What approach did the Second Vatican Council promote regarding other religions?

The Second Vatican Council, held from 1962 to 1965, marked a significant shift in the Catholic Church's approach to relations with other religions. The council promoted the idea of engagement and dialogue, emphasizing the importance of understanding and appreciating the values and truths found in other religious traditions. This approach was articulated in documents such as "Nostra Aetate," which acknowledged the spiritual and moral truths present in other faiths and called for mutual respect and collaboration.

Engagement and dialogue were encouraged as a means to foster peace and unity in a world marked by division and conflict. The council recognized that sincere efforts to understand other religions could lead to a deeper appreciation of one's own faith and promote harmony among diverse communities. This openness to dialogue marked a departure from previous centuries of more exclusivist attitudes, thereby signaling a new era of interfaith relations.

In contrast, the other approaches mentioned, such as intolerance towards non-Catholics, isolation from secular society, and rejecting interfaith efforts, reflect a more insular and divisive mindset that the council actively sought to overcome. Instead, the Second Vatican Council's legacy is one of bridging divides and finding common ground through respectful dialogue and collaboration.