Unit 4: Exclusivism, Inclusivism, Pluralism and Ecumenicalism Flashcards
(Dialogue within and between religious groups)
1
Q
What is exclusivism?
A
Exclusivism is the view that only one religion is true and that the others are therefore false.
2
Q
What do exclusivists believe?
A
- Salvation is only possible through faith in Jesus
- Those who follow other religions, those who reject Christianity or even those of other Christian denominations are not going to heaven after death
3
Q
What is Inter-faith exclusivism?
A
- For most of its existence, the Roman Catholic Church has maintained an exclusivist outlook on non-Catholic Christians and people of other faiths.
- These negative views of non-Christian religions lay behind a lot of missionary work in the 19th century
- Missionaries were sent to Africa, Asia and other parts of the world to convert people to Christianity, otherwise they wouldn’t be able to get into heaven
- Some Protestants hold exclusive views, especially Evangelical Protestants
4
Q
What is the other type of exclusivism?
A
Intra-faith exclusivism
5
Q
What is the main denomination that believes in exclusivism?
A
The Catholic Church
6
Q
What is inclusivism?
A
Inclusivism is the view that Christianity is the only true religion, that Jesus was God embodied as a human and that his death was a sacrifice to pay the penalty of sin. However, inclusivists believe that non-Christians can go to heaven and that faith in Jesus and being a member of the Church aren't necessary.
7
Q
What are the clashes between inclusivism and exclusivism?
A
- Christians believe that God is omnibenevolent and loves all creation. All loving God wouldn’t give salvation to only Christians, or just a group of Christians
- People who lived before Jesus couldn’t have been saved. Yet there are passages in the Old Testament that suggest they were.
- God is good and fair. It wouldn’t be good to condemn people who haven’t heard of Jesus.
8
Q
What is pluralism?
A
Pluralism rejects the idea that God has revealed himself only through Jesus Christ and that salvation can be obtained only through him. They believe that God reveals Himself through all the world's religious traditions and that the Christian faith is just one of many valid responses to God.
9
Q
What does Hick say that all major faiths have in common?
A
- None can prove that it is the one and only true religion
- Individuals of all faiths have experiences they say come from God
10
Q
Notes on John Hick
A
- He strongly challenges the exclusivist view
- All religions deserve the same respect
- Cultural differences mean that various religions teach different things about God
- The God all religions experience is the same God
- It’s unfair that someone should be denied salvation simply because they were born in a non-Christian culture
- Christians should be obviously better people than anyone else if it were the only true religion
11
Q
What do critics of pluralism say?
A
- Hick ignores genuine differences between religions
- Religions actually contradict each other in some of the beliefs they hold, so they can’t be different versions of the same truth
- Religious followers hold their beliefs to be completely true
12
Q
What is ecumenicalism?
A
The attempt to bring about unity of the Christian Churches.
13
Q
Around how many Christian denominations are there?
A
30,000 and 45,000
14
Q
Example of an ecumenical community
A
- World Council of Churches
- Taizé in France
- Corrymeela in Ireland
- Iona in Scotland
15
Q
What does the WCC do?
A
- Setting up a community of various Churches across the world through dialogue and understanding each other
- Working together for peace in the world by helping people in need
- Training people to continue intra-faith communication
