pluralism + theology

explain exclusivism

• salvation is not possible if you aren’t christian

• salvation is exclusive to baptised members of the christian church

• faith is needed otherwise if people can go to heaven without faith then what is the point of the incarnation, death and resurrection?

• god is immanent and intervenes to make himself known so people know about him

name 3 things needed for people to achieve salvation according to exclusivism

1. must have faith in christ since salvation comes from christ alone (solus christus)

2. faith in christ must come from hearing the gospel either in this life or the next (like people before jesus)

3. believer must be member of christian church
   → might not be possible as there might be no access like saudi arabia

explain a quote for exclusivism

‘outside the church there is no salvation’

explain exclusivism and missionary work

• urgent need to get people to hear gospel and convert so they go to heaven

why is belief in incarnation fundamental to exclusivists?

• makes christianity superior as other religions are based on prophets rather than god

• if jesus is god then he can give true knowledge about god and has authority to tell people how to behave

• without jesus, god is inaccessible and salvation is impossible
  
  ‘no one comes to the father except through me’

briefly explain narrow exclusivism

salvation only for particular denomination
→e.g. only free evangelicals can go to heaven
'enter heaven by the narrow gate’

briefly explain broad exclusivism

all people who accept christ are saved regardless of denomination

what is restrictive access exclusivism (RAE)

• only one religion (christianity) is true, and only people who explicitly follow that can be saved (aka only christians)

• people who have never encountered christianity are still not saved
  → those who accept jesus = heaven / non christians (even if good people)= hell

• ‘no one comes to the father except through me’

why does calvin believe in RAE?

• after the fall, all humans are sinful so god doesn’t have to save any

• being loving, god has chosen some people to elect (known as double predestination)

• 144,000 people would be (mentioned in revelations)

• people who aren’t chosen will go to hell

• people who aren’t christian aren’t part of the elect

evaluate RAE

1. non-christian cultures
   what if people who haven’t heard gospel because they live in a non-christian culture?
   they can’t get salvation but then god is sending people to hell for no fault of their own → geographical

   → aquinas: invincible ignorance, shouldn’t be held accountable
   → calvin and augustine: humans are sinful so god doesn’t have to save anyone but since he’s loving he does allow some to be elected
   → middle knowledge argument: god is omniscient and humans have free will → god knows everything that could happen. he could know who would receive the gospel if it was preached to them, including people before christ
   

2. christian imperialism
   religious conflict and suffering as a result of forcing people to convert
   has been used to colonise people and harm people

explain universal access exclusivism (UAE)

• only one religion is true → Christianity

• salvation is always through Christ, even if people don’t explicitly know Him

• god is fair and loving → gives everyone a chance to receive salvation
  → e.g.learn of god and the gospel after death if you can’t in this life

• god makes sure you hear the gospel some way

• aquinas: invincible ignorance → people who haven’t heard gospel through no fault of their own can still achieve salvation

what does the catholic church think of UAE

• agrees with it

• catholic church is one true church but salvation is available to all people

• people who are ignorant of christianity through ‘no fault of their own’ can be saved if they live morally → achieve salvation unknowingly

what does barth say about exclusivism?

• salvation is only possible through jesus

• other religions should be treated as wrong (RAE) and christianity has exclusive access to things like the trinity

• however, holy spirit could work in everyone and everyone can be called to god and his grace

• god can be working outside of our understanding of church

• christians don’t know the mind of god so cannot judge the fate of other people

• not fully exclusivist or inclusivist- more nuanced

name a limitation of barth

• unsatisfactory to say we can’t know what god intends since it just makes all attempts of theology meaningless if we fall back on this

explain kraemer and RAE

• strong exclusivist

• other religions are false and human made

• non-christians can’t be saved by their own religion and only through explicit faith in christ

• conversion is necessary

• we need to spread good news of gospel like the disciples with the great commission → ‘love thy neighbour’, loving to save from hell

• ‘whoever believes in the son should have eternal life’

name a limitation of kraemer

• if god is all loving then why would he create such a critera for salvation like this?

• cruel of god to send good people to heaven just for not believing (inconsistent with omnibenevolence)

• rahner- anonymous christians

what is sola christus?

christ alone for salvation

name 2 strengths of exclusivism

1. gives a reason to believe
   pluralism and inclusivisim undermine need to have faith and understanding that christianity has specific truths other ones do not
   if salvation is given to everyone then religion, jesus’ death and living a moral life is pointless
   

2. given chance
   god has made salvation available to everyone as christ died for everyone and accepts everyone who believes in him
   but if people don’t want to take this chance, they have chosen their fate and can’t blame god for these consequences
   unjust for god to give salvation to people who reject him
   

name 2 limitations for exclusivism

1. parable of sheep and goats
   people will be judged on actions rather than beliefs
   

2. hick
   denied idea all loving god will send someone to hell who is leading a morally good life for not believing in god
   argue god might have revealed himself in different cultures and ways and he can make himself known however he wants
   god being omniscient means he won’t make mistakes when judging people’s actions and he is forgiving
   → everyone will be saved

name 3 reasons christians think RAE is wrong

• what about people who died before christ?

