THEOLOGY- pluralism and theology

What is Rahner's third thesis

Christian missionaries shouldn't assume that non-Christians know nothing of God and the truth If they have already been touched by God's grace then that Grace is involved in all that person's spiritual behaviour even if they don't recognise it- they are an anonymous Christian

Rahner- what does it mean that Christianity has a pre-history and things lead up to it

Christian prophets like Isaiah predicted the coming of Jesus- Christianity thus always God's plan and intended to be absolute religion

Kramer's religious holism

Christianity is a singular whole- THE truth revealed by God through Christ not a set of beliefs Religions can't be divided down into tenets of truth, they are each a different web of truths that form a network and interact with each other

What does Alan Race's quote on inclusivism/Christianity mean

Christianity is the normative means to salvation and Christ holds the truth to salvation. However, this truth might appear in other religions

What is Hick's suggestion of a Copernican revolution needed in theology

Christianity shouldn't be seen as a normative absolute to measure other religions against, but as a 'planet' like all other religions God, or 'Reality' should be the common centre (sun) of the 'planets'

What is Rahner's first thesis

Christianity- 'the absolute religion' God's self-revelation through Jesus gives Christianity superiority, as is the basis of God's relationship with humanity as a whole However, Christianity cannot be the ONLY way for people to know God and reach salvation, due to Christians BC- not all people will encounter Christianity in their own period of history

Von Balthasar criticism of Rahner's idea of church

Church shouldn't go into hiding or be watered down to appease a modern secular world- salvation ONLY in Christ

Why does Christianity tend to exclusivism

Comes from the fall, and resultant need for Jesus to give salvation

What does it mean that Barth is Christocentric

God can only be known through Christ

What balancing act is inclusivism caught in

God wants to save all people vs salvation has been made effective through Jesus Universality vs particularity

How does Kant's theory of the noumenal vs phenomenal world fit into Hick's pluralism

God's nature belongs in the noumenal world, but due to our finite mind we can only make a limited attempt to know God by relating him to ourselves Religion= a human phenomenal construct, an attempt to understand God in accordance with our own contexts and cultural upbringing

Calvin's exclusivism

God's salvation comes from him alone- his Grace and mercy permits us into Heaven despite what we have done (unconditional election) Having faith in Jesus is an outward sign we are elect, we are justified by this faith alone (are only Christian if you ARE saved)

What is Open Catholicism

Refers to Rahner's whole theology Rather than being a closed exclusive community of those who are saved, Catholicism is open to the possibility of truth and salvation in non-Christian religions

What is Rahner's idea of the church

Rejects the idea of no salvation outside the visible church (extra ecclesium nulla sanctus)- expands 'Church' definition to include all those who might be members of the invisible church ie those who votum ecclesiae might be part of the ecclesium ab Abel

Swinburne's view of religion

Religion is propositional- constituted by truth, contains statements that can be true or false The truth is out there- God is fundamentally intelligible

Swinburne- are religions similar

Religions ascribe different properties and actions to God, and some don't believe in a God, but theistic religions have a lot more in common than they differ

What type of exclusivism is Calvin

Restrictive access exclusivism- not all can get it

Swinburne- is Christianity easier to prove than other religions

Revelations can be checked in whether they stem from God by looking at whether they have violated the laws of nature- this can be seen as God's signature as the sender of the 'letter' of revelation Christianity, with Christ's resurrection, is unique in this sense, therefore easiest religion to 'prove' We cannot be certain it is correct BUT it works with the propositions

Alan Race on what inclusivism asserts (Christianity)

'Christ is the most complete of the religious choices on offer regarding transcendent vision and human transformation'

Justin Martyr quote on the Word

'Christ is the word of whom every race of men were partakers: and those who lived reasonably are Christians, even though they have been thought atheists'

Acts 10:35 quote supporting inclusivism maybe?

'God does not show favouritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right'

What do different religious labels mean to Panikkar

'Hindu' 'Christian' and 'Buddhist' mean the same thing- P thinks this removes distractions of individual beliefs/elements of religions from what really matters

John 14:6 quote supporting exclusivism

'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me'

Qur'an 30:30 quote supporting exclusivism

'So direct your face toward the religion inclining to the truth. Adhere to the fitrah (common sense) of Allah'

How can Hick's ideas argue against Rahner's belief that Christianity's superiority is grounded in Jesus as God's self-revelation

'Son of god' is a metaphor, he behaved in a godly way Evidence for Jesus= God rests on Bible- whether or not you accept it depends on your own belief about Bible's reliabiliy

Pope Francis quote that could support good people get salvation

'The issue for those who do not believe in God is to obey their conscience'

