Sovereignty of God and Religious Tolerance: A Kuyperian Perspective

Abraham Kuyper is well-known for his assertion on equal freedom for people of all worldviews or religions. This article argues that Kuyper has successfully reconciled these seemingly contradicting notions by developing a concept of civil liberty from a Calvinistic tradition. Attempting to apply a Kuyperian perspective of tolerance to our present time, this article uses a historical theology approach to explore the possibilities of engaging in interreligious dialogues that could lead to mutual faith-enrichments. Started with presenting the hesitation of religious scholars to develop a concept of religious pluralism due to the understanding that one should be a relativist to embrace religious pluralism; then, this article progresses to how Kuyper develop a tolerant Christian theological reflection on religious pluralism. The research shows how believing the absolute sovereignty of God does not necessarily lead to religious intolerance but could be the true root of religious tolerance. Research Contribution: This research seeks to present a theological reflection that might lead to developing faith-enriching interreligious dialogues. Using the perspective of the Dutch statesman-theologian Abraham Kuyper, this research attempts to show how faith in God’s absolute sovereignty could be compatible with fostering tolerance towards other religions or worldviews.