BUILDING ETHICAL INTERFAITH COMMUNICATION: Karl-Otto Apel’s Approach to Global Religious Dialogue
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This study explores the philosophical underpinnings of interreligious dialogue by examining Karl-Otto Apel's transcendental-pragmatic hermeneutics. The analysis focuses on the encounter between Pope Francis and Grand Sheikh Ahmad el-Tayeb. Employing a qualitative-descriptive method with a philosophical-communicative approach, the research analyzes Apel's discourse ethics and its applicability to contemporary religious dialogue. The data were obtained through library research and analyzed hermeneutically using content analysis. The results of the study suggest that Apel's theory offers a normative framework that has the potential to transcend the dichotomy between cultural relativism and theological exclusivism. The Human Fraternity Document is examined as a practical manifestation of communicative rationality that embodies ethical discourse. The study's findings indicate that Apel's approach fosters the development of inclusive, equitable, and ethically responsible interfaith communication. The report calls for educational institutions to incorporate communicative ethics into multicultural curricula, and it urges religious institutions to foster dialogical communities characterized by equality and openness. These efforts are vital for fostering sustainable peace and social cohesion within plural societies, particularly in culturally diverse nations like Indonesia.
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