RELIGIOUS PLURALISM AND THEOLOGY Flashcards
Exclusivism
The belief that salvation can only be found through Christianity- other religions can’t lead people to the right relationship with God
Why do some Christians believe Christ came to earth?
To provide a pathway to God that cannot otherwise be found
What is a narrowly exclusivist view held by some christians?
That salvation can only be made available only to people who belong to their own denomination within Christianity
Example of this narrowly exclusive Christian view?
Christians who take Bible literally might claim that only those who have the same view of scripture as them are true Christians destined for heaven
Augustine and Calvin both held narrowly exclusivist views. What are they?
- God elects through grace only a small number of Christians for heaven
- God chooses whom he will save; we cannot force God’s choice
Strength of narrow exclusivism
- Examples of ‘unfairness’ (like only some Christians being saved) are present in nature e.g notion of luck
Weakness of narrow exclusivism
Those who believe in the Christian God arent guranteed salvation- undermines Jesus’ sacrifice
Describe Hendrik Kraemer’s exclusivist argument (3)
- ## Non-Christians cannot achieve salvation through their own faith systems but have to convert to Christianity
- God’s revelation can be seen through the beauty of nature by non-Christians
- Salvation can only be found only in Christianity
Beliefs from other religions
Describe Kraemer’s arguments about other religions (2)
- We can’t pick out partial truths of religions that seem the most Christian- they have to be evaluated as a whole
- The religion as a whole either accepts the salvation offered by Christ or it doesnt- there’s no middle ground to be found
What did Kraemer think other religions were?
Little more than misguided attempts by some people to try and find the truth for themselves
Biblical evidence to possibly support exclusivism: John 14:6
“I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Biblical evidence to possibly support exclusivism: John 3:16
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him shall not die but have eternal life”
Biblical evidence to possibly support exclusivism: Romans 10:13
“For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved”
3 strengths of Exclusivism
- Upholds Christian uniqueness: makes it more valuable than any other religion
- Supports Evangelism
- Is supported by Biblical evidence and word of Jesus
4 weaknesses of Exclusivism
- Undermines God’s love and wisdom
- Puts limits on God’s freedom to save and who he chooses to save- assumes knowledges of God’s will
- Cherrypicks interpretations from Bible
- Fails to account for God favoured jews in OT who didn’t know Christ
Describe Karl Barth’s argument on exclusivism (2)
- Can only know God via his revelation through Jesus, Bible and Church
- It’s up to us to follow Christianity and achieve salvation as soon as we learn about Jesus
Barth and ‘theology of the word’
- Knowledge of God can only be found where God chooses to reveal it
- Jesus is the living word of God
Biblical evidence to support Barth’s argument: John 1:14
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us”
How could Barth be considered inclusivist?
He emphasises God can and does reveal himself when he chooses- could leave open possibility of God choosing to reveal himself in other ways to other people
Inclusivism
Takes a middle path
Range of positions included in inclusivism (3)
- salvation is still possible for those who turns to a Christian faith after death
- God’s omnibenevolence leaves open a possibility for salvation for non-christians
- Truth found in religions other than Christianity is the work of Christ, even though some may not recognise it as such
What are Karl Rahner’s three issues with Exclusivism
- Excludes people born before Christ
- Excludes people who couldn’t hear about revelation through Christ
- Such exclusivism is incompatible with an omnibenevolent God
Describe Rahner’s argument (3)
- Christianity is unique as it’s founded on God’s ultimate act of revelation
- No other religion offers the salvation through Christ as in Christianity
- Not all religions have paths to God but the grace of God makes allowance for those who don’t know of Jesus may still receive Grace
Describe Rahner’s argument of other world religions (2)
- There could be partial truths in other religions whose followers don’t know of Jesus
- After hearing about Jesus, one must convert to be saved
Biblical evidence to support Rahner: Job 19:25
“I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth”
- Bible supports view that people who don’t know Christ can have a genuine faith in God (Abraham Moses and Job)
Biblical evidence to support Rahner: Romans 2:14
“When Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law”
- This passage supports the idea that non-believers can still have an intiuitive sense for Christ, even if they do not recognise it as such, and that God will treat them with justice
Biblical evidence to support Rahner: Matthew 25:33-40
- Parable of Sheep and Goats
- Can be interepreted as saying that any people who treat others with altruistic love are working for Christ, whether they realise it or not
3 strengths of inclusivism
- Upholds God’s fairness and love
- Values Moral Behaviour
- Upholds meaning of Jesus’ sacrifice and the fact only Jesus saves
3 weaknesses of inclusivism
- Patronising and belittling of other religions
- Unclear of exactly what parts of other religions are authentically inspired by God
- Still unfairly condemns people who choose not to become Christians
Pluralism
There are many paths to salvation through many religious traditions
John Hick Context (3)
- Was an evangelist as a young man
- Worked in Brummie and was impressed by faith and service to others of religious people he met
- Would a God of love condemn such people and deny them salvation because they arent Christians?
What did John Hick think should be at the centre of theology?
God, not Christianity
Who inspired Hick’s second argument?
Kant
Define noumenal world
A world of things as they really are
Define phenomenal world
The world as it appears to us
What did Kant think about the nature of God? (2)
- Nature of God belongs in the noumenal
- We aren’t capable of knowing god as he really is, we are only capable of making limited attempts of knowing him
Describe Hick’s 2nd Kant-inspired argument
- Religion is a human phenomenal attempt to understand and relate to God
- Our finite minds aren’t capable of knowing God’s infinite nature in the noumenal world
Describe Hick’s third argument
- All religions are flawed and can’t correctly claim to know the truth. Religious ideas are just ways of expressing the human relationship with ‘the Real’
- Truth claims are myths and symbols that make sense when put into intended context
How does Hick account for different contradictory beliefs between religions?
- We filter our experiences of the world and interpret them in accordance with our own context and cultural upbringing
- No religion is capable of a noumenal understanding of God
2 Strengths of Hick
- Supports all loving and powerful God- doesnt assume power to save
- Explains similarities between religions while accounting for their differences
2 Weaknesses of Hick
- Undermines and dismisses Christian message
- Assumes privileged view of religious landscape- Hick sees truth but no one else does
Describe Raimon Panikkar’s view of pluralism (2)
- Talked about the need for openness rather than making any claims to know whayt the “truth” is or where it might be found
- We need to discoverr truth by living it and finding the essential nature of what it means to be human
How does Panikkar’s view differ from Hick’s?
Didn’t think world religions are different ways of expressing the same truth
Panikkar and Christophany
Saw Christ as not a specific individual but as a name for God showing himself to people.
Not limited to Jesus of Nazareth- God making himself known can be found in other religions- just not referred to as Christ
2 strengths of Panikkar
- Overcomes Hick’s problems of truth claims
- Promotes equality and aiming for harmony between religions
2 weaknesses of Panikkar
- Undermines Jesus’ unique sacrifice
- Ideas aren’t rooted biblical evidence unlike exclusivism or inclusivism
