“Discuss Critically The View That Interfaith Dialgue Does Not Promote Social Cohesion.”

Question 1

Does not promote 1

Answer 1

Some faiths largely exclusivist, excluding others from salvation. This can be evidenced in the Catholic Churches “Redemption missio” written by pope John Paul ll in the papal encyclical from 1990, where he says catholics have a mission to convert non catholics through spreading the gospel

Question 2

Does not promote 2

Answer 2

Some movements are more christocentric than theocentric.

Evidenced in Church of England: sharing the gospel movement which is a document from 2010, which affirms that salvation can be achieved through the Christ event and therefore Christian’s must proclaim this.

It states the role of the Christian is to live a good lifestyle as distinct and authentic.

Question 3

Does promote 1

Answer 3

It allows people of different faiths to meet and exchange ideas in order to understand each others beliefs and not merely to convert them.

Evidenced in scriptural reasoning movement, a movement established in the mid 1990s as some Christian’s from the UK approached the “textual reasoning movement” (a forum for Jewish scholars in the USA to discuss scripture ) and asked if they could join in order to develop their understanding of Jewish scriptures .

Aims are collegiality and hospitality, promoting social cohesion as people are non-judgemental and everyone are equal participants

Question 4

Does not promote 1 counter and counter objection

Answer 4

Pope John Paul may argue that in the letter “Dialogue with our brothers and sisters of other religions” it states that all religions are led by the HolySpirit and have aspects of the truth and therefore, can promote social cohesion because we ought to be respectful to other faiths.

Counter: Catholic Church still holds to exclusivist beliefs such as salvation through Christ alone. Furthermore the catholic church specifically holds to narrow exclusivism evidenced by the catechism saying “extra ecclesium nulla” - there is no salvation outside the church

Question 5

Does not promote 2 counter

Answer 5

Though movement like church of Engel and focus on Christ, they also work for the common good and develop a mutual understanding of other faiths by formal discussions.

Question 6

Does promote 1 counter

Answer 6

There is no point in interfaith dialogue if there is no official teaching of the religion. If religious beliefs are relativised, people will leave with an incorrect view of another’s belief