The problem with interreligious dialogue : plurality, conflict and elitism in Hindu-Christian-Muslim relations / Muthuraj Swamy.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction -- Part I: The Problem: The Concept and Practice of Dialogue. Dialogue in Post-Colonial India: A Brief Survey -- The Practice of Dialogue: A Case from Kanyakumari District -- Part II: Limitations of Religious Plurality, Conflict and Elitism. 'Religion' and 'World Religions': Some Contemporary Approaches -- Religious Plurality and Dialogue -- Are Religions in Conflict? -- Dialogue and the Myth of Religious Conflicts: A Case Study -- Dialogue as Elitist -- Part III: Multiple Identities as a Challenger. Religion, Multiple Identities and Everyday Relations among Ordinary People -- After Dialogue -- Conclusion.

Muthuraj Swamy provides a fresh perspective on the world religions paradigm and 'interreligious dialogue'. By challenging the assumption that 'world religions' operate as essential entities separate from the lived experiences of practitioners, he shows that interreligious dialogue is in turn problematic as it is built on this very paradigm, and on the myth of religious conflict.