Religious Pluralism and Theology/Society

Question 1

What is theology of religion?

Answer 1

The branch of theology that examines the status of different religions in relation to each other.

Question 2

What does religious pluralism emphasise?

Answer 2

Christianity preaches the uniqueness of the Christ-event, but beneath this comes the fundamental question of, in a world whether we are more aware of other religions, whether Christianity or one denomination of Christianity has a particular claim to have ‘got it right’.

Question 3

What is Christian exclusivism?

Answer 3

Christian exclusivism is the idea that only Christianity holds the truth and only Christianity can offer salvation.

Question 4

What do Calvinists claim?

Answer 4

Calvinists teach that the Bible is clear that fallen humanity was restored through the unique sacrifice of Jesus, who also taught ‘I am the way and truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me’. John 14:6

Question 5

What is restricted access exclusivism?

Answer 5

Salvation comes from hearing the Christian message and accepting it into your life.

Question 6

What do some exclusivists believe?

Answer 6

Some exclusivists believe that Jesus’ salvation restored the whole of humanity, past, present and future. For these Christians, the emphasis shifts to God wishing to save everyone. Perhaps non religious lifestyles are appropriately moral and spiritual and they will have the Christian message explained to them at the moment of death, or after death, this gives everyone the opportunity to become a Christian.

Question 7

What is universal access exclusivism?

Answer 7

The idea that God wishes everyone to be saved, conforming to an all loving God.

Question 8

What is stated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 843?

Answer 8

The Catholic Church recognises that in other religions that search, among shadows and images, for the God who is unknown yet near since he gives life and breath and all things and wants all men to be saved.

Question 9

What are the Catholic views of exclusivism?

Answer 9

The Catholic Church teaches that there is no salvation outside of the Church, a person must be baptised and live a faithful Catholic life if they are to be in with a chance of going to heaven. This view excludes all other Christian denominations.

Question 10

What are some weaknesses to exclusivism?

Answer 10

1. Exclusivism leads to conflict and wars.
2. The suggestion that if God condemns people who couldn’t have heard the Christian message, then God is not all loving.
3. It does not seem fair that the Catholic Church say that other religions are a preparation for the Gospel but that people cannot be saved if they are not part of the Church.

Question 11

Why could exclusivism make sense if Christianity is right?

Answer 11

If Jesus is the Son of God then it makes sense that Christianity holds the truth in a way others don’t.

Question 12

What is inclusivism?

Answer 12

Inclusivism is the idea that, although Christianity is the one true faith and the normative way to salvation, it is possible for non Christians who are anonymous or invisible Christians to be saved.

Question 13

What is an anonymous Christian?

Answer 13

Someone who is open to Gods grace but not a Christian.

Question 14

What is the normative way to salvation?

Answer 14

The usual or ideal way to be saved, but not necessarily the only one.

Question 15

How can non Christians access benefits of Jesus’ death?

Answer 15

Ultimately, all people have a spiritual aspect to themselves, which makes them search for the truth. If done in an appropriate way, even if from within other faith settings, non Christians can access the same benefits of Jesus’ death on the cross.

Question 16

What did Karl Rahner believe?

Answer 16

Christianity is the one true religion, because of Jesus, but even before Jesus, Christianity had a history and the Old Testament figures must have been able to be saved. Other religions can help people to salvation but only until a person encounters the Christian message, at which point they can accept or reject it. Christian missionaries must not assume that the non Christians they encounter have no experience of the truth. The church needs to be the visible expression of what other institutions have in an invisible way.

Question 17

Why does Rahner draw on Acts 17?

Answer 17

Paul, making a speech at Athens to pagan people, commends his listeners for an alter he found marked ‘to an unknown God’. They had been worshipping the Christian God without knowing, therefore it is St Pauls role to fully explain this God. It is valid for those of other backgrounds to worship God in their own way until they encounter fully the Christian message.

Question 18

Why does Rahner believe God truly wants people to be saved?

Answer 18

Institutions can be a form of anonymous Christianity, they have structures that explore truth and salvation and therefore, can be a means of grace. Individuals can be anonymous Christians as people who do not identify as members of religious institutions can be said to be good and moral and therefore on their own search of truth.

Question 19

What does inclusivism balance?

Answer 19

Inclusivism balances the unique Christ-event and the idea that a loving God would want to save people. It acknowledges the idea of a sensus divinitas. It also conforms to Biblical ideas that the Jewish people were chosen by God and saved without knowing Christ and passages, stating judgement is based on actions not belief.

Question 20

What has inclusivism be accused of?

Answer 20

Inclusivism has been accused of being patronising to other faiths. Rahner is accused of decentralising Christ from salvation and of undermining the role of the Church.

Question 21

Why is inclusivism similar to universal access exclusivism?

Answer 21

Non Christian religions remain inferior to Christianity. It is argued that Rahner is playing with definitions in an attempt to make Christianity appear more approachable.

Question 22

What is pluralism?

Answer 22

Pluralism is the idea that there are many ways to salvation and Christianity is just one of these paths.

Question 23

What is the analogy of the blind men and the elephant?

Answer 23

If a group of blind men come across an elephant, each touching a different part, they will gain a different understanding of the likeness of the elephant; despite each understanding is equally valid.

Question 24

What is Hick’s pluralism?

Answer 24

Hick felt that all that needed to be known should be able to be deduced from this world through religious experience and faith traditions being common in all faiths, people are experiencing and interpreting reality in different ways. Therefore, cultural differences provide the different lenses through which we experience the divine.

Question 25

Who was Hick influenced by?

