Pluralism and Theology - AO1 Flashcards
What is exclusivism?
Salvation can only be found through Christianity and other religions cannot lead people to the right relationship with God
Jesus brought salvation to the world once and for all – not believing in this is not partaking in the atoning power of his sacrifice
A person is only saved if they hear the gospel and respond by faith
What is narrow exclusivism?
Restrictive access
Salvation available to particular denominations, based on interpretations of scripture
Catholics = must be baptised into faith, must attend regular ceremonies
‘There is no salvation outside the Church’ before Vatican II (1960s)
Examples of narrow exclusivists
Augustine (6th century) + Calvin (16th century) = limited election = salvation is only for the divinely elected
What is broad exclusivism?
All people who accept Christ are saved regardless of their Church
Other religions have partial truths but not enough for salvation
What is the biblical basis for Exclusivism?
John 14:6
Jesus is the way, truth and life and no one comes to the father except ‘through me’ = pluralism makes Jesus a truth rather than the truth
What does Hendrik Kraemer argue?
Non-Christians must convert to Christianity to see salvation since they have seen revelation
It does not matter how well-meaning followers of other faiths are
We must not pick and choose the most well-meaning parts of other religions
Other religions are merely cultural constructs rather than response’s to Christ’s revelation
What does Karl Barth argue?
Protestant
Jesus is the only reliable knowledge of God
Jesus = God’s word = completely unique
God is not found through sincere efforts at a morally correct life – only through Christ
What is inclusivism?
God could give chance to repent after death and turn to Christianity
God’s omnibenevolence holds room for people to still be saved if non-Christian religions hold a degree of truth and people follow God in the context of the wrong religion
People may incorrectly attribute the work of Christ to other religions/factors
What does Karl Rahner argue?
Leading voice of Vatican II
Christianity is the normative religion, absolute religion, standard to measure other religions by
Excluding those before Christ or before having heard the gospel is not omnibenevolent/omniscient
People should accept Christ when they know of him
Anonymous Christians – people who follow the example of Christ without knowing or acknowledging it
Why did Rahner disagree with Kraemer?
Non-Christian religions can hold a degree of truth
i.e. OT figures praised by God
Thus those who do not know Christ can still have genuine faith
What is the biblical basis for inclusivism?
Paul’s letter to the Romans
Non-believers have a sense of Christ even when they do not know it
Mathew – Parable of the sheep and the goats
Faith in unspecified
Why did Rahner’s contemporaries disagree with him?
Undermines centrality of Christ on the cross
Waters Christianity down to please others
People should be prouder Christ is the way to salvation like martyred saints are
What is pluralism?
Different religions = same ultimate goal
There are different beliefs and practises because of cultural upbringing
No need to convert others as all paths lead to one place
What is the islamic parable of the blind man and the elephant?
Argue over what parts are understood but ultimately all feel the same thing
What does John Hick argue?
Evangelical Christian - multicultural Birmingham – questioned why God would deny these moral people salvation due to their cultural upbringing
‘Copernican revolution’ - Christianity is not the central normative religion but that God should be in the centre
Nature of God is noumenal but we each interpret it phenominally
Religion is a human cultural concept to understand this nature of God
All religions fall short of the truth = religions contradict eachother
Life after death = continued journey to the real where everyone is saved
Christianity is not the truth and thus Jesus is not unique