Rahner- What is votum ecclesiae

'Votum ecclesiae' from Aquinas- wanting (even implicitly) to be a part of the Church is enough to receive God's grace

Quote by Alan Race- criticism of Rahner/exclusivism

'to say that one religion contains the fullest expression of religious truth and value, without any recourse to the empirical data of the other religions themselves, is tantamount to unjustified theological imperialism

What is Rahner's second thesis

A non-christian religion can mediate salvation, and therefore be lawful and contain God's grace They don't contain only 'natural knowledge' (available to all from creation) but 'supernatural elements' (ie special revelation) from God

Rahner- what is the anonymous Christian

A person who isn't Christian but acts like one Not just about leading a good life, but means these people had genuinely (though implicitly) accepted God's grace and live their life in a way resulting from his action in their lives

What does Panikkar see pluralism as

A spiritual rather than an intellectual position

Justin Martyr- how does the idea of Christ the divine Logos support inclusivism

Accounts for the truth found in other religions- Jesus came to affirm what is right and correct what is wrong in other traditions

Scriptural support for Rahner's inclusivism

Acts 17- Paul appears to regard the Athenians as anonymous Christian Sheep and goats- those who act with altruistic love are working for Christ

Example from Bible to support Rahner's second thesis

Acts 17- Paul's Christian message added to an improved knowledge for people whose knowledge about God was incomplete, so they person they worshipped as 'the unknown God' would become known to them

Kraemer's belief on other religions

Although others can see God's revelation eg human reason and nature, non-Christians cannot achieve salvation through their own faith systems, must convert to Christianity They are cultural constructs and misguided attempts to find the truth, rather than a response to God's revelation in Christ

Rahner- When does anonymous Christianity stop being valid

Anonymous Christians can be saved, but this is only really valid until the person encounters Christianity, and should then convert

What did Barth think about pluralism

Anthropocentric, focusing on HUMAN ideas about God- we can't pick and choose beliefs, but must trust in Jesus

D'Costa- what is universal-access exclusivism

Anyone can access Christ's salvation because God wants all to be saved, eg Barth/Kraemer, some draw attention to salvation after death in purgatory

Criticism of Panikkar (and kinda Hick) saying 'Hindu' 'Christian' and 'Buddhist' mean the same thing

Arguably strips away all content of religions- can we say anything about God? Watering down? For Rahner, pluralism means losing content and distinct set of ideas, saying you're a 'Christian' now means nothing

Who was Panikkar (1918-2010)

Argued a need for openness rather than making any claims to know 'the truth' or in which religion it can be found Mixed faith family Deeply impressed by the overcoming of differences of Christian monks living in India, who were living according to Christian principles in the cultural context of Hindu and Buddhist beliefs/practices

How many thesis do Rahner have

4

How can Rahner's inclusivism be seen as a middle way

Avoids intolerance of exclusivism Maintains distinctness of Christianity pluralism loses

How do Barth and Hick disagree in tackling the issue of rejecting reason

Barth clings to scripture, but Hick would argue that scripture is no more than the work of human beings trying to understand God, cannot be separated from reason- Barth sees it as revelation of God's truth Hick instead says no religions are fully correct since we all MUST interpret God in accordance with our own contexts (phenomenal view)- Barth would argue Hick's God is contradictory and wouldn't reveal himself in different ways

How are Barth and Hick similar in their ideas

Both reject reason in the face of an incomprehensible God, emphasize humility Both have different solutions to the difficult position this leaves us in- which is 'right' depends on one's own view of scripture/faith Barth= faith needed in Christianity, leap of faith Hick= arguably less arrogant (more humble) through recognising that we can have no idea which religion is more 'right' than the others, kinda more from a position outside of faith

Who was Karl Rahner

Catholic priest Ideas drew from diverse sources- traditional Christian authorities like Aquinas, newer ideas like Heidegger Ideas seen as non-traditional and radical INCLUSIVIST

What is Panikkar's idea of 'Christophany'

Christ being made plain to human consciousness, Christ is a name for God showing himself to us Other religions have different words for (the same) God making himself known eg Hinduism's 'ishwara' refers to a personal God through which we can personally encounter the divine

How did Panikkar believe we should live our lives

Discovering truth by living it, striving for interpersonal harmony, and finding what it means to be human in the presence of the divine WITHOUT destroying different cultural traditions and diversity Life as a searching pilgrimage and letting go of past traditions

What did Gavin D'Costa propose

Divided exclusivists into 2 groups Restrictive-access, universal-access

How are Kraemer's views similar to Barth's on faith

Faith over reason We can't explore religion and develop for ourselves a set of criteria for salvation

