THE INTERSECTION OF RELIGIOUS PLURALISM AND COMPETING INTERPRETATIONS OF ISLAMIC THEOLOGY IN MALAYSIA

Abstract

The intersection of religious pluralism and competing interpretations of Islamic theology in Malaysia generates systemic socio-religious friction and doctrinal ambiguity, leaving the Muslim populace vulnerable to polarizing political rhetoric and sectarian fragmentation. To address this issue, this conceptual study aims to explore the interplay between religious pluralism, Islamic theology, institutional transparency, and ideological dissemination, while assessing the moderating role of regulatory strength. Employing a conceptual approach based on a comprehensive synthesis of existing literature, this paper develops a structural mediation and moderation framework. The findings, articulated through four core propositions, posit that the systemic friction between pluralism and theology necessitates institutional transparency. Transparency acts as a vital mediator that filters out doctrinal ambiguity and prevents media manipulation. Furthermore, the framework posits that robust regulatory strength significantly moderates this dynamic, empowering religious authorities to successfully transition from promoting abstract concepts of tolerance to implementing standardized, structurally clear protocols for interfaith engagement. Consequently, transparency ensures that ideological dissemination fosters social cohesion rather than division. Theoretically, this model extends communicative action theories by highlighting transparency as an indispensable structural mechanism in diverse, multi-faith settings. Practically, it urges policymakers and religious institutions to establish explicit, scholarly-backed interfaith guidelines to protect the public from socio-political manipulation. Because this study is limited by its purely theoretical nature, future research must empirically validate this proposed model through mixed-method approaches, utilizing quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews to measure public reception and the actual regulatory capacities of state religious bodies.