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Christianity 9 > Religious pluralism and theology > Flashcards

Religious pluralism and theology Flashcards

1
Q

Define ‘exclusivism’

A

The view that only one religion offers the complete means of salvation

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2
Q

Define ‘inter-faith dialogue’

A

Sharing and discussing religious beliefs between members of different religious traditions with an aim of reaching better understanding

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3
Q

Define ‘theology of religion’

A

The branch of Christian theology that looks at the relationship between Christianity and other world religions from a Christian perspective

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4
Q

Define ‘inclusivism’

A

The view that although one’s own religion is the normative means of salvation, those who accept its central principles may also receive salvation

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5
Q

Define ‘pluralism’

A

The view that there are many ways to salvation through different religious traditions

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6
Q

Define ‘particularism’

A

An alternative name for exclusivism meaning that salvation can only be found through one means

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7
Q

Define ‘Vatican II’

A

The second Vatican Ecumenical Council held from 1962-1965 to discuss the place of the Catholic Church in the modern world

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8
Q

Define ‘Noumena’

A

A Kantian term to describe reality as it really is, unfiltered by the human mind

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9
Q

Define ‘Phenomena’

A

A Kantian term to describe reality as it appears to us through the filter of the human mind

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10
Q

How do exclusivists believe people can be saved?

A

Only through Christianity, hearing the Gospel and responding to it by faith in Christ can a person be saved, it requires giving up on old ways of life to adopt one centred around Christ and the Church

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11
Q

Why do some prefer the term ‘particularist’?

A

Less negative than exclusivist which conveys hostility, arrogance and lack of respect for other religions

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12
Q

Describe ‘narrow exclusivism’

A

Salvation is only possible for people in their denomination of Christianity e.g. Augustine and John Calvin believed that God elects through grace only a small number of Christians for Heaven

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13
Q

What does the Catholic church teach about salvation?

A

Salvation is only for those who are baptised into the Catholic Church and regularly receive the Eucharist, ‘extra ecclesiam nulla salus’ means ‘there is no salvation outside the church’

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14
Q

Describe ‘broad exclusivism’

A

All people who accept Christ through faith are saved regardless of denomination, others believe that truth can be found in other religions but it is only partial truth which isn’t enough for salvation

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15
Q

How did Gavin D’Costa’s categorise exclusivists?

A

Restrictive-access exclusivists: John Calvin and those who are narrow exclusivists
Universal-access exclusivists: D’Costa, Christ’s salvation is offered to all that accept God’s love and grace and possibility of purgatory

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16
Q

Quote 1 Timothy 2:3-6 which D’Costa uses to support his beliefs

A

“This is good and pleases God our saviour, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth”

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17
Q

Describe the beliefs of Hendrik Kraemer (1888-1965)

A
  • Christian exclusivist
  • Non-Christians cannot achieve salvation through their own faith systems so must convert
  • God’s revelation can be seen by other religions
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18
Q

Why did Kraemer believe only Christians could be saved?

A
  • You cannot pick out practises and beliefs in other religions that seem Christian like because because religion is a way of life
  • All world religions have to be evaluated as whole systems
  • There is no ‘partial truth’ between religions
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19
Q

Give a quote from Hendrik Kraemer

A

“(religion) is not a series of tenets, institutions, practises that can be taken one by one as independent items of religious life” In his book ‘The Christian message in a Non-Christian World’

20
Q

Describe the beliefs of Karl Barth (1886-1968)

A
  • Protestant theologian and exclusivist
  • People cannot know God through their own efforts, God chooses to reveal himself through Jesus Christ, Bible and Church teachings
  • The Word has three forms
21
Q

Describe Barth’s theory of ‘the Word’

A
  • It has three forms
  • Jesus Christ: most important, Word of God in human form teaching God’s love to humanity
  • Bible: not the literal word of God but is a ‘witness’ to the revelation of God in Jesus Christ
  • Church teaching: Christian message and the Gospel so everyone has the chance to respond
22
Q

Give a quote from Karl Barth

A

“God created the world for no other reason than to enter into covenant fellowship with it in the incarnation, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ”

23
Q

Describe the general view of inclusivism

A
  • Some accept salvation after death
  • God’s omnibenevolence allows salvation to those of other religions
  • Truth in other religions is the work of Jesus Christ and they worship Christ but under different names
24
Q

Describe the beliefs of inclusivist Karl Rahner (1904-84)

