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

Question 13

Dr Andy Bannister

Answer 13

Christianity is the only true religion, due to the role of Jesus as the son of God and his sacrifice for humanities salvation

Question 14

Narrow exclusivism

Answer 14

Only certain divisions of Christianity reaching salvation

Question 15

Vatican II on inclusivism

Answer 15

“Through no fault of their own do not know Christ…these too may reach salvation”

Question 16

Inculpably ignorant

Answer 16

People who don’t know Jesus through no fault of their own eg age, location, culture.

Question 17

Job and inclusivism

Answer 17

“I know that my redeemer lives, and at the end he will stand on earth”

Before Jesus’ time, his confidence in God gains him salvation.

Question 18

Kraemer on exclusivism

Answer 18

Any other religion is a misguided attempt to the truth, which are cultural constructs.

Question 19

Hick’s theocentric view

Answer 19

A view arguing that revelation comes from God and not Jesus.

Question 20

“Myth of Jesus”

Answer 20

Hick
The incarnation was a metaphor to explain Jesus’ special consciousness of God. This is a myth which has become falsely objectified and treated as fact.

Question 21

Kant

Answer 21

God belonged in the noumenal world because we aren’t capable of knowing God due to our finite minds which can only make a limited attempt.