Open AccessThis paper introduces the results of a research on questions raised up by religious pluralism related to the promotion of human rights, and some aspects around the deepening of democracy. Methodologically, we first focused on the balance of some important questions for ecumenical theology of religions, because they raise new theological perspectives. Then, we highlighted (i) some aspects of the contemporary tendency to privatize religious experiences, all of this as impediment to a good balance between religion and human rights. (ii) We analyzed the relationship between ecumenical theology and human rights, in a dialogue with Boaventura de Souza Santo’s ‘counter-hegemonic globalization’ concept. In front of religious pluralism it is necessary to give special attention to the articulation between the capability of religious groups to dialogue and the challenges around the promotion of human rights. We also indicate that an ecumenical spirituality emerging from religious pluralism will have alterity as a central dimension, and this will have a direct impact in religious and social processes giving birth to utopian and democratic meaningful perspectives.