3 exlusivism (plu and theology Flashcards
bertrand russell atheist perspective supporting exclusivism
“it is evident as a matter of logic that, since they disagree, not more than one of them can be true”
exclusivism definition plus latin
salvation can only be found through christianity and that other religions cannot lead people to the right relationship with god.
the uniqueness of christ is the only means of salvation
SOLA CHRISTA - only through christ
exclusivist biblical texts x2
“i am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” - John 14:6
“there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved” - Acts 4:12
who distinguishes two kinds of theological exclusivism
Gavin D’Costa
- restrictive access exclusivism
- universal access exclusivism
augustine and calvin on exclusivism x3
calvin said that after the fall, all humans were inherently sinful = god is not under any compulsion to save anyone.
there are some people who will be the elect so this is loving enough as he has no obligation to save any sinners
this is the gift of grace..
critics of augustine and calvin - pelagius x2 and response x2 w quote
predestination makes punishment unjust
unjust for god to punish us for ancestral sinful behaviour.
suggests an indefensible view of moral responsibility
= response, augustine is not actually arguing that god blames all of humanity but it is a factual consequence Adam;s sin that all future humanity would be tainted by Adam’s loins.
- predestination is not unjust of god, since we are corrupted by original sin.
- Psalm 25:10 “all the paths of the lord are mercy and truth”
universal access exclusivism x2
when St paul writes “in christ God was reconciling the world to itself” - RAF interprets “world” to mean the elct but UAE considers it to mean everyone.
= UAE is a broader exclusivism
supported by roman catholics and protestants
bible passage for UAE x1
1 Timothy 2:3-6
“ God desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth”
latin word to hear the gospel
fides ex auditu
no salvation outside the church latin word
extra ecclesiam nulla salus
Roman catholic book on exclusivism x2 quotes and name of book
Pope Paul VI Nostra Aetate
other religions “reflect a ray of truth”
but they are “deficient”
Kraemer on exclusivism x4
- jesus commands the Great Commission - “go make disciples of all nations”
- god revealed the way in jesus christ eg great commission
- “whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (Matthew 16)
= Sola Christus = so you should save other people
critic of Kraemer x1
if god is truly omnibenevolent and wants the salvation of the world, why would he create a criteria that was only open to some.
Rahner argues that if God genuinely wants all people to be saved then salvation must be attainable by those who have no opportunity to be christian
neil x2
- christianity’s unique status does not conflict with respecting other religions - but maintains that christianity claims universal validity
- he does concede that to non-christians this must sound like “crazy megalomania, and religious imperialism of the very worst kind”
leslie newbigin x1
affirms the uniqueness of christianity plus the resulting missionary obligation. criticises the pluralist alternatives eg Wilfred Cantwell Smith who asserts that all religions share a common core experience.
Strength and weakness of RAE x1 x1
+ maintains god’s sovereignty
- unfair and contradicts god’s omnibenevolence
strengths x2 and weakness x1 of catholic church
+ acknowledges truth in other religions
+ maintains unique role of church
- maintains church necessity for salvation
kraemer strengths and weaknesses x2 x2
+ rooted in biblical text
+ emphasises the uniqueness of christ
- criticised for being incompatible with God’s omnibenevolence
- what about those who lived before jesus
neil strengths and weaknesses x2 x2
+ balances respect for others with christian uniqueness
+ maintains integrity of christian doctrine
- may be intolerant
- challenges modern relativist thinking
newbigin strengths and weaknesses x2 x2
+ defends traditional christian doctrine
+ provides clear rationale for christian mission
- struggles with religious diversity
- could be dismissive of others
definition of inclusivism x2
christianity is the one true religion but it is not necessary to have explicit faith in jesus or go to church.
jesus died for everyone so his actions must affect non-christians
biblical basis for inclusivism x2
- sheep and goats matthew 25
- paul preaching to the men of athens acts 17:16-34. suggests that non-christians might have knowledge of god but ont the same detailed knowledge and personal relationship
karl rahner basics x4
- anonymous christianity
one who isnt a christian but acts like one. humans are fallen so anyone who behaves in a moral and spiritual way must have god’s grace in their life. - the church
the church is the body of christ on earth - does his will. rejects extra ecclesium nulla salus as this only applies to the visible church. he widens the church to people who might be members of the invisible church - open catholicism
rather than being a closed exclusive community of those who are saved, catholicism is open to the possibility of truth and salvation in non-christian religions - four theses
karl rahner 1st thesis x2
- christianity is the one true religion so is the only power offering salvation
- for christian salvation to work, you need to be aware of it.
karl rahner 2nd thesis x3
- grace given by jesus but can be mediated through other faiths until you encounter christianity.
- once chritianity becomes a “historically real factor” in your life, you have no excuse
BUT IS AMBIGUOUS - all religions have sensus divitas but it is fulfilled through jesus
rahner 3rd thesis x3
- treatment on non-christians - with respect
- because all humans have been touched by god’s grace.
- should not assume non-christians know nothing about god and sruth because of sensus divitas
rahner 4th thesis x2
- need to make the invisible church visible
VISIBLE - sacraments - wants to have open catholicism, teach anonymous christians jesus
critics of rahner - undermines the church x2
rahner says that the institution of the church essential but by rejecting extra ecclesium nulla salus - rahner is saying you do not need to take parts in sacraments to receive god’s grace.
