Religious Pluralism and Theology: Exclusivism, Inclusivism and Pluralism
example essays
1. Discuss critically the view that if Christ is the 'truth' there can be no other means of salvation. 2. "Non-Christians who live morally good lives and genuinely seek God can be considered to be 'anonymous Christians'. Discuss.
Karl Barth
You can only truly know God through Jesus Christ, the Bible and the teachings of the Church. Jesus is the living word of God. The word consists of 3 forms: -THE BIBLE- witness to revelation of God in Christ -THE CHURCH- teachings bring the Christian message to people spreading the gospel. -JESUS CHRIST- word of God in human form, teaching and exemplifying God's love to humanity. (Jesus is the only genuine truly reliable way of knowing God.)
Kraemer
"The Christian message in a non-Christian world"- emphasises the necessity in converting to Christianity in order to achieve salvation. To understand God's creativity through reason, salvation can only be found in Christianity and no other religion. All world religions need evaluating as whole systems- can't pick and mix across different faiths or take them apart. Religion as a whole either accepts the salvation offered by Christ or it does not
Panikkar and religious pluralism
1. There are not many different truths and the world religions are not different ways of expressing the truth. Instead, he believed in 'OPENNESS', rather than claiming to know what the truth is or where it might be found. 2. We must discover truth by living it, choosing actions within a vision of harmony between people, and what it means to be humans in the presence of the divine- without destroying different cultural traditions and diversity. 3. We must respect the freedom of God, and go beyond human attempts to define it and make it into a system of doctrines.
Hick
A God of love wouldn't condemn and deny a person salvation, just because their cultural heritage was such that they were looking to serve God in a religion other than Christianity. -Called for a COPERNICAN REVOLUTION.' in theology. Copernicus was originally met with resistance when he claimed that the Earth was not at the centre of the universe but that it orbited the sub. Hick uses this to say that instead of seeing Christianity as a normative absolute, and measuring other religions against it, we should instead put 'GOD' or 'REALITY' in the centre. Religion is a human phenomenal way of understanding the world. PHENOMENAL= as it appears to us. NOUMENAL=things as they really are. All religions are human constructs , where we filter our understanding of God in accordance with our ow contexts and cultural upbringing. Not every religion holds the truth because they all lack a noumenal understanding of God. Christianity shouldn't be understood as the 'truth'.Truth claims of Christianity (e.g. Jesus' resurrection, Mary a virgin when she gave birth) were not literal facts but myths and should be understood as such. Once they are understood as a myth, the difference between the truth claims of different religions because different symbols and each meaningful in their own context rather than contradictory.
Broad Exclusivism
All people who accept Christ through faith are saved, regardless of the kind of Church they attend or the kind of worship they prefer. Some believe truth can be found in other religions but only a partial truth- yet not enough for salvation as salvation can only be achieved through Christianity.
Exclusivism evaluation
Exclusivism is not compatible with the idea of an all-loving and forgiving God. It suggests that God loves some people more than others, because some people have more opportunities to become Christian that others. God loves all regardless of faith-equal. It creates social division and conflict, as it fails to recognise the richness and wisdom of other world religions by arrogantly assuming tat Christians know best and that Christianity and Christ are superior.
Evaluation- Why I agree with Hick
I agree as every person is created equally in the image of God so an omnibenevolent God would not send morally good non-Christian to hell just because they chose a different path to Christians. I agree that it is wrong to put Christianity in the centre as it is important to value all religions equally and appreciate them for their differences and beliefs. People should be able to follow whichever religion is important to them, without out feeling second to Christianity. We are imperfect and unintelligent so we do not know the truth. We should be free to choose what path to go down to find what we may view as the truth for us, rather than imposing a truth on society as we cannot prove it. There are many ways. God is free to save whoever he wants regardless of religion in order to make society fair.
EvAlUaTiOn
Inclusivism is very arrogant to state that Christian belief is the best and putting itself as the judge and measure of other faiths. People who have made free choices to have beliefs that are not Christian should not be labelled as 'anonymous Christians'- if they wanted to be Christians they would say so. It's highly dismissive an demeaning of other faiths and a very vain view to believe that Christianity is superior. If everyone is equal in equal in the eyes of God and created equally, then it is wrong to suggest that Christianity is the only way. All faiths are as important, just like people. How can Jews unconsciously believe in Jesus when they follow Moses? How can Muslims unconsciously worship Jesus when they worship Prophet Muhammad Just because someone acts in ways that support the Golden Rule or Situation Ethics does not mean that they are really worshipping Christ. They are universal beliefs about the right thing to do that has nothing to do with faith or indeed Christianity.
Inclusivism beliefs
Only Christianity has the truth because only Christianity has Jesus- yet salvation is still possible for people who become Christian after death. (because we can still hear and respond to gospel after death so God gives people a chance to repent and turn to him before entering heaven. An omni-benevolent God would allow non Christians to have salvation- they are following God in the context of another religion. Truth found in religions other than Christianity is the work of Jesus although they don't know thus- they may call Jesus other names but are still following him and accepting him.
Karl Rahner
Rejected the exclusivist idea that there can be no salvation outside of Christianity. Other religions may aid their followers towards salvation- and Christ may offer those salvation who haven't respond to God in the Christian message. e.g. Moses, Abraham and Job lived before Jesus but dedicated their lives to God- but unaware that this came through Jesus revelation. There people are 'anonymous Christians'. They don't call themselves Christian, go to Church or read the Bible, but through their decisions and attitudes- they are really worshipping Christ without knowing it so are not excluded from salvation.
Narrow Exclusivism
Salvation is only available to people who belong to their denomination. Only those baptised into the RC Church and who regularly receive the Eucharist (bread and wine) will get to heaven. Catholic Motto: EXTRA ECCLESIAN NULLA SALUS"- THERE IS NO SALVATION OUTSIDE THE CHURCH. Augustine (4th C) and Calvin (16th C) believed and taught that God elects through grace only a small number heaven- Gods choice, nothing can change that.
Evaluation
Some believe his theology isn't entirely exclusivist. Although he emphasises the centrality of Christ in salvation, he also emphasises that God can and does reveal himself when he chooses, which could leave open the possibility of God choosing to reveal himself in other ways. It's highly dismissive an demeaning of other faiths and a very vain view to believe that Christianity is superior.
Pluralism overview
THE SIX BLIND MEN AND THE ELEPHANT: There isn't one definite answer as to what an elephant feels like, in the same way that there is no religion that is more important than any other.
Explain Exclusivism
THE VIEW THAT ONLY ONE RELIGION OFFERS THE COMPLETE MEANS OF SALVATION. Many Christians believe that Jesus died on the cross to redeem everyone from the consequences of original sin. However, they also believe that only those who "believe in Him shall not die and have eternal life." (John 3:16) You have to believe in Christ to gain salvation. Jesus: "No one gets to the father except through me."
