Dillon Precious Pluralism and Theology
Theology:
Exclusivism: the belief that only one religion is authoritative in teaching the truth or the path
to salvation.
o Total Replacement: a model of exclusivism where the beliefs of a particular faith are
regarded as true with all other religions being regarded as false.
o Christian Exclusivism: the view that only Christian teaching grants true knowledge
about the path to salvation.
Inclusivism: the belief that while one religion is authoritative or true other religions may
have partial insight. This can be differing denominations within Christianity, or just hold
Christian values and live a good life.
o Partial Replacement: a model of exclusivism or inclusivism which holds other
religions might have access to some truth about salvation but not the complete
truth.
Pluralism: the belief that no religions have a claim to absolute truth and that multiple
religions may have equally valid claims to truth.
Biblical Realism: the view that the Bible is an authentic source of true knowledge about the
world.
Key Thinkers:
o Exclusivism – Kraemer, Barth.
o Inclusivism – Rahner.
o Pluralism – Hick.
John Hick (1922-2012):
God and the Universe of Texts.
Hick is perhaps simultaneously one of the most influential and most controversial
philosophers of religion in the 20th century.
Although protestant, he argued that much of the Bible should be thought of as myth and
other contentious ideas such as purgatory, universalism, and pluralism, should be adopted
by Christians.
The Problem:
o 1. God desires all people to be saved.
o 2. Salvation is only possible through Christ.
The Categories:
o There are three generally agreed-upon categories to distinguish differing Christian
attitudes to salvation in other religions:
1. Exclusivism (e.g., Kraemer / Barth).
2. Inclusivism (e.g., Rahner).
3. Pluralism (e.g., Hick).
Gavin D’Costa warns us not to take the three labels (inclusivist, exclusivist, and pluralist) as
absolute and impermeable. They are best seen as useful methods of categorisation in
Christian approaches to other religions. There are views which “fall between the gaps” of
these three terms.
o The statements of the second Vatican Council on the relation of the Catholic Church
to other faiths are, as Alister McGrath says, “revelationally inclusive, yet
soteriologically particularist [exclusivist].”
, Dillon Precious Pluralism and Theology
Exclusive Views:
However, some (e.g., Tertullian) divided Greek philosophy and the Judaeo-Christian
tradition sharply – “What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?”
Pagan religion was often characterised as demonic, and this has at least partial biblical
warrant: “No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not God. I do
not want you to be partners with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup
of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.” – 1
Corinthians 10:20-21.
These statements provide support for exclusivism, what its emphasis on the singular
importance of Christianity.
Theological exclusivism raises two important issues about the nature of God:
o 1. Can God be known outside of Christianity?
o 2. Is knowledge of God the same as receiving salvation?
Gavin D’Costa distinguishes two kinds of theological exclusivism – Restrictive access
Exclusivism, and Universal Access Exclusivism.
Roman Catholic Church:
The official teaching of the Roman Catholic Church is that:
o “The Catholic Church rejects nothing of what is true and holy in these religions. She
has a high regard for the manner of life and conduct, the precepts, and teachings,
which, although differing in many ways from her own teaching, nonetheless often
reflect a ray of Truth which enlightens everyone.” – Pope Paul VI, Nostra Aetate.
So, while there is every reason to be respectful and non-judgemental of non-Christian
religions as they “often reflect a ray of Truth,” these religions lack the necessary “controlling
beliefs” as defined by the Catholic Church and cannot be the means of salvation. In Dominus
Lesus, the Church makes it clear that the position of theological pluralism or relativism
undermines the unicity of the Church and the “fullness” of Christ’s salvation.
Many consider the Catholic Church’s position as non-exclusive but in fact inclusive because it
recognises the Truth within other religions. This not only indicates the ambiguity and
limitations of using the exclusive-inclusive model, but the problems inherent in the theology
of religion of wishing to respect the integrity of each religion (exclusivism) while not wishing
to limit God by human standards (inclusivism).
