Pluralism and Society Flashcards
Why are there contemporary multi-faith societies?
- Rapid globalisation occurred at the end of the 20th century because of technological developments.
- The Internet allows for wider communication between people.
- Less people live in homogenous communities their whole lives; Hindus and Jews may live in a Catholic Ireland, for example.
- People have become more open-minded; other faiths are moving into a traditionally Protestant England.
Why do people migrate and how does it affect native religious groups?
People might migrate for safety, economic improvement, or to join family in the country already.
This makes other faith communities stronger in numbers and influence, but also it sees new influences and denominations of Christianity.
Why has inter-faith dialogue taken a new direction in recent years?
1.) Migration has exposed the West to ways of thinking from the Far East that are entirely different from their normal use of language.
2.) The Holocaust has caused Christians to reconsider their relationship with Judaism because strands of anti-Semitism seemed to survive in religious dogma.
3.) Modern tensions with Islam show the importance of common ground and common teachings of loving your neighbour.
What does each theology of religion say about inter-faith dialogue?
Exclusivism: Opens the conversation so those from other faiths can be converted. Find common ground so they can prove the common ground points to Christianity.
Inclusivism: To create dialogue between Christians and Anonymous Christians to understand their perspective and communicate the gospel relevantly. The dialogue can provide ways to work together with mutual respect.
Pluralism: Discover different understandings of truth and enhance your own relationship with the ‘Real.’ Could stop religious conflicts.
What is the Redemptoris Missio?
An encyclical from Pope John Paul II, focused on missionary work in a multi-faith world. Catholics must remain open and honest and respectful but never shy away from the truth of the gospel. Written in 1990.
What did the Redemptoris Missio outline?
- No conflict between belief in Christ and inter-faith dialogue.
- Inter-faith dialogue is an opportunity to give a full account of Christian belief.
- All religions hold part of the truth and are led by the Holy Spirit.
- Dialogue helps the Church find out which aspects of the truth are held by other individuals and institutions.
- A key aim is to build a happy society.
- Missionaries must be persistent in their work.
What is “Sharing the Gospel of Salvation”?
A document published by the Church of England in 2010, that acknowledges modern Britain is a multi-faith society whilst reaffirming that salvation has been achieved through the Christ-event and therefore Christians must proclaim this.
What is the role of a Christian as proclaimed in “Sharing the Gospel of Salvation”?
- Be sensitive (don’t try to make a sale!)
- Develop good relationships in a welcoming manner in the hope that they will be baptised in the future.
- Live a good Christian lifestyle.
- Work for the common good of society.
- You can be a missionary in many ways, and you can just be proud of your traditions.
What are the four aspects to dialogue in “Sharing the Gospel of Salvation”?
1.) Daily Life, where you meet people in your life and talk about beliefs.
2.) Common Good, where you work with other faiths to benefit the community
3.) Mutual Understanding, where you have formal inter-faith dialogues
4.) Spiritual Life, where you pray and worship together
What is the scriptural reasoning movement?
It began in the US, but has grown substantially since. Its purpose is not to convert anyone but to help those of different religious backgrounds understand where and why they disagree with different truth claims in a safe space.
What happens in a scriptural reasoning session?
The participants will usually discuss one text from each religion in a common language, led by a facilitator. Discussion must remain focused on the text, rather than becoming a general discussion on religion.
Texts are considered as both texts themselves (context, themes, language) and also their moral importance.
What are the aims of the scriptural reasoning movement?
1.) Wisdom - everyone is united in a desire for wisdom and knowledge.
2.) Collegiality - everyone is an equal participant.
3.) Hospitality - non-judgemental.
What are some criticisms of the scriptural reasoning movement?
- If you can’t be wrong, what’s the point of sessions and when does an interpretation become inappropriate?
- People may leave with an incorrect view on the faith.
- Scriptural reasoning won’t work for people like literalists and exclusivists.
- It could relativise religious beliefs because all views are equal.
How does inter-faith dialogue contribute to social cohesion?
- Christians aim to live life for the greater, common good and live as part of a society, so any engagement in inter-faith dialogue would help this aim.
- Anything that promotes tolerance is important because of suspicion over differences. Shared charity work and community dialogue helps this a lot.
- Even if inter-faith dialogue only helps a few individuals together, this is still beneficial as it allows differences to be explored safely.
What does the Bible say in support of converting people?
Evangelism is a central aim of Christianity. Jesus sent his disciples out to spread the message even during his final words.
“Go and make disciples of all nations.” - Matthew 28:19
Both Catholics and Protestants maintain the importance of spreading the message.
