DCT - Religious Pluralism and Theology Flashcards
What is religious pluralism?
All Religions have the truth
Liberalism is what?
a political and moral philosophy based on liberty, consent of the governed and equality before law
Why does religious pluralism pose a problem to Christian beliefs?
- Religious pluralism poses a problem to Christian beliefs as it suggests the truth, which Christians believe is found in Christ, can be found elsewhere. Also, it suggests that salvation can be found outside of Christianity.
Why would religious pluralists say that salvation is universal?
- Religious pluralists would say that salvation is universal as since God is omnibenevolent, he would not condemn the majority of people to hell based upon their environment and culture – as clearly across the world religion and place are linked.
Quote from Saint Cyprian of Carthage (3rd century)
‘Extra ecclesiam nulla salus’
Meaning of ‘Extra ecclesiam nulla salus’
‘Outside the Church there is no salvation’
What is Religious Exclusivism ?
The belief that only baptised Christians will gain salvation
Religious exclusivism is underpinned by six key ideas, what are they?
- Human beings are fallen and cannot know God or earn salvation
- God intervenes in the world
- Jesus was God incarnate
- The Bible is the word of God
- You must be a member of the Church to be saved
- Religions say different things, they cannot all be right
Who is Gavin D’Costa?
the Professor of Catholic Theology at the University of Bristol
What does D’Costa believe about Religious exclusivism?
- D’Costa proposed two types of religious exclusivism:
restrictive access and universal access
What is restrictive access exclusivism?
Places particular emphasis on the sinfulness of human nature and therefore the uniqueness of Christ as the only means of salvation, salvation is only possible by directly hearing the Gospel (fides ex auditu) and accepting baptism into the Church
What is universal access exclusivism? (Timothy quote)
The key difference between RAE and UAE can be seen in the following quote:
‘This is good, and pleases God our saviour, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time,’ 1 Timothy 2:3-6
While RAE theologians would interpret ‘the world’ to mean the elect, UAE theologians interpret it to mean everyone. They argue that a person can prepare to receive the Gospel by living a moral life and having a sensus divinitatis. When they hear the Gospel preached they will accept it.
Moreover, universal access exclusivists believe that if someone lacks fides ex auditu in this life, they may encounter and accept the Gospel in the next. This may be in an intermediate state such as hell or purgatory.
Finish the Augustine quote, ‘He who is separated from the body of the Catholic Church, …
… however laudable his conduct may otherwise seem, will never enjoy eternal life, and the anger of God remains on him by reason of the crime of which he is guilty in living separated from Christ.’
Finish the Augustine quote, ‘No man can find salvation except in …
… the Catholic Church. Outside the Catholic Church one can have everything except salvation. One can have hour, one can have the sacraments, one can sing hallelujah, one can answer amen, one can have faith in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and preach it too but never can one find salvation except in the Catholic Church.’
What is the Catholic Churches main stance?
Religious inclusivism
What is Dominus Iesus (2003)
- Dominus Iesus is a declaration by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, approved a signed by its then prefect, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, later Pope Benedict XVI
- It is most widely known for its elaboration of the Catholic dogma that the Catholic Church is the sole true Church of Christ
- ‘The full and complete revelation of the salvific mystery of God is given in Jesus Christ.’
For exclusivists, missionary activity is essential because:
- It is part of the commandment to love your neighbour
- God wants everyone to be saved
- Jesus tells his disciples to make ‘disciples of all nations’
Mark 1:15
‘The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel.’
Define religious inclusivism
Religious inclusivism is the belief that God is present in non-Christian religions to save believers through Christ
Majour Issues with Religious Exclusivism
- Do you ned to be baptised or it is enough to intend to get baptised?
- What about those who existed before God?
- What about those who have no heard the gospel?
- Some ‘bad’ Christians seem to be superior in morality to ‘good’ people
What is structural inclusivism?
- Structural inclusivism teaches that any religion can develop an individual’s openness to God’s grace
- The Catholic Church officially agrees with the view that ‘outside the Church there is no salvation’ notion, but argues that what counts as being a member of the Church is not known to us since we do not know who God will count as being in his Church
Catechism of the Catholic Church 1260
‘ “Since Christ died for all, and since all men are in fact called to one and the same destiny, which is divine, we must hold that the Holy Spirit offers to all the possibility of being made partakers, in a way known to God, of the paschal mystery.” Every man who is ignorant of the Gospel of Christ and of his Church, but seeks the truth and does the will of God in accordance with his understanding of it, can be saved. It may be supposed that such a persons would have desired Baptism explicitly if they had known its necessity.’
Explain Catechism of the Catholic Church 1260
Because Jesus Christ sacrificed himself for everyone, God offers everyone to take part in the resurrection. Even everyone who ignores the Church but is a good person who tries to seek the truth will be saved. In fact, it could be argued this person would have been baptised if they knew it was necessary.
- Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was for everyone, not just the blessed
- God does not want to limit his election to heaven
- The Holy Spirit is present for all people, not just Christians
- Acknowledges that not everyone will encounter the gospel
- Those who pursue the truth in other faiths using their reason can have salvation
- These people would be committed Christians if they knew of the Church – they have good intentions
Finish the Karl Rahner quote, ‘The number one cause of atheism …
… is Christians. Those who proclaim him with their mouths and deny him with their actions is what an unbelieving world find unbelievable.’
Gavin D’Costa distinguishes between two types of inclusivism?
- Structural inclusivism
- Restrictive inclusivism
- Karl Rahner argues for a ____ inclusivist position
structural
- Rahner defends the solus Christus principle but still thinks salvation is available outside of the Church, what is the solus christus principle?
the ‘Christ is necessary’ principle
- The votum Ecclesia means what?
the ‘desire to be in the Church’
- Rahner argues many invisible Christians have this votum ecclesia, but why are they not christians?
they are practising other religions (maybe due to place of birth) and so don’t have access to the true scripture or scripture at all, deep down they have the votum Ecclesia but they can’t put this into words