RS a level DCT - pluralism and society

ao1 and ao2

2 quotes from David Ford on scriptural reasoning movement

"gets you deeper into your own texts"

"gets you deeper into the common good… you realise that God is concerned about the whole world"

is evangelism allowed within the scriptural reasoning movement

no

what is the scriptural reasoning movement

the mutual study and interpretation of different religions’ (particularly Abrahamic) sacred literature to help the understanding of different and conflicting religious truth-claims

how is scriptural reasoning carried out (5 points)

texts from all faiths are read in English so everyone can understand

missionary work forbidden

people cannot make generalised claims about their whole faith

themes also discussed e.g. modesty, fasting

the aim is not necessarily to reach an agreement

2 examples of how Christian communities have responded to the challenge of encounters with other faiths

Catholic Church: Redemptoris Missio

Church of England: Sharing the Gospel of Salvation

how many strands of inter-faith dialogue does the CofE identify

4

name the strands of inter-faith dialogue the CofE identifies

informal conversation

faiths working together for common good

formal discussion

shared prayer and worship

describe the 1986 World Wildlife Fund meeting

leaders from 5 different world religions met in Assisi to discuss how their faiths could help care for the environment

2 historical examples David Ford suggests draw attention to inter-faith dialogue

the Holocaust, 9/11

summarise the message of Redemptoris Missio in 5 points

Pope John Paul II reaffirms that missionary work is essential for Christians

Jesus Christ is the only saviour

Christians should feel empowered by the holy spirit to bring others to the faith

IFD should be seen as a part of mission rather than as opposing it

IFD has the aim of uncovering universal truths

quote from Redemptoris Missio showing the recognition of inter-faith truths

“the Church gladly recognises whatever is true and holy in… Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam as a reflection of the Truth”

quote from Redemptoris Missio on IFD

“dialogue should be conducted with the conviction that the Church is the ordinary means of salvation”

summarise the message of Sharing the Gospel of Salvation in 5 points

God’s plan for salvation is uniquely achieved through Jesus Christ

the church has a mission to be a witness to Jesus’ salvation

reminds Christians that their own faith is a result of past missionary work

warns against treating mission as a kind of marketing

reaffirms the reality of the incarnation

quote from Paul Eddy on the Anglican view of mission

“mission should not be seen as a marketing exercise with corporate targets, but rather an expression of love for individuals”

most significant criticism of Scriptural Reasoning Movement

relativises scripture and religious truth

quote from Aristotle that could be used to counter the SRM-relativises argument

“it is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it”

Gavin D’Costa on SRM

it does not achieve the postliberal avoidance of relativism, descending into relativistic pluralism

analogy of scriptural reasoning used by Ford

a ‘tent’ - neutral ground - where different faiths come together, with their different perspectives are unified for one purpose that transcends their differences

quote from D’Costa criticizing the ‘tent’ analogy of scriptual reasoning

“Ford’s tent insinuates… the Bible has no binding authority, nor has the church’s reading of it got primary status”

argument from anti-theist Hitchens on mission

religious people should have the freedom to try and convert people but should be socially looked down on for doing so

quote from Hitchens on keeping religion private/mission contained

“domesticating religion is essential for social cohesion”

why might SRM not be meaningful in promoting social cohesion

poor social cohesion is often a symptom of material inequality rather than being caused by spiritual/religious differences

quote from Ford promoting SRM for social cohesion

“dialogue and collaboration that opens up new ways forward together”

Matthew 28:19 on mission

“go forth and make disciples of all nations”

what is extra ecclesiam nulla salus

the Catholic teaching that there is no salvation outside the Church

how many Catholics are there in the world

1.4 billion

example of a liberal protestant church

Church of England

which former Archbishop of Canterbury stressed outreach through IFD

Justin Welby

what does the ‘Anglican Marks of Mission’ (CofE) stress

importance of evangelism

what does the ‘Generous Love’ (2008) statement by CofE stress

defining IFD as an expression of Christian love and a part of mission

who first defined “anonymous Christians”

Rahner

Redemptoris Missio quote on effectiveness of IFD

“dialogue is a path towards the Kingdom and will certainly bear fruit”

3 core aims of SRM

wisdom, collegiality, hospitality