Process and pluralism. Chinese thought on the harmony of diversity. (=Process thought ; Vol. 23)

This book offers a uniquely process-relational oriented Chinese approach to inter-religious dialogue called Chinese harmonism. The key features of Chinese harmonism are peaceful co-existence, mutual transformation, and openness to change. It provides a middle ground between particularism and universalism, showing how diversity can exist within unity. Thus, Chinese harmonism implies an attitude of respect for others and a willingness to learn from others, without reducing the other to one’s own identity: that is, to sameness. By emphasizing the possibility of complementariness, a process-oriented Chinese harmonism avoids a dichotomy between universalism and particularism, represented respectively by John Hick and S. Mark Heim, and will make room for a genuine openness and do justice to the culturally and religiously "other."

Zhihe Wang was senior research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the vice-chief editor of Social Science Abroad. His recent publications include A Study of Postmodern Philosophical Movement and Second Enlightenment.