In this revision of a 1983 book, theologian and philosopher Raimon Panikkar celebrates intrareligious dialogue as one that dispenses with superiority, preconceptions, and hidden motives. Unlike interreligious dialogue, it moves beyond the limitations of rational and emotional discourse to deal with the whole person. Panikkar, who was raised in two religious traditions — Catholic-Christian and Hindu — provides a scholarly map of this human encounter where the emphasis is upon the common quest for meaning.
The author presents a thought-provoking "Sermon on the Mount of Intrareligious Dialogue" and then moves into a discussion of the rhetoric of dialogue (exclusivism, inclusivism, parallelism, interpretation, and pluralism). Rules of the game in this exchange of ideas, ideals, and practices include: (1) it must be free from particular and general apologetics; (2) the historical dimension is necessary but not sufficient; (3) it is not a congress of philosophy, a theological symposium, or an ecclesiastical endeavor; and (4) it is a religious encounter in faith, hope and love. The overarching goal of intrareligious dialogue is "to contribute to the freeing of a full humanness for humanity."