Pluralism and theology

Question 1

St Cyprian of Carthage on Exclusivism

Answer 1

“Outside the church there is no salvation”

• Anyone that wants to go to heaven has to be a Christian.

Question 2

Titus on Exclusivism

Answer 2

“He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to mercy”

• We are made righteous by faith, not by our works

Question 3

John on Exclusivism

Answer 3

“I am The Way, The Truth and The Life. No one comes to the Father except through me”

• People are only saved through Jesus.

Question 4

Exclusivism

Answer 4

Only one religion is true and only members of it can be saved.

Question 5

Augustine’s ‘limited election’ version of exclusivism

Answer 5

Only some Christians will be saved by God’s grace

Original sin gives all humans an irresistible temptation to sin.

This means we can never be or do good enough to deserve heaven through our own efforts

Question 6

Criticism of Augustine - Pelagius

Answer 6

It’s not fair or loving to condemn people to hell for the actions of their ancestors.
We had nothing to do with Adam and Eve’s disobedience – so how is it fair to punish us with hell for their actions?

Question 7

Inclusivism

Answer 7

Only one religion is true, but members of other religions could be saved

Question 8

Rayner on inclusivism

Answer 8

By no fault of their own, people are unaware of Jesus but adopt qualities which are deserving of salvation - ‘anonymous christians’

Question 9

Pluralism

Answer 9

All religions are equally true and equal paths to salvation.

Question 10

Hick quote

Answer 10

“human beings opening their minds to a higher divine Reality”

Question 11

Hume’s criticism of exclusivism

Answer 11

All religions cannot be true since they make contradictory truth claims

Question 12

Hick on theological differences

Answer 12

Theological details such as the divinity of Jesus or number of Gods are part of the ‘conceptual lens’ that different cultures project onto reality