Scriptural reasoning can be defined as a structured form of inter-faith engagement in which participants from different religious traditions read and discuss their sacred texts together, most commonly within Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Developed by figures such as Peter Ochs and David Ford, it aims to deepen understanding without requiring agreement or doctrinal compromise. In practice, participants engage in close reading of texts from the Torah, Bible and Qur’an, interpreting from within their own traditions. The claim that scriptural reasoning relativises religious beliefs suggests that placing competing truth claims in parallel undermines their absolute status. While this concern is reflected in magisterial texts such as Dominus Iesus, this essay will argue that scriptural reasoning does not inherently relativise belief; rather, when properly understood in light of Redemptoris Missio and Fides et Ratio, it deepens and refines religious commitment, with any relativising tendency arising from poor practice rather than the method itself.

One reason why scriptural reasoning might be seen to relativise religious beliefs is that it deliberately avoids adjudicating between competing truth claims, instead placing them alongside one another for shared exploration. This concern is strongly articulated in Dominus Iesus, issued under Pope John Paul II and largely authored by Pope Benedict XVI, which warns against a “relativistic mentality” that treats all religions as equally valid paths to truth. Building on this, Gavin D’Costa argues that practices such as scriptural reasoning risk weakening commitment to the uniqueness of Christ by encouraging believers to view their doctrines as one perspective among many. The methodological neutrality of scriptural reasoning—where no text is given priority—may symbolically reinforce this concern, particularly when passages from the Torah, Bible and Qur’an are treated as parallel sources of insight. Furthermore, the ethos of openness and hospitality, while valuable, may create subtle pressure to avoid exclusivist claims in order to preserve harmony. In this sense, scriptural reasoning could be seen to produce a form of “soft relativism,” where doctrinal distinctiveness is muted in favour of coexistence. Therefore, from this perspective, the charge that scriptural reasoning relativises religious belief appears both theologically grounded and practically plausible.

However, this critique overlooks the theological framework within which authentic interfaith engagement is intended to operate. Redemptoris Missio explicitly affirms that interreligious dialogue is “part of the Church’s evangelizing mission,” not a departure from it. For Pope John Paul II, dialogue is a means of “mutual knowledge and enrichment,” suggesting that engagement with other traditions can deepen rather than dilute Christian faith. Scriptural reasoning exemplifies this approach: participants do not abandon their truth claims but articulate them more carefully in the presence of difference. This is further supported by Fides et Ratio, which argues that truth is objective but human understanding of it is partial and historically situated. From this perspective, encountering alternative interpretations does not relativise truth but expands one’s apprehension of it. David Ford reflects this when he describes scriptural reasoning as fostering “deeper, more intelligent faith,” while Peter Ochs emphasises its role in “reparative reasoning,” strengthening traditions through engagement. Rather than producing relativism, scriptural reasoning can cultivate what might be termed “confident particularity,” where believers hold firm convictions while recognising the limits of their understanding. Consequently, when grounded in sound theology, scriptural reasoning deepens rather than relativises belief.

A further argument against the claim is that scriptural reasoning actively resists superficial harmony by foregrounding genuine disagreement. Nicholas Adams has criticised interfaith dialogue that becomes a “performance of agreement,” yet scriptural reasoning is explicitly designed to avoid this by encouraging participants to engage seriously with differences in interpretation and doctrine. This aligns with the Church of England document Sharing the Gospel of Salvation, which maintains that dialogue and proclamation are complementary rather than contradictory. In scriptural reasoning, disagreement is not a problem to be eliminated but a resource for deeper understanding. By requiring participants to explain and defend their interpretations of texts such as the Bible or Qur’an, the practice sharpens theological clarity and strengthens commitment. Moreover, this process models a form of engagement that is crucial in pluralistic societies: one in which truth claims are taken seriously without leading to conflict. Far from relativising belief, this approach may actually intensify it, as individuals become more aware of both the distinctiveness and the coherence of their own tradition. Therefore, scriptural reasoning contributes to a deeper and more resilient form of belief, undermining the relativism critique.

Nevertheless, the concern about relativism cannot be entirely dismissed, particularly in cases where scriptural reasoning is poorly implemented or detached from its theological foundations. Mohammed Arkoun has observed that interfaith initiatives are often shaped by liberal academic contexts that may implicitly favour pluralism, potentially encouraging participants to adopt a more relativistic stance. Additionally, the dominance of certain voices within dialogue—whether due to educational background or religious majority status—can distort the exchange and limit genuine engagement. In such cases, scriptural reasoning may produce only a fragile “surface cohesion,” where differences are acknowledged but not fully explored, lending some weight to the concerns raised in Dominus Iesus. However, these issues reflect failures of practice rather than inherent flaws in the method. When conducted with theological seriousness and inclusivity, scriptural reasoning aligns closely with the vision of Redemptoris Missio, in which dialogue is both truthful and transformative. The risk of relativism therefore serves as a caution, but not a decisive objection. Ultimately, it highlights the need for more rigorous and grounded forms of engagement, reinforcing rather than undermining the value of scriptural reasoning.

In conclusion, while scriptural reasoning may appear to relativise religious beliefs by placing them in dialogue without resolution, this is a superficial interpretation of a theologically rich practice. When understood in light of Redemptoris Missio and Fides et Ratio, it becomes clear that such engagement can deepen and refine belief rather than weaken it. Although concerns expressed in Dominus Iesus highlight genuine risks, these arise from poor implementation rather than the essence of the practice. The strongest argument remains that scriptural reasoning fosters a form of committed, reflective faith capable of engaging honestly with difference. In an increasingly pluralistic world, expanding such practices—while ensuring they remain theologically grounded—offers a constructive way forward, enabling believers to hold their convictions with both clarity and humility.