F: Historical Developments in Religious Thought - challenges from pluralism and diversity within a tradition

pluralism

all major world faiths are equally valid but imperfect responses to the ultimate

religious pluralism

pluralism says that Christianity is not the only source of exclusive truth for everyone, other religions may be considered equally valid even if they claim to be exclusively true and at least some claims of truth by other religions are expressions of universal truth

Religious tolerance

Christianity is the only source of truth but others are entitled to hold their won ideas, alternate views are still an error but their existence is acceptance, and toleration ensures that no harm comes to legitimate believers via persecution

Exclusivism

OT clearly states that the covenant that existed between god and the jewish nation is exclusive, he commands they worship one god only and that they are chosen by him alone

Cyprian of Carthage on exclusivism

extra ecclesium nulla salus "outside the church no salvation"

OT biblical evidence for exclusivism

Deuteronomy 6:5, Joshua 23:16

Deuteronomy 6:5

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

Joshua 23:16

"if you transgress the covenant of the lord your god.. you shall perish quickly."

NT exclusivism widens

the covenant to gentiles, but Christianity still states that it is only through Christ that people will be saved

NT biblical evidence for exclusivism

John 14:6, Acts 4:12

John 14:6

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Acts 4:12

there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

Inclusivism

an acceptance that while Christianity is completely true, other religions may hold partial truth

OT inclusivity biblical evidence

Leviticus 19:34, Micah 4:5

Leviticus 19:34

'The aline who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself'

Micah 4:5

For all the peoples will walk, each in the name of its god, But we will walk in the name of Lord our God forever and ever.

NT inclusivism bible evidence

Mark 9:40, 1 Corinthians 10:32

Mark 9:40

whoever is not against us is for us.

1 Corinthians 10:32

Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God,

exclusivism definition

Christianity is the only way and all other religions are in error, my faith is the only true faith

the Real

the ultimate reality that Christians call 'God" but others use different terms for

Phenomena

things as we perceive and interpret them through our senses

Noumena

objective reality, independent of our senses

paradigm shift

a fundamental change in approach

degree christology

Jesus was a human with a high degree of divine awareness, not a dual nature

John Hick challenged exclusivist Christian theology that claims...

God founded christianity alone, he requires all humans to enter this faith and those in the faith are closer to God than those outside it

Hick challenge inclusvism as

it retains elements of exclusivism, it holds that christianity is the superior route to God/salvation even if there are truths within other world faiths

Hick advocated for a

copernican revolution of theology from being christocentric to theocentric

common elements in world faiths

the central concern of all world faiths is salvation/liberation from self cent redness towards an understanding of the Real, and doctrines from world faiths may conflict but not the experience of a transcendent reality that lies behind them

Hick claims that religions are

phenomena whilst the Real is noumena

Hick on the noumena

like a white light before it has been refracted into rainbow colours through a glass prism, different religions have different cultural conceptions of the Real they experience it differently but correctly

Rumi 13th century poet in support

"the lamps are different but the light is the same"

Hick explaining the reasons for different religions

we all experience the same objective reality of the Real but we use out culturally conditioned language to describe it, this has hardened into doctrine which leads to absolutism

Hick uses Budda example

blind men and elephant, each feel different part of elephant and understand it partially when really it is one ultimate reality (truck is a snake, leg is a pillar)

Hick supported

religious pluralism, this invited paradigm shift where Christian symbols are interpreted differently

Hicks paradigm shift

traditional expressions of the incarnation such as the Nicene creed should be abandoned as they are no longer helpful, Jesus is not the only way to salvation as he is a human with degree christology, and christianity should be free to explore and borrow form other faiths

Inclusivism for Hick involves...

complex twists and adjustments of the traditional doctrine of exclusivism to make it work, this indicates that it is a dying dogma that should be abandoned

Rahner on pluralism

one of the greatest opponents of Roman Catholicism as it rejects church authority and has no firm conviction of Christ

Rahner believed that those who are not part of the church cannot...

be dismissed as they may still be aware of God's presence and respond to it

How many theses does Rahner have

4 theses to develop his inclusivism

lawful religion

a religion that provides the means of a relationship with god

anonymous christian

a non christian who is given salvation, through Christ, outside of the church

implicit faith

a person's acceptance of their duties, yet no direct knowledge of christ

explicit faith

a conscious relationship with Christ through scripture

thesis 1

Christianity is the one absolute authority concerning salvation, the historical christ is the only route to salvation, god desires salvation for all, salvation as possible before people could known of the historical christ

Acts 17:22

Rahner's theme of "God pleasing pagan", Paul speaks positively about lawful religions

thesis 2

acts 17:22 shows that other religions are incorrect but Amy lead people to god, all religions that lead people to god are lawful religions, non christian religions contain error so they are not harmless, god uses other religions to reach those who cannot truly hear of Christ

thesis 3

atheists and other non christians who are unable to respond to christ may be anonymous christians, god is already working within them through christ even if they do not know it, Christian missionaries should recognise this and show respect, the anonymous christian exhibits genuine faith through their behaviour and attitudes

thesis 4

conversion to christianity helps the anonymous christian complete their journey, the work of the church is to bring people out of implicit faith in Christ and bring them toward explicit faith, even the rejection of the christian message may not always be a rejection of Christ, not all will be saved

Rainer was appointed as

advise during Vatican II and inclsuivism is the official position of the RCC

Differences between Rahner and Hick: Hick

Hick is a pluralist, Christianity has no authority over other faiths, all faiths may equally lead to the divine, all faiths have cultural interpretation of the Real and any world faith can be explored and borrowed from

Differences between Rahner and Hick: Rahner

inclusivity, christianity is superior, other faiths are lawful but contain a flawed path to the divine, God uses other faiths but they are not harmless, and people people should be lead towards explicit christian faith

Christian Universalism vs pluralistic universalism: christian universalism

God will save everyone through christ, he cannot fail and will accomplish what he set out to do, punishment for sin by God after death is temporary, there is no eternal damnation for everyone and this position has existed as a distinct denomination and as a theological position

Christian Universalism vs pluralistic universalism: pluralistic universalism

Hick, salvation and liberation are offered in all the world's religions, many religions can be the path to salvation, all religions understand the Real from their own cultural perspective, this is not relativism - religion can be judged by its effectiveness in helping people