5. Religious Pluralism and Theology - Rahner and Barth 2

Theological Inclusivism

The view that while Christianity is the path to salvation, some non-Christians can also be saved.

Anonymous Christianity

A concept by Karl Rahner that refers to non-Christians who live a basically Christian life without having heard the Gospel.

Second Vatican Council

A significant council of the Roman Catholic Church that addressed modern inclusivism, particularly through the document Lumen Gentium.

Karl Rahner (1904-1984)

A Roman Catholic priest and theologian known for his influential ideas on inclusivism and anonymous Christianity.

Lumen Gentium

A principal document of the Second Vatican Council that discusses the modern Roman Catholic view on inclusivism.

Seed of the Word

A concept by Justin Martyr suggesting that there are elements of Christian truth found in non-Christian philosophies.

Baptism of Desire

The idea that a person who truly desires to be Christian may be considered 'baptized' even without formal baptism.

Election

The theological concept where God chooses certain individuals (the elect) for salvation, prominent in Calvinism.

Exclusivism

The belief that Christ is the only means of salvation, as held by Karl Barth.

Inclusivism

The belief that salvation may be available to those outside the explicit Christian faith.

Christ’s death as universal

Karl Barth's assertion that Christ’s sacrifice is sufficient to atone for the sins of all men.

Karl Barth

A prominent theologian known for his views on the exclusivity of Christ in salvation while suggesting a form of inclusivism.

Transcendence of God

The idea that God is present everywhere and that all people, including non-Christians, respond to His grace.

Good Neighbourliness

A moral principle that can delineate those who, while not formally Christian, live in accordance with Christian values.

Visible and Invisible Church

Rahner's distinction between the Church as constituted by formal membership and the broader community of those living moral lives.

Natural Theology

The study of God and His attributes through reason and observation of the natural world, rather than through revelation.

Revelation

The disclosure or unveiling of divine truth, particularly in the context of God's communication with humanity.

Karl Barth's Critique of Natural Theology

Barth argued that human reason is insufficient to understand God without divine revelation, emphasizing the uniqueness of Christ.

General Revelation

The belief that knowledge of God can be obtained through nature and human experience, as opposed to special revelation found in scripture.

Special Revelation

The unique and specific ways God makes Himself known to humanity, particularly through events, prophets, and Jesus Christ.

The Word of God

In Barth's theology, it refers to the ultimate revelation of God through Jesus Christ and the scripture.

Anselm's Ontological Argument

A philosophical argument for the existence of God that uses the concept of God as the greatest conceivable being.

Barth vs. Schleiermacher

Barth critiqued Schleiermacher’s emphasis on experience as a foundation for theology, advocating for revelation as the key to understanding God.

Faith and Reason

The relationship between faith in God and human intellectual inquiry, which Barth believed should prioritize divine revelation.

Theological Existentialism

A philosophical theology that emphasizes the subjective experience of existence, often contrasted with Barth's objective view of revelation.