Declaration on the Relationship of the Church to Non-Christian religions (Catholic) quote on inclusivism

Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam are specifically said to contain 'the truth that enlightens every human being'

Barth on human reason

Human reason is flawed, rejects it Faith and trust in God should be our first port of call for learning about him Fideist- we cannot know God through our own efforts, or our own beliefs and traditions, but must trust in his revelation of Jesus as Word of God Adopts Anselm's approach (FSU)

Justin Martyr- what is his theory based on

Idea of divine Logos (or Word) Appears in John's Gospel where Logos is 'the true light that enlightens everyone' Relates to wisdom brought by Christ, meaning Christ speaks through even the Greek philosophers

Justin Martyr- where can truth and goodness be found

In all humans in so far as they speak and act rationally

Why is Rahner an inclusivist

It naturally follows on from believing that God wants all people to be saved, so it must be possible for all people to access salvation- as Christianity is not accessible to all, salvation must be attainable outside the Church

What would Panikkar say is a more Christian way of living than trying to convince others to see God in the way you worship him

Recognising the unknown dimensions of Christ revealed in many different contexts, and work towards developing a receptive attitude of love

Rahner- why must a person behaving in a moral and spiritual way have God's grace in their life (and be an anonymous Christian)

Moral and spiritual actions are only really attainable with God's help

Rahner- what does it mean that Christianity had a starting point and a time in history before it existed

Moses and Abraham had faith in God before Christ, and God still acted before Christianity existed (in OT) Therefore, his grace must be available outside of the Church and without explicit Christian belief

How has the Catholic church's view on inclusivism changed recently

Moved from exclusivism to inclusivism, that revelation and the presence of the Holy Spirit can appear in other traditions

What did Panikkar believe about the freedom of God

Necessary to respect freedom of God/the divine to work in ways that go beyond human attempts to define it and make it into a series of doctrines (eg revealing himself differently to different people)- humility emphasized, how can we capture God as a distinct set of ideas?

Rahner's second thesis- are the other religions regarded as harmless/equal with Christianity?

No- they contain 'human depravity' and 'error' and are not lawful in the same degree as Christianity ONLY valid until Christianity becomes 'historically real' to those from other religions- it is therefore possible for those who have heard of Christianity but haven't had it become 'historically real' to them may still be saved through non-Christian religion Rahner leaves 'historically real' open to question??

Why do all religions fall short of the truth (Hick)

None can have a noumenal understanding of God- explains contradictions across religions

How is Von Balthasar's view contrasting to Rahner's

One way (Rahner) vs two way interfaith dialogue

Rahner criticisms- anonymous Christian patronising

Patronising to non-Christians as it tells them they don't actually understand their own deep-seated faith and aren't actually worshipping their own God- claims to know more about their religion than they do (why not anonymous Muslim too?)

What is Rahner's transcendental theology

People have to encounter Christianity temporarily within time However despite being stuck in time and space, humans have been made receptive to the transcendent and reach out beyond their own existence This means we can already be living in a state of grace due to our transcendental nature reaching out to the transcendental God

Who is Hick (1922-2012)

Pluralist Living amongst Birmingham's religious diversity, Hick recognised a God of love wouldn't condemn people just because their cultural heritage lead them to serve God in a different non-Christian religion Why would a God, who wishes to save all men, design the world so that only a small minority can achieve salvation?

Comparison of Rahner and Panikkar?

Rahner and Panikkar both have similar ideas regarding different labeling of the same worship of God (anonymous Christians) Rahner would say God wouldn't reveal himself differently in the context of different religions HOWEVER, Panikkar says Rahner limits God's freedom to make himself known however he wishes

Von Balthasar criticism of Rahner's anonymous Christian

Rahner has reduced being Christian to acting virtuously, getting too close to promoting salvation through good works- however, Rahner thinks the good actions COME from implicit faith in God's grace... is Christianity about lifestyle or faith

What is Barth's background for rejecting human reason

Rallied against the liberal German theology, saw Christians around him supporting the war and showed our fallibility

Swinburne- can multiple religions be true

Reality seems to indicate the existence of a God, so nontheistic religions can probably be ruled out No.. there is a conflict in contradictory beliefs about God in different religions eg trinity vs indivisble, so multiple cannot be true

What do Justin Martyr's ideas put into religion

Reason- act in the way Jesus taught you to act through revelation of truth

D'Costa- what is restrictive-access exclusivism

Salvation only available to those who hear and respond to the Gospel before death eg Calvin (God chooses who is saved, UE)