A
  • Leading voice in discussions of the Vatican II
  • No other religion offers salvation through Christ
  • God can offer salvation to those who through no fault of their own haven’t had the message of Christ
  • Once someone of another religion has heard about Christ, they should convert as they wouldn’t have an excuse to reject the Gospel
25
How did Kraemer argue against Rahner's ideas?
Non-Christian religions are misguided attempts to find truth by themselves as cultural constructs rather than responses to revelation in Jesus Christ
26
How did Rahner counter-argue Kraemer's criticisms?
Non-Christian religions hold some degree of truth e.g. figures from the Old Testament are praised for their faith in the Bible but not in a position to respond to the message of Christ
27
Quote Job 19:25 used by Rahner to counter-argue Kraemer's criticisms against him
"I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on earth"
28
Describe Rahner's notions of 'anonymous Christians'
People who do not identify as Christian but adopt the desirable attitudes of Christians and so not excluded from salvation
29
Give a quote from Matthew 25:33-40 than supports Rahner's anonymous Christian
"Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me"
30
Describe the beliefs of Hans Urs von Balthasar
- Colleague and critic of Rahner - Absolute centrality of salvation of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection - E.g. Saint Cordula who knew they were under attack so at first hid but then realised death was not final, affirmed her faith and was martyred - Church should not hide from secularism or water-down the Christian message and claim salvation
31
Describe pluralism to salvation
A range of religions can all lead their followers to salvation because they share the same ultimate goal and differences in religion are only superficial due to the different cultures from which they were made
32
Describe the parable of the blind men and the elephant used to support pluralism
Parable originated in India, blind men encounter an elephant they each feel a different part of the elephant and so argue over what it is like due to having a different understanding of what they are feeling even though they have all encountered the same elephant
33
Describe the views of John Hick (1922-2012)
- Evangelical Christian - Truth of Christianity is to convert people to be saved by Christ - After working in Birmingham with other religions he realised the genuine devotion and similarities in religion to become pluralist
34
Describe the term 'Copernican revolution'
A term created by Hick which was a need in theology and caused a huge shift in the way scientists understood the universe by proposing the earth was not the centre but instead orbited around the sun - He used this as a parable for theology in that Christianity was not the normative
35
How did Hick use Kant's theology to support his view?
Kant drew a distinction between noumenal and phenomenal which is how the world really is and how it appears to us. The nature of God belongs in the noumenal world because we cant comprehend him in our finite minds so all religions fall short of truth
36
How does Hick believe truth claims from Christianity should be thought of?
Not as truth because it as flaws like all other religions Truth claims from Christianity are not cognitive claims of literal fat but instead pictorial ways of expressing the human relationship with what he called the 'Real' They are myths and symbols each meaningful within context and not contradictory
37
Describe Raimon Panikkar's (1918-2010) pluralist view
- Did not explicitly think there are many truths or religions are different ways of expressing one truth - Need for openness rather than making claims - Mixed faith family
38
Give a quote from Raimon Panikkar
"I left Europe as a Christian, I discovered I was a Hindu and returned as Buddhist without ever having ceased to be a Christian"
39
Why was 1954 a significant turning point in Panikkar's life?
- He visited India to study, he met and studied with Christian monks who embraced Indian spiritual richness whilst living according to Christian principles with the Hindu and Buddhists practises - He adopted Hindu concept of Advaita which is the sacred unity of special things
40
How did Panikkar believe truth could be found?
- Emphasised the mystery of the divine - Need to discover truth by living it - Vision of harmony between people to find the essence of being human - Respect the freedom of God or whatever one understands to be the divine to work in ways beyond human attempts to define it and make it a system of doctrines
41
How did Hick understand the being of Jesus?
- Mythical - Symbolic way of understanding God - Developed by Christian tradition but needed to be seen as having flaws
42
How did Panikkar understand the being of Jesus?
- 'Christophany' = Christ being made plain to human consciousness but not limited to Jesus of Nazareth for Christianity - Not a specific individual but a but as a name for God showing himself to people - E.g. Hindu 'ishwara' is a concept that refers to a personal God through which people can encounter the divine
43
How is Panikkar's thinking compare to Rahner?
- 'anonymous Christian' - Rahner understood Christianity to hold more truth but Panikker thought this limited God's freedom to make himself known however he wished
44
What choices did Panikkar believe was available to Christians?
- Bring their own understanding of Christ to others and insist on others seeing Christ as they do - Recognise the unknown dimension of Christ revealed in many contexts and work towards developing a receptive attitude of love < Panikkar thought this was most Christian
45
Quote John 14:6
"Jesus answered 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me"
46
Quote Micah 6:8
"He has shown you... what is good... act justly to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God"

Christianity 9 (11 decks)

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