Answer 25

Hick was influenced by Kant, who distinguished between the noumena, what a thing actually is, and the phenomena , how we individually experience it. Therefore, the noumena of the divine, is one thing, but is experienced through different phenomena. Pluralism understands each of these phenomenal ways as equally valid.

Question 26

What did Hick believe the central point to be in religion?

Answer 26

Christianity is generally Christocentric, but Hick felt that the central point should be God. Hick argued for the theology of religion being theocentric.

Question 27

What does Hicks approach assume?

Answer 27

Hicks approach assumes that Kants philosophical approach is correct. It also assumes that there is a ‘real’ in terms of a divinity of some sort; this is rejected by many forms of Buddhism.

Question 28

Why might Christians challenge Hick?

Answer 28

They may argue that the Christ-event is unique in a way that other religions do not claim. It is faith, especially in the resurrection, that is the challenge for believers. Atheists might challenge him because it seems to assume that there is a reality behind it all.

Question 29

Why is Hicks approach attractive?

Answer 29

In a global society, it recognises that the foundations of many religious beliefs are outdated and narrow, and may need to be reconsidered.

Question 30

What are the disadvantages of pluralism?

Answer 30

Pluralism tries to approach evidence from a natural theology standpoint but fails to notice essential and revealed Christian truth, such as the effect of the Fall on the world and humanity.

Question 31

How his the Enlightenment contributed to multi-faith societies?

Answer 31

This has led to more tolerance in society , which started with the Enlightenment, but facilitated by modern lifestyle.

Question 32

Why has interfaith dialogue taken new direction?

Answer 32

1. Migration has exposed attitudes and beliefs. 2. The Holocaust forced Christianity to think about its relationship with Judaism because strands of institutional anti semitism seemed to still survive. 3. Modern tensions with Islam.

Question 33

What is the exclusive approach to multi faith dialogue?

Answer 33

To open the conversation so that people from other faiths can be converted. To understand where those from other faiths are coming from so they can find common ground and show how said common ground point towards the Christian message?

Question 34

What is the inclusive approach to interfaith dialogue?

Answer 34

To create dialogue between both institutions, anonymous Christianity and anonymous Christians, to understand where each other comes from and how to communicate the Christian message relevantly. The dialogue can provide new openings in the context of mutual respect.

Question 35

What is the pluralist approach to interfaith dialogue?

Answer 35

To discover different understandings of the truth and so to enhance personal understanding of the ‘Real’. Inter faith dialogue serves to stop conflicts between different religions and lead to peace. Some might approach this from looking at shared ways of life before tackling points of theology.

Question 36

What is the Redemptoris Missio?

Answer 36

A Papal encyclical from 1990, written by Pope John Paul II, focused on the missionary work of the church in a multi faith world. Catholics must remember they have a mission to non Catholics, remain open and honest and respectful, but never shy away from the truth of the Gospel.

Question 37

What are some key points from Redemptoris Missio?

Answer 37

1. Interfaith dialogue is an opportunity to give a full account of Christian belief. 2. All religions hold aspects of the truth and are led by the Holy Spirit, so dialogue needs to be respectful, avoids conversion. 3. Missionaries need to be persistent in their work.

Question 38

What is stated in Redemptoris Missio?

Answer 38

‘Dialogue is a path toward the kingdom and will certainly bear fruit, even if the times and seasons are only known to the father’.

Question 39

What is Church of England: Sharing the Gospel of Salvation?

Answer 39

A document from 2010, acknowledges that modern Britain is a multi faith society which everyone shares. This document affirms that salvation has been achieved through the Christ event and therefore, Christians must proclaim this.

Question 40

What is the role of the Christian in Sharing the Gospel of Salvation?

Answer 40

1. Develop good relationships with people in the spirit of welcoming in hopes that they will be baptised in the future. 2. Work for the common good of society. 3. They could be a missionary in a number of different contexts, not just the more obvious ones, and to do this through being proud of your tradition.

Question 41

What is the Scriptural Reasoning Movement?

Answer 41

Scriptural reasoning began in the United States and has been adapted by the Cambridge interfaith programme. It is a tool to help with inter faith dialogue.

Question 42

What is the purpose of the Scriptural Reasoning Movement?

Answer 42

It’s purpose is not to convert anyone but to help those from different faith backgrounds to understand where and why they disagree about different truth claims and to discuss them in a safe place.

Question 43

What are the aims of Scriptural Reasoning?

Answer 43

To maintain a spirit of dialogue. There is no attempt to convert people to one way of thinking. Three core aims are: 1. Wisdom 2. Collegiality 3. Hospitality

Question 44

Why is Scriptural Reasoning hard to criticise?

Answer 44

It has very clear guidelines about what it aims to achieve, the safety of the dialogue and the limits of the discussion. It has clear spiritual benefits for individual participants and encourages tolerance.

Question 45

What are some criticisms of Scriptural Reasoning?

Answer 45

Scriptural reasoning will not work for people from certain traditions within faiths, such as exclusivists or literalists. It could relativise religious beliefs because the methods require that all points are treated as equally important.

Question 46

What is stated in Matthew 28:19?

Answer 46

‘Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’.

Question 47

What is Barths argument?

Answer 47

Barth is an example of where the boundaries between exclusivism and inclusivism can blur. Barth does not seem to have thought that only Christian’s can access Gods grace, the Holy Spirit can work anywhere and God can choose to reveal himself wherever, not just through Christian methods.

Question 48

Why could Barth be considered a universalist?

Answer 48

Barth could be argued to tend towards universalism and the idea that all will be saved, which makes the idea of exclusivism difficult to maintain.