Pluralism & Theology

Question 1

keyword

Exclusivism:

tip: exlusive

Answer 1

Christianity is the one true religion and it is only through Christianity that one can be saved.

Question 2

keyword

Inclusivism

Answer 2

Christianity is the one true religion but it is possible for non-Christians to be saved through other religions.

the middle ground between the two arguments

Question 3

keyword

Pluralism:

Answer 3

All religions are equally true and equal paths to salvation.

Question 4

Two types of exclusivism

Answer 4

1. Narrow: Christians within their own denomination can recieve salvation
   E.G. Some christians take the Bible literally, whilst others read it for guidnace. Augustine and Calvin took this approach = God grace can help us to heaven
2. Broad: A wider acceptance of those able to recieve salvation. E.G. catholic belief in purgatory

Question 5

Catholic views on exclusivism

Answer 5

• Vatican II - Lumen Gentium = “Although many elements of sanctification and of the truth are found outside of is visible structure”
• Links broad exclusivism
• Other religions cannot lead people to the relationship with God required for salvation.
• only through hearing th Gospel, one can be saved.
• modernism era
• some people goes to the extent to call this view ‘particularist’

Question 6

Gavin D’Costa - christianity & World religion

Answer 6

• Divides exclusivist into two groups.
  1. Restrictive-Access Exclusivist only Gods grace and certain denominations will be saved. (holds a similiar view to John calvin who holds the view that salvation is only for those who hear and respond to the gospel during their earthly lives.)
  2. Universal-access exclusivist christs’ salvation is open to all, can come after death through purgatory

Question 7

The Biblical basis of exclusivism

Answer 7

• John 14:6: Jesus said “I am the way and the truth and the life.” = Jesus is ‘the truth’ – implying other religions are false.

Question 8

Evaluation on the biblical view of exclusivists

Answer 8

• Inclusivists argue that although Jesus is clearly saying he is ‘the truth’, so Christianity is the only true religion, nonetheless we could interpret the verse as suggesting that non-Christians could be saved.
• This interpretation would also fit with Jesus’ claims in the sheep and the goats parable, where he identifies those who are saved by their good acts, not their faith.

Question 9

keyword

Theology of Religions

Answer 9

The branch of christian theology that looks at the relationship between and other world religions from a christain perspective.

Question 10

KEYWORD

Vatican II

Inclusivism

Answer 10

• The second vatican Ecumencial Council, held from 1962-1965 to discuss the place of the catholic church in the modern world.
• attitude stated to change after this = resulted to a more positive/open response to other denominations/ world faiths

Question 11

Inclusivism

Karl Rahner

1904

Answer 11

• BOOK = Theologial ivestigations (1967),
• Agreed with the exclusivist notion that Christianity is the one true religion as it was founded on God’s revelation.
• However, he was troubled by the implications of that for anyone who lived before Jesus or simply had never heard of Christ.
• How could a supposedly omnibenevolent God refuse salvation for people due to factors which are clearly beyond their control?
• Rahner thought this meant exclusivism had to be rejected.
• He used the term ‘Anoymous Christian’ to describe people who were living good lives and who could be saved even if they are unaware of Christ. (E.G. Moses, Abraham, acted through their good deeds)

Question 12

Kraemer
disagrees with exclusivism

Answer 12

• Argued that non-christian religion are mere misguided attempts by some people to try and find the truth for themselves
• he suggested that religion should be considered as a whole, not piece by piece.
• believes that Christian cherry picks out beliefs and practices them accordingly to their cultural belief
• Kraemer argues against the practice of picking out certain beliefs and practices from religions other than Christianity and considering them as points of contact, as religions are whole belief systems and ways of life.

Question 13

Augustine’s exclusivism: Grace, Predestination & Limited election

Answer 13

• Augustine’s exclusivism holds that we are so corrupted by original sin that genuine persevering faith in Jesus is only possible with God’s help:
• his grace, which predestines some people to have and keep faith in Christ and thus be one of the ‘elect’ who will be saved.
• St Paul calls grace a “gift” which we cannot ‘take credit’ for earning (Ephesians 2:8).
• That suggests that getting into heaven is not something that human beings have the power to achieve.

Question 14

Hick on Rahners inclusivist views

Answer 14

• Hick agrees with Rahner that a loving God would not send those who have never heard of Jesus through no fault of their own to Hell:
• ‘Is it credible that the loving God has decreed that only those born within one particular thread of human history shall be saved?’ .
• However, Hick would argue that Rahner does not go far enough in drawing out the implications of omnibenevolence.
• Hick argues an all-loving God would never send anyone to hell. This is a position called Universalism
• Believed in purgatory – that after death, people could continue existing in another life whereby they have a chance to redeem (soul-making).

Question 15

context on Hick

Answer 15

• Began as an exclusivist but after experiencing multi-faith society whilst living in Birmingham, he met and observed genuine good people of other religions who were sincerely practising a different faith. (commitment to prayer, family values etc)

Question 16

Pluralsim

The parable of the blind men

hick

Answer 16

• Originated in India
• This is where blind men encounter the different parts of the elephant. they concluded an elephant was something different, just like religions say different things about God.
• However this was because they were too blind to see how they were really all touching the same thing in different ways.
• different religions are different human interpretations of the one true divine reality. Hick thought the differences between religions were merely cultural.
• suggests that there is more than one route to know God.
• suggests that humans have a tendency to claim absolute truth based on their limited, subjective experience.

