Pluralism and Society

Question 1

How did we become a Christian society?

Answer 1

• Christianity introduced by Romans and in 7th century it was established as official faith.

Question 2

What is a multi-faith society?

Answer 2

• Population has different religions.
  -Inevitable due to mechanistic developments and ‘transport revolution’.
• When these people move from another country, often want to associate with people they can relate to, so we get pockets of differing faiths.

Eg, China Town London.

Question 3

Statistics of pluralism:

Answer 3

2001- 71.7% Christian.
2011- 59.3%

2001- 3% Islam.
2011- 4.8%
(Census of England and Wales).

Question 4

King Charles:

Answer 4

On 60th Birthday, 2008 said he would become ‘Defender of Faith’ not ‘Defender of the Faith’.

Does this undermine England’s history?

Question 5

Why is there a greater awareness of diversity in the world?

Answer 5

• Holidays.
• Books.
• Newspapers.
• Internet.

Question 6

Diversity shown in the world:

Answer 6

• Multi-faith schools.
• Inter-faith marriages.

Question 7

David Ford:

Answer 7

‘The Future of Christian Theology’.
Said two strands have led to inter faith dialogue:
- Holocaust.
- Tensions between Islam and West.

Question 8

Holocaust:

Answer 8

• ‘Reich Church’, wore brown uniform and removed Jewish aspects of Bible.
• Represented Judaism as the ‘failed religion’.
• Common belief that Jews ‘indirectly killed Jesus’, given opportunity to prevent crucifixion but do not.
• After war, Jewish rabbis noticed the tension and tried to initiate inter-faith dialogue in Dabru Emet.

Question 9

Dabru Emet:

Answer 9

‘Speak the truth’.
Jews and Christians worship the same God.
Have same ‘ultimate goal’.

Question 10

Tensions between Islam and West:

Answer 10

• 2007, from leading Muslim scholars, ‘A Common Word between Us and You’.

Both Muslims and Christians share love for worshipping God.

Called for inter-faith dialogue.

Question 11

What is inter-faith dialogue NOT:

Answer 11

Missionary work.

Question 12

Advantages of inter-faith dialogue:

Answer 12

• Encourages Christians to test their faith.
• Prevents conflict and war. TYW was based on religion.

Question 13

Disadvantages of Inter-faith dialogue:

Answer 13

• Exclusivists think missionary work is their duty.
• Damaging because you will only be saved if you are a Christian.

Question 14

Types of inter-faith dialogue:

Answer 14

CoE put forward ‘Sharing the Gospel of Salvation’ (2009). Four strands:

• The dialogue of daily life- casual conversations.
• The dialogue of common good- different faiths work together for the good of the community.
• Dialogue of mutual understanding- formal debates.
• Dialogue of spiritual life- worshipping God together.

Question 15

Synoptic link of ‘the common good’.

Answer 15

What John Hick recognised in Birmingham, makes him move to pluralism.

Question 16

Example of the dialogue of mutual understanding:

Answer 16

• The Scriptural Reasoning Movement.

Question 17

Scriptural Reasoning Movement:

Answer 17

Called ‘textual reasoning’.
- Jewish scholars in USA discussed scripture.
- 1990s, Christians asked if they could join to develop an understanding.
- Meetings so regular that they created an ‘inter faith forum’
- Muslims also invited.

Question 18

What is the problem of the Scriptural Reasoning Movement?

Answer 18

Judaism, Christianity and Islam are all ‘religions of the book’.
Have a dominant core text, holy scriptures and revelatory.

So, not too inclusive, isn’t swaying too much.

Question 19

Where does the Scriptural Reasoning Movement move to?

Answer 19

• Aspect of Cambridge inter faith programme.
• Alternate in who hosts the meetings.
• Missionary work not the goal.
• Just understanding and providing hospitality.
• Similar to Amish, don’t have a Church. Share faith in homes.

Question 20

Scriptural reasoning movement quote:

Answer 20

‘Scripture challenges us with empty spaces’.

Question 21

What is social cohesion?

Answer 21

Society functioning better-is it more cohesive?
Where people feel fairly treated.

Question 22

Has inter faith dialogue contributed to social cohesion?

Answer 22

• Maybe no, Christians feel as though their faith is being undermined.
• Wibisino’s ‘multi-dimensional view on religious extremism’ highlights following 9/11, Arabs and Muslims were heavily targeted, even though they didn’t do it as a whole, it was a group of religious extremists.
  We are quick to jump to condemning other religions.
• Is social cohesion even a religious matter? Maybe it is down to economic matters. Cost of living.

Question 23

Should we have religious schools?

Answer 23

• Humanists want to get rid of multi-faith schools.
• Others think faith schools are fundamental to creating morals and building respect.

Question 24

Responses of Christian communities to inter-faith dialogue:

Answer 24

Pope John Paul II, 1990 put forward the papal encyclical ‘Redemptoris Missio’ to revisit issues from Vatican II.

Question 25

Redemptoris Missio:

Answer 25

Says ‘The Mission of the Redeemer’.
Jesus is the one saviour and Christians should pursue Missionary work.

Question 26

What does Redemptoris Missio link to?

Answer 26

1 Corinthians, ‘woe to me if I do not preach the gospel’.

Question 27

Pope John Paul II quotes:

Answer 27

‘The Church alone posses the full means of salvation’.

Question 28

Quote showing the problems of Pluralism:

Answer 28

Isaiah Berlin- ‘We are doomed to choose and every choice may entail and irreparable loss’.

Question 29

Paul Eddy:

Answer 29

To the synod saying that Christians have become too soft, we can only find salvation through Jesus:
‘Sharing the Gospel of Salvation’ was a response from CoE. Reaffirms Eddy’s idea. We can only gain salvation through the person of Christ.

• But says we shouldn’t treat non-Christians with contempt, they are still people made in ‘imago dei’.