- catholic crhuch defended its authority in terms of apostolic succession. the priests can trace their authority back to jesus. rahner’s theology arguably makes priests superfluous and optional
hans kung critique of rahner x1
says “it would be impossible to find anywhere in the world a sincere jew, muslim or atheist who would not regard the assertion that he is an ‘anonymous christian’ as presumptuous.”
critics of rahner - is the idea of an anonymous christian helpful? x1 plus response
Von Bathasar
argued that Rahner has reduced being a christian to acting virtuously.
rahner would respond that you are saved by implicit faith in god’s grace, the good actions that come from that are not what saves you.
also anonymous christianity is a tad patronising.
alan race x2 kinda
“to say that one religion contains the fullest expression of religious truth and value” is “tantamount to unjustified theological imperialism”
hick - pluralism x7
- UTP - Unitary Theological Pluralism
- challenges uniqueness and incarnation of christ.
- there is one underlying Real
- move from christo-centric to theo-centric (jesus shouldnt be unique and there shouldn’t be an exclusive revelation of God.) theology should be centred on god rather than crist, allowing multiple religions to be seen as different but equally valid ways of relating to the divine.
- there is no one religion that has a monopoly on knowledge of the real (or an-Sich).
- influenced by kant’s distinction between the noumenal (ultimate relaity) and phenomenal (human experience of reality)
- each religion has its own particular version of salvation - seen through “Conceptual lens” which project cultures onto reality, human responses to divine reality, shaped by cultural contexts.
Ward on pluralism x3
- PTP - Pluriform Theological Pluralism
- sometimes we have to conclude that beliefs between religions are different and conflicting, but reasons for them can be equally valid.
- knowledge is gained through religious experience and not revelation; then there cannot be a competition for exclusive truth
Hume critique of pluralism x1
“in matters of religion, whatever is different is contrary” - how can all religions be true
Knitter on pluralism x4
- ETP - Ethical Theological Pluralism
- dissatisfied with unitary and pluriform pluralist for trying to resolve the problem on theological-philosophical grounds, criticises hick’s emphasis on reality.
- all religions are to be judged by their truthfulness, their real responses to God insofar as religions promote the ‘kingdom’ through their social struggle for justice, peace, tolerance and equality.
- calls it soteriocentricism
other ppl talking about pluralism x2
- Rosemary Radford Ruether (Roman Cath) - argued that imperialist patterns have been turned upon the Jews in christian anti-semitism, culminating in the Holocaust.
- imperialist and colonial patterns of exclusivism and inclusivism
strength of knitter x1
+ brings political and social element to theology.
weaknesses of knitter x2
- claiming the ethics of the ‘kingdom’ is also imperialist. whilst he is aware, it aligns with doctrine
- ‘promoting human welfare’ is unhelpful as it specifies nothing until each tradition defines the terms. = there is no way in which theory can bypass praxis
is christianity the only means to salvation? yes x4
+ catholic church rejects pluralism. christ is unique and necessary.
+ bible suggests that jesus is the only way to salvation; john 14:16 (no one comes to the father except through me), mark 16:15 (whoever believes and is baptised will be saved)
+ protestants that salvation was only possible through christ. (solus christus, extra ecclesiam nulla salus)
+ catholic rahner was an inclusivist. anonymous christians. open the church (4th)
is christ the only way to salvation? no x2.5
- pluarlism says “there are many paths to god”. seems strange to say that it is only through christ that anyone can be saved when your religion is often a matter of where you’re born
- Hick says that you have to change christianity from being christocentric to theocentric. rejects the idea that christ was the incarnation. jesus was a good man but just a man. UNIVERSALISM ASW
critique of hick - Heim x1
Hick is not a true pluralist, he is an inclusivist in disguise as he rejects some religions that don’t adhere to his prescriptive view of religion (eg satanist ethics dont necessarily align with judeo-christian love and altruism values)
general critique of hick x3
- saying that we dont know the outcome and any truth. this anti-reliast position renders debate fultile
- UTP claims to not know the an-Sich but then judges other religions based on what he thinks the an-Sich is = broad exclusivism
- hick’s use of kant leads to agnosticism. kant himself argued that we cannot knoe the noumenal an-Sich, yet hick avoids this and presented the an-Sich with a certainty that kant never gave it.
critique of hick - Adnan Aslan x1
if we have no idea what is real in religion, this undermines the revelationary aspect of religion (eg the Qaran is the word of god)
hick links to the islamic parable x1
islamic parable of blind man each touching a different part of an elephant.
each concluded it was something different. but they were all too blind to see how they were really toughing the same thing.
would a loving god deny salvation? yes, may
+god’s love is not the same as ours. benevolence is justice and tough love
+ true relationship with god requires free choice (hick and vardy POE)
+ if salvation is for the elect, god’s love will not save everyone
+ if salvation were offered to all, belief would be pointless.
would a loving god deny salvation? no
- fundamental to the bible is that all are made in god’s image and god loves all people and wants to treat all people equally
- hick and pluralists wouldnt accept that god would deny people salvation based on the culture they were brought up with
- problem of evil would be made worse because god would be condemning his creation to infinite suffering.
does theological pluralism undermine central christian beliefs? yes
+ it accepts that other religious experiences of the divine are all valid.
+ the idea of the Real allows christians to accept that god is greater than any human institutions.
+ panikkar’s version of pluralism might be considered less undermining of trad christian beliedsfd as he does not ask to discard any traditional christian doctrines. encourages people to be open to the truths of other religions.
does theological pluralism undermine central christian beliefs? no
- hick rejects the literal truth of many traditional christian ideas. however, it is difficult for a pluralist to assert that salvation can be found in all religions while still holding onto many christian doctrines.
- hick is claiming insight from a ‘bird’s eye’ view which is hidden from everyone else. critics argue that the bible contains god’s revelation and can be trusted more than Hick’s assessment of reality