How does Rahner's inclusivism possibly undermine the church

Salvation outside of church means sacraments (eucharist, confession) unnecessary for God's grace- is Church actually necessary? CC defends authority through apostolic succession, meaning sacraments legitimate as priest is enacting them as a mediator between God and man- Rahner makes priests superfluous and their teachings optional CC= mystical entity with real role in salvation, not historical institution

What was Hick's view of how Christianity should be seen

Shouldn't be seen as the truth, but flawed like all religions

What can Rahner's inclusivism provide a solution to

Solves issue of what happens to good non-Christians, explains presence of miracles/morality/religious experiences in non Christian religions without losing distinctness of Christianity

Evaluation of UAE

Some don't have access to Christianity- born unable to achieve/brought up in Muslim country, even persecuted for Christianity? Western-focused

What is universalism

The belief that all people will be saved, irrespective of their beliefs or religious affiliation

What is inclusivism

The belief that although one's own religion is the normative route to salvation, those who arrive at its truths through alternative traditions can still be saved eg Christian teaching of Agape is means to salvation, Muslim happens to follow this message and is saved

What is exclusivism

The belief that only one religious tradition leads to salvation, all others don;t offer the necessary truth

What is pluralism

The belief that salvation can be attained through many different religious traditions

What is particularism

The belief that there is only one specific way of achieving salvation

What is ethnocentrism

The criticism that believers evaluate the merits of other belief systems only in light of their own worldview

What is relativism

The efficacy of religious affiliation or practices in relation to salvation are dependent on the individual and their cultural background

What did Panikkar emphasize (mystery)

The mystery of the divine and God as unknowable, rather than claiming to know the correct way to understand the relationship between faiths

What is Kant's theory of the noumenal vs phenomenal world

The noumenal world contains things as they really are, and the phenomenal world is how things appear We see and interpret the world, and gain a 'phenomenal' understanding from our own perspective as we relate to it

Justin Martyr- what is the parable of the sower

The seeds of the logos were spread throughout the world, so the extent that any person who spoke truly shared in these divine seeds

What is synchretism

The view that all religions or denominations should be brought together since none offer an absolute account of the truth of God. They all offer valuable insights to a presently incomplete picture

What is traditionalism

The view that religions all offer specific and limited perspectives on universal truths and that they should be seen as a product of the cultures and times in which they existed

What is 'The Church' in its institutional sense for Catholics

The visible body of Christians who worship together, the body of Christ on earth

Response of Panikkar and Hick to 'loss of content/watering down' criticism of pluralism

There only appears to be a 'watering down' as what we can say about God IS limited- both maintain deep humility and (P especially) an incomprehensible God

Rahner- how does God's grace enter the world

Through Jesus' atoning sacrifice- mankind is sinful and doesn't deserve salvation, so need Jesus to be saved This grace can then be mediated (distributed) by non Christian religions

What can maybe solve the inclusivism balancing act of universality vs particularity

Transcendental theology

Hick's view on truth-claims of religions

Truth-claims of religions eg Jesus as God incarnate are myth, pictoral expressions of the human relationship with 'the Real', that shouldn't be seen as historical truth Conflicting truth-claims between religions are thus unconflicting, as they are different symbols that are each meaningful in their own contexts

What is Rahner's fourth thesis

Visible Church has a very central role despite not being necessary for salvation Visible symbol for what might be present implicitly elsewhere Missionaries (like Paul) teach the anonymous Christians the truth of what they worship without realising Christians should pray for unity of all people

Swinburne- would God reveal himself differently to different religions

We all observe God in the same way in the natural world God may have violated the law of nature in the context of different religions BUT, this is not possible in the case of contradictory propositions revealed to different people about God- one of these must be false

Evaluation of RAE

Why would an omnibenevolent God only choose some to save? Criticisms of Augustine and Calvin applicable

Why is it significant that there is support for inclusivism in Acts

Written by Paul- Paul interested in what Christianity should be like

Rahner- can God be revealed through creation

Yes, but this natural knowledge is mingled with error

Swinburne- would God answer the prayers of a Muslim, even if it reaffirmed their faith in Allah

Yes- by revealing himself, God increases the probability of all religions being true equally, does not indicate that any one is more probable than other God expects us to use our reason to work our the contradiction in our propositions- the Muslim may convert to Christianity at some point

Why does Kraemer reject inclusivism

You can't be an 'accidental Christian', if you are a Muslim who behaves following Christian morals, you still aren't a Christian

How does Rahner's inclusivism follow on from central Christian beliefs

ie God desires salvation for all Retains Jesus' central role and necessity of crucifixion/resurrection for grace Parallels with Augustine and Aquinas that those before Jesus can be saved through implicit faith