Religious pluralism and theology

Question 1

Define exclusivism

Answer 1

The idea that salvation can only be achieved by Christians. Jesus reviled the true message of Christianity, and therefore you must accept him to be saved.

Question 2

Quote from Jesus supporting exclusivism

Answer 2

I am the way, […] No one can come to the Father except through me

Question 3

What are the two main types of exclusivism?

Answer 3

Narrow- only Christians from a particular denomination will be saved
Broad- all Christians will be saved

Question 4

Explain the Catholic view on salvation

Answer 4

Mainly exclusivist (both broad and narrow)
N- The sacraments are essential to achieve salvation
‘Extra ecclesium nulla salus’ There is no salvation outside the Church
B- Lumen Gentium states ‘He communicated truth and grace to all’
Purgatory allows for salvation after death (broad cos Jesus must still be accepted)

Question 5

What are Augustine’s and Calvin’s views on salvation?

Answer 5

Narrow exclusivists

You need God’s grace, and to hear and respond to the Gospel on earth.

Question 6

Quote from Timothy on exclusivism

Answer 6

‘All people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth’

Question 7

Quote from Acts on exclusivism

Answer 7

‘Salvation is to be found through him alone’

Question 8

How did Gavin D’Costa distinguish between types of exclusivism?

Answer 8

Restrictive access- Similar to Calvin, respond to the Gospel, God only saves who he has chosen
Universal access- salvation is open to all, anyone who comes to love God will be saves, salvation is possible after death

Question 9

What ideas did Hendrik Kraemer use to support exclusivism?

Answer 9

Religions are completely different belief systems. Although they may hold similar teachings such as love it does not make it the same. You cannot pick and choose beliefs, you must accept Jesus and salvation as a whole.
No partial truths

Question 10

Explain Barth’s views on salvation

Answer 10

Exclusivist
You cannot come to know God through reason, God id ‘radically other’.
Jesus is God’s direct revelation, and therefore the only way to gain any knowledge about him
God may reveal himself through anything he chooses (inc other religions?)
Traditional Christianity is superior to liberal, because it gains knowledge directly from God
The word of God exists in three ways-
The living word (Jesus)
The written word (Bible)
The preached word (The Church)
Salvation must be done through Jesus as he is the only way to know God. God made Christianity true through the incarnation. It is superior cos God chose to reveal himself through it.
Religions are human constructs and therefore fallible

Question 11

Quote from Barth on salvation

Answer 11

‘Jesus does not give recipes which show the way to God as other teachers of religion do. He is himself the way’

Question 12

Give 3 main criticisms of exclusivism

Answer 12

1. Exclusivism leads to suffering, persecution and imperialism. Hierarchical and arrogant, causes divide
2. Many are incapable of accepting Christ- those who die young or with disabilities, those never exposed to Christianity etc. Unjust and unloving
3. Barth’s ideas about God being free means he may have chosen/ may choose to reveal himself through other religions also

Question 13

Define inclusivism

Answer 13

The idea that Christianity is the right route to salvation, however God may also provide some alternative routes eg salvation may be possible for those who follow God but in the context of the wrong religion, those who accept Christ after death, there may be some truth in other religions.

Question 14

Explain 3 types of inclusivism

Answer 14

Eschatological- salvation is possible for those who accept the Christian faith after death (dependant on purgatory)
Omnibenevolence- Possible for those who have lived good lives (but not rejected Christianity)
‘Anonymous Christians’- possible for those who follow Christianity without knowing it

Question 15

Give another name for an exclusivist

Answer 15

particularist

Question 16

explain Rahner’s ideas on salvation

Answer 16

Exclusivism is incompatible with the belief in a benevolent, omnipotent God
Anonymous Christians- salvation is possible for those who follow Christianity without knowing it, and are unable to accept it through no fault of their own

Question 17

Explain von Balthasar’s views on salvation

Answer 17

Jesus’ resurrection is central to salvation and the church should not hide/ water-down beliefs to appease other faiths or fit with a modern, secular, society

Question 18

Give 4 main criticisms of inclusivism

Answer 18

1. Eschatological inclusivism is the same exclusivism (r- however is less problematic, allows for salvation after death)
2. Inclusivism from omnibenevolence is exclusivism in disguise, as Jesus must still be accepted
3. The phrase anonymous Christian is patronising and demeaning. Undermines the value that can be found in other faiths (r- It isn’t the fault of Christians that God chose to reveal himself through Christianity)
4. Inclusivism waters-down the true Christian message to appease other religions and to fit into society (r- making it cohesive rather than inoffensive?)

