pluralism and Interreligious Dialogue

This paper argues that Jean-Luc Marion’s hermeneutics of charity, rooted in his phenomenology of givenness, offers a methodological framework for religious pluralism and interreligious dialogue. Marion’s approach contends that interpreters lack total epistemic control over a text because the text has an independent phenomenal life and transforms readers into active, receptive witnesses. This establishes an irreducible, infinite encounter with the 'text-as-other,' where the text asserts authority by giving and showing itself unconditionally. Applied to interreligious discourse, the framework suggests that treating the 'other text' as inherently valuable fosters a receptive disposition among dialogical partners and provides critical epistemic resistance against cultural harmonization and assimilation.

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Abstract

This study examines the methodological relevance of Jean-Luc Marion’s hermeneutics of charity to religious pluralism and interreligious dialogue. Grounded in his phenomenology of givenness, Marion’s framework challenges traditional interpretative paradigms by demonstrating that interpreters lack total epistemic control over a text. This limitation arises because the text maintains an independent phenomenal life and transforms readers into active, receptive witnesses. Consequently, this approach establishes an irreducible, infinite encounter with the 'text-as-other,' wherein the text asserts authority by giving and showing itself unconditionally. By applying this hermeneutical model to interreligious discourse, this paper demonstrates how the plurality of religious traditions uncovers a universal imperative for openness and mutual respect. The findings reveal that treating the 'other text' as an inherently valuable entity fosters a receptive disposition among dialogical partners. Ultimately, this framework provides robust methodological tools that strengthen current dialogical practices, offering critical epistemic resistance against the risks of cultural harmonization and assimilation.