| The term ‘theology of religion' is to be | | | | salvation which God has ordained for the |
| understood here as the branch of Christian theology | | | | communication of His grace. |
| that attempts to theologically and biblically evaluate | | | | Inclusivism has a great appeal to people because of |
| the phenomena of religion. Three important schools | | | | its sympathetic approach to religion. However, it |
| within this field are pluralism, inclusivism, and | | | | ignores the fact of ungodly elements within religions. |
| exclusivism. Each of them will be briefly examined | | | | It would only be a contradiction in terms to conceive |
| here. | | | | of a God who reveals that he is against idolatry and |
| 1. Pluralism | | | | at the same time assert that he saves a person in |
| Pluralism is basically the belief that the world religions | | | | his worship of idols. Jesus said it is by knowing the |
| are true and equally valid in their communication of | | | | truth that one is liberated. When the apostles spoke |
| the truth about God, the world, and salvation. The | | | | of salvation by the name of Jesus, they never |
| chief expounder of this view is John Hick of | | | | meant that people could be saved within allegiance to |
| Claremont Graduate School in California, who first | | | | the lordship of Jesus; on the contrary, they expressly |
| propounded it in his book God and the Universe of | | | | meant that only by a voluntary submission to the |
| Faiths (1973). His view is not different from the | | | | Lord could one be saved. The will of God for |
| popular Hindu view capsulated in Krishna's saying in | | | | salvation of all men in 1 Timothy 2: 4 is qualified by |
| the Bhagavadgita: | | | | His desire that all of them will come to the |
| By whatsoever way men worship Me, even so do I | | | | knowledge of the truth for which Paul testifies as |
| accept them; for, in all ways, O Partha, men walk in | | | | being appointed a preacher. Thus, the Bible is clear on |
| My path. [IV.11] | | | | the point that knowledge of Christ precedes the |
| This is the popular view that all religions lead to the | | | | reception of saving grace in faith. |
| same God and all ways lead to heaven. According to | | | | Inclusivism is seen as arrogantly exclusivist, if seen |
| Hick, Christianity is not the one and only way of | | | | from the perspective of other religions. It tells that |
| salvation, but one among several. To a pluralist such | | | | Hindus are not saved by their dharma, and Muslims |
| as Hick, Christianity is not the absolute, unique, and | | | | are not saved by their works, but all are saved |
| final way to God. While pluralists assert the validity of | | | | unaware by Christ. This not only proves that the |
| all religions, they also deny the finality of all religions. | | | | salvation doctrine of all other religions are false but |
| According to Hick, in the evolutionary scheme of | | | | also that people are not saved because of following |
| things in which at isolated ages and places the early | | | | the religious way of their religion. This is something |
| religions are succeeded by higher religions, it is the | | | | like saying that the neighbor is living by my money |
| same message of God that comes distinctly to a | | | | though it is he who earns his livelihood and lives by it. |
| particular group but as different from the others. Hick | | | | The claim is unwarranted. Finally, Christ assumes a |
| challenges the older view that Christ or Christianity | | | | nebulous and abstract character and personal |
| must be seen at the center of religions. Rather, he | | | | commitment to the historical Christ almost loses |
| says, God must be seen at the center of religions. | | | | soteriological value as can be seen in the case of M. |
| The pluralistic contention is that all religions are | | | | M. Thomas' Christ-centered syncretism. Therefore, |
| fundamentally the same though superficially different. | | | | inclusivism cannot be accepted as Biblically warranted. |
| ‘The attraction of pluralism,' says McGrath, | | | | 3. Exclusivism |
| ‘lies not in its claim to truth, which are | | | | Exclusivism is the theological position that holds to the |
| remarkably elusive and shallow, but in its claim to | | | | finality of the Christian faith in Christ. The finality of |
| foster tolerance among the religions.' To an | | | | Christ means that there is no salvation in |
| evangelical Christian, however, such pluralism only | | | | non-Christian religions. Notable among the exclusivists |
| means the abolition of kerygmatic mission, i.e., the | | | | of this century are Samuel Zwemer, Hendrik |
| mission of evangelizing the world with the salvific | | | | Kraemer, and Lesslie Newbigin. |
| gospel of Jesus Christ. However, the reasons for | | | | Based on the Aristotelian concept of truth as one |
| rejecting pluralism go beyond the cause of | | | | and not many, exclusivists regard all other religious |
| evangelization. Any sincere study of world religions | | | | claims as false and invalid since the Christian revelation |
| expressly reveals that contrary to the pluralistic | | | | is accepted as true. Exclusivists hold that salvation is |
| contention all religions look superficially the same but | | | | through Christ alone. It is through a personal |
| are fