In the 1950s, Aldous Huxley posited that all religions ultimately point to a single eternal truth. This claim of "religious universalism" was sharply critiqued by the Oxford religious scholar Robert Zaehner. Zaehner argued that world religions actually fall into two distinct "models": the prophetic model, originating in Judaism and centered on obedience to God's word, and the mystical model, rooted in Indian religions and focused on achieving the soul's eternity. Zaehner contended that dialogue between these models was impossible, essentially proposing the existence of "two chosen peoples," the Indians and the Jews, offering divergent paths to religious life.

However, Judaism, throughout its historical development, cultivated a complex and dynamic interplay of prophetic and mystical dimensions. For instance, the medieval Jewish prophet was conceived as an individual embodying both prophetic and mystical qualities. Similarly, Indian religions feature the ideal of love and surrender to the divine (bhakti). Consequently, this opens avenues for multifaceted dialogue between Judaism and Indian or Eastern religions, alongside the ongoing dialogue with other Abrahamic faiths.

A primary objective of the Forum for the Study of Religion is to promote interfaith dialogue centered on Judaism, grounded in comparative and interdisciplinary research of religious belief and practice.