Question 17

Hick Pluralist View

1922

Answer 17

• He wanted to discover why God would codemn such people and deny them salvation, just becaue of their cultural heritage was other than christianity.
• “Can we accpet that God of love seeks to save all mankind”= God and the Universe of Faith.

Question 18

Hick: Copernican Revolution

Answer 18

• He suggested that there is a need for this copernican revolution in theology to understand God and salvation for his people.
• Copernicus caused a shift in the way scientists of his day understood the universe by proposing that the earth was not the centre but one of many planets orbiting the sun
• So to HICK, christianity is not at the centre, it is one of many religions all revolving God (E.G. the Abrahmic religions)

Question 19

Kant distintion between ‘noumenal’ and ‘phenoemal’

Answer 19

• Hick drew upon Kant’s ideas when formulating his pluralist theology
  NOUMENAL WORLD:
  The nature of God belonged to the noumenal world, we are not capable of knowing God as he really is because our minds are finite
  PHENOMENAL WORLD:
• Hick argues that religion is a human, phenomenal attempt to understand God.
• Every religion falls short of the truth because no one is capable of a noumenal undertanding of God.
• Religion is therefore a human construct, where we filter our understanding of God in accordance to our own cultural upbringing. = explains why there is different religions

Question 20

Panikkar (1918) - The Mystery of the Divine

Evaluation on Hick/Pluralism

Answer 20

• Panikkar had a pluralist view different from that of John Hick, emphasizing openness rather than claiming to know one truth or viewing religions as different expressions of the same truth.
• We can explore the truth by choosing actions and words that seek harmony.
• Advocates for respecting all religious traditions, to enable freedom of God.
• he argued that christains have a choice that they can bring their own understanding of christ & of other religion.
• Panikkar, from a mixed-faith background, grew up feeling at home in both Hinduism and Catholicism, later deepening his understanding through encounters with Hindu and Christian monks.
• He adopted a commitment to the Hindu concept of Advaita, emphasizing the sacred unity of all things.
• Unlike Hick, who saw Jesus as a mythical symbol, Panikkar viewed Christ as Christophany, God revealing himself to humanity through various religious traditions, not limited to Christianity.

Question 21

Context of Panikkar

1918

Answer 21

• Grew up in mixed-fath familiy, Was a Christian
  “ I left Europe as a christian, I discovered i was a Hindu and returned a Buddhist without ever having ceased o be a christian” = NEW YORK TIMES PAPER
• very open
• Panikkar’s experiences growing up in a multi-faith family deeply influenced his belief in the validity of diverse spiritual paths.

Question 22

Inclusivism in Christian theology

Answer 22

• Inclusivism in Christian theology represents a middle ground between exclusivism and pluralism, asserting that while salvation is found in Christianity, other paths to God may hold some truth.
• Various perspectives within inclusivism exist, such as the belief in salvation, where individuals may accept Christianity after death.
• Many inclusivists emphasize God’s omnibenevolence, suggesting that salvation is possible for non-Christians who sincerely seek God within their own religious contexts.
• Some inclusivists propose that truth found in non-Christian religions is ultimately rooted in Christ, even if not explicitly recognized as such, acknowledging different labels and understandings of God.
• Karl Rahner, a prominent theologian, may have contributed to the development of inclusivist ideas within Christian theology.

Question 23

if Christ is the ‘truth’, can there be any other means of salvation

Answer 23

• Exclusivism in theology asserts that salvation is exclusively attained through Christ, citing John 14:6 as support for this belief.
• Exclusivists argue that Christ’s death on the cross is the singular means of salvation, fulfilling God’s plan and atoning for humanity’s sins.
• They contend that religious teachings cannot all be true due to their conflicting beliefs, and relativism undermines the importance of the Christian message.
• Exclusivists view missionary work and conversion efforts as duties necessary for spreading Christianity and saving souls.
• Critics of exclusivism point out uncertainties in interpreting revelation and scripture, leading to disagreements within Christianity about what constitutes “truth.”
• Exclusivism raises concerns about fairness, particularly regarding access to the Christian message and the salvation of those who never had the opportunity to hear it.
• William Lane Craig proposed the concept of God’s “middle knowledge” to address the challenges of exclusivism, suggesting that God knows not only individuals’ present beliefs and actions but also what they would have done in different circumstances, thus ensuring fairness in judgment.

Question 24

Does theological pluralism undermine central Christian beliefs?

Answer 24

• One of the strongest objections to pluralism is that it challenges central Christian beliefs, particularly the uniqueness of Jesus’ death and resurrection as the means of salvation.
• Pluralism raises questions about which Christian beliefs are fundamental and which are expressions of culture and tradition rather than absolute truth.
• In John Hick’s book “God and the Universe of Faiths” (1993), he identifies aspects of traditional Christianity that he finds untenable or doubtful, including the belief in divinely revealed truths and the idea of creation ex nihilo (creation out of nothing).