Question 19

Quote from Peter about about inclusivism

Answer 19

‘Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone perish, but everyone to come to repentance’

Question 20

Define pluralism

Answer 20

All religions share the same goal of knowing God. The differences between religions comes from cultural contexts which are superficial. There is no right or wrong religion.

Question 21

What biblical story is useful when discussing inclusivism?

Answer 21

The Sheep and the Goats

Question 22

Explain Hick’s views on pluralism

Answer 22

All religions are attempting to understand the ‘transcategorical Real’
All religions worship the same God, however view the Real through different cultural lenses. As all humans are fallible, so are their interpretations of their experiences of the Real.
Hick’s multi-faith work in Birmingham helped him understand this
God is ineffable, transcategorical, other and unknowable
Religious experiences are important- the rationality of trusting REs as a mediated awareness of that reality (reliant on the principle of credulity)

Question 23

How can Kant’s ideas be used to support pluralism?

Answer 23

Kant distinguished between the noumena (the world as it really is) and the ‘phenomena’ (the world as it is experienced by humans)

Question 24

Which parable would be useful in describing pluralism?

Answer 24

A parable shared in Eastern religions (Hinduism and Buddhism) about 6 blind men’s first experience of an elephant. They touched the same object, yet in different parts, experienced it differently, and described it in different ways.
The blindness symbolises the limits of humans

Question 25

Suggest why some may believe all religions can be right

Answer 25

Prophets all came from the same source at different times
All religions ask the same questions in an attempt to describe the truth
The only differences are cultures and traditions, and humanities limited understanding of God

Question 26

Suggest why some may believe it is impossible for all religions to be right

Answer 26

Complete contradictions between religions (principle of non-contradiction)
Jesus is the only way
Some preach lovers, other preach hate and discrimination
The source of religions is humanity, not God
All manifestations of God seem to be male
Scientific evidence doesn’t prove God

Question 27

Explain the Copernican theory

Answer 27

Hick’s idea that similarly to how there was a shift from scientists’ belief that the earth was central to the belief that the sun is central, there needs to be a shift to the belief that Christianity is one of many planets orbiting the sun (God should be central rather than Christianity being seen as a normative absolute)
Theo-centric not Christo-centric

Question 28

What did Hick believe about Jesus?

Answer 28

Jesus should be treated as a myth, therefore the truth claims of different religions become symbols, and therefore not contradictory, but meaningful in their own contexts

Question 29

What is the Vatican II?

Answer 29

A council that discussed how the Catholic church should adapt/ present itself in the modern world

Question 30

Define proselytisation

Answer 30

The act of religious conversion, and what caused it

Question 31

What is meant by the term culturally relative belief?

Answer 31

A person’s belief should be understood based on their culture, rather than judged against the criteria of another

Question 32

What phrase did Hick use to describe Christian exclusivism as contradictory?

Answer 32

‘a paradox of gigantic proportions’

A benevolent God would not refuse to provide salvation for good people of other faiths

Question 33

Give 5 main criticisms of pluralism

Answer 33

1. Pluralism contradicts many Bible passages
2. Pluralism makes Jesus’ death pointless, universal election means Jesus never had to suffer
3. There are direct contradictions between religions, meaning they cannot all be right
4. Some must have interpreted the Real better than others. Masao (Zen Buddhist)- some glass gives a more accurate view of reality than others
5. Goulder- if the Real is so unknowable and vague, what is the point? How do we know it is something of love rather than hate?