• what about people who have never heard the gospel?

• do you need to be baptised or is it enough to be intending to be baptised? what if you died in fatal accident on the way?
  → uae could explain

explain the inclusivist view

• catholic position

• church still believes there is no salvation outside of the church

• however, it argues that what counts as being a member of the church is not known to us and is only known to god

• god is a god of justice and love and mercy and wouldn’t unfairly condemn anyone

• he knows what is going on in people’s minds and consciences even if they don’t appear to be in ‘the church’

• balances out- does not want to water down urgency of baptism and life through church but hopes anyone can be saved

what does CCC say about inclusivism

• idea of baptism is needed and catholics should try to get people baptised, but ultimately salvation is up to god

• ‘person who is ignorant of gospel but does will of god can be saved’

explain rahner and inclusivism

• faith can be visible and inviisble

• he defends solus christus principle (christ is needed), but still thinks salvation can occur outside the visible church

• early christians may be wanting to get baptised but were not able to get to church due to being matyred
  → would desire to be in the church be enough? he thinks yes

• therefore, people who desire to be baptised but were stopped through no fault of their own deserve salvation
  
  

• modern days, people outside the church are in a similar position

• muslims and other faiths who practice their religion sincerely are anonymous christians
  → they would join the church if they knew of its power but they haven’t through no fault of their own (e.g. birth in non christian countries and heard about it in a distorted way)

• deep down they have the desire to be with christ (which is needed) but they don’t know how to put it into words

• they anonymously have implicit faith in christ and would follow him under different circumstances

who inspired rahner?

• heidegger

• all knowledge is limited and finite, so we naturally search for meaning and truth and things beyond ourselves
  

what did rahner believe after heidegger?

• humans have an openness to something beyond themselves (god)

• we desire meaning, purpose and eternal life

• naturally orientated towards god even if we don’t realise

• god gives grace to all humans not just christians

• jesus is full of this grace but people can respond to that grace without knowing him explicitly

• salvation is through christ alone but people don’t need explicit knowledge of jesus to be saved

• anonymous christians!

name 3 strengths of inclusivism

1. balances truth and tolerance
   many christians see christianity as the fullest revelation
   this allows for salvation for non-christians though
   avoids harsh exclusivism which can be dangerous while using bible
   anonymous christianity can save anyone
   

2. fits with just god
   god wouldn’t condemn people for simply being ignorant
   more acceptable than exclusivism
   

3. biblical support
   sheep and goats
   judged based on actions rather than faith

name 2 limitations of inclusivism

1. patronising/arrogant
   calling others anonymous christians can seem dismissive and suggests other religions are inferior versions of christianity
   

2. weakens need for faith
   why would we get baptised and have faith if we can go to heaven anyway?
   no need for spreading christianity
   barth: salvation is only through relevation explicitly

explain pluralism

• hick

• christ is just one way amonst other equally valid ways of being saved

• many paths to god

• this comes out of a deep respect for other religions

• strange to say that it is only through christ people can be saved when religion is a matter of where you are born

• change christinaity from christocentric to theocentric
  → aka, reject sola christus

• he rejects christ was incarnation and states he was a good man inspired by god, but no better than any other great religious figure like muhammad

• we need to move christ from centre (chrisocentric) and put god at the centre (theocentric)

• god gives salvation, christ is just one way of achieving it

name 3 strengths of pluralism

1. promotes tolerance and reduces conflict
   avoids religious exclusivity and promotes peaceful co-existence
   secular and diverse society = this is useful
   fits modern contexts
   

2. avoids issue of unfair salvation
   why would a loving god condemn those born into another religion?
   this is more compatiable with an omnibenevolent god
   

3. explains why religious experiences differ
   christians see angels or god or jesus
   muslims see allah
   hindu see one of their gods
   explains why diff religions have diff experiences and they are so real
   seeing things through different lenses but they’re all seeing the exact same thing, just in a diff way
   → cultural upbringing might be why

name 2 limitations of pluralism

1. contradictory with the bible
   ‘no one comes to the father except through me’ in John
   → clearly there is some extent that people need to be christian to be saved
   hard to argue against doctrine
   nice theory to save everyone but might be more cultural than actually backed up
   
   

2. contradicts within religions
   hinduism says polytheism
   christianity says monotheism
   can’t both be fully true at the same time
   islam says jesus is not god
   christianity says jesus is god
   

explain what sheep and goats parable tells us

• god judges people based on their life → everyone is judge

• invites blessed to go to heaven

• sends people who haven’t pursued god to hell
  
  conflicts with augustine’s view that god’s grace is solely what gets us to heaven not our own decisions
  reward or punishment is a consequence of our actions