Religious pluralism and theology

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  • Created by: 09riversj
  • Created on: 19-02-20 14:14
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  • Religious pluralism and theology
    • Exclusivism
      • D'Costa
        • RAE
          • = salvation only through Christ
            • Controlling beliefs
              • 'sola Christus' = only through Christ
                • John: 'No one gets to the Father except through me'
              • 'audi ex fidetu' = hearing the Gospel
              • Accepting baptism
              • Sinfulness of human nature
          • Barth: God reveals to those whom he chooses aka the elect
          • Kraemer: Religion should be considered in its entirety not piece by piece - either a religions accepts salvation by Christ or not
            • Calvin
        • UAE
          • = God wills salvation for everyone, but must work for it - only through the Church
            • Timothy 1 - God enables all to have the knowledge and gave Jesus as a means
            • RCC: In 'Domini Jesus' it says pluralism and inclusivity undermines Jesus' sarifice
              • 'extra ecclesium nulla salis' = there is no salvation outside the Church
          • Pope Paul: 'the Truth which enlightens everyone'
          • Oneness/unicity - RCC satisfies the necessary conditions for salvation whereas other religions are 'deficient'
            • Non-christian religions 'reflect a ray of that Truth'
      • Broad = all Christians will be saved
      • Narrow = only some Christian denominations will be saved
        • RCC: 'extra ecclesium nulla salis'
    • Inclusivism
      • = Christianity is the best way to salvation but there is a possibility for those outside to also receive it
        • KOG is innate - Calvin sensus divinitatis
        • After death, in the beatific vision (coming face to face with God) they will convert to Christianity
        • God is omnibenevolent - wills the salvation for all
        • Non-Christian religions 'reflect rays of the Truth' - the Golden Rule is also in Judaism and Islam
      • D'Costa
        • Structural Inclusivism (SI)
          • Rahner
            • Human experience of knowledge is limited and finite -> gives is an 'openness' to God -> we desire salvation
            • When you go into yourself and reflect on your being you are realising God's grace
              • This is IMPLICIT knowledge - cannot be proven but supported by many religions
                • Only Christianity provides EXPLICIT knowledge
            • Anonymous Christianity = having an openness to grace or following the Christian ideals but not a Christian
              • Aquinas' Votum Ecclesia = invisible Church - for those who don't have the opportunity to receive Christ
                • Inculpable ignorant
                • Lived before Christ
              • Heidegger: As humans, we instinctively desire grace - following another religion is sufficient
          • = when the structure of another religions provides an 'openness' to God and salvation
          • Parable of the Sheep and the Goats
        • Restrictive Inclusivism (RI)
          • God makes provisions for those who do not receive the Gospel
          • Even if they follow the natural law, have a conscience and engage with their religion
          • Cannot be considered to be salvific
    • Pluralism
      • Problems
      • = multiple paths to salvation of which Xtianity is one
      • D'Costa
        • Unitary Theological Pluralism (UTP)
          • Hick
            • The philosophicalbasis
              • Kant and the an-Sich
                • Whilst religions are phenomenally different, they are nominally the same
                  • Refer to the same underlying an-Sich aka Eternal One
                • It became apparent to Hick that not all religions are theistic
              • Wittgenstein, language and 'see-the-world-as-is'
                • Wittgenstein's duck rabbit image shows how different people view the same image
                  • Similar for God, one God but interpreted differently - e.g. Hindu Brahman, Trinity in Xtianity
                • Wittgenstein's analysis of language is that how humans express experiences is ambiguous
              • Morality and the reality-entered life
                • Religious people live moral lives and undeniable of their positive contributions to the world - mission work
            • The theological task
              • Theocentric (God-centred) not Christocentric (Christ)
                • Job of theologians to reinterpret scriptures as myths not facts - gives symbolic significance
                  • In particular the reincarnation etc. to remove the exclusivity of Xtianity - allows for wholly belief in God
                  • Bultmann: demythologising the Bible -> inclusive/ pluralist historical text with symbolic stories
              • The myth of Jesus' divinity
                • Remove the sola Christus
                  • Meant to show Jesus' special consciousness of God
                    • But, became falsely objectified and treated a fact over myth
                • When the sola Christus is removed what is left of Xtianity?
        • Pluriform Theological Pluralism (PTP)
          • Ward
            • UTP still claims 'one light many lamps'
              • PTP argues there can be many many lights
                • Like Indra's Net - interlinking and reflect each other
              • Creates a hierarchy of truth claims by religions - instead many truths
        • Ethical Theological Pluralism (ETP)
          • Knitter
            • Religions share aims one of which is soteriology
            • UTP suffers from same imperialism is tries to avoid
            • Advocate for inter-faith dialogue - tolerance
              • Agrees with liberation theology's bottom up approach - removing injustice
    • Discussion points
      • What are the necessary and sufficient conditions/controlling beliefs for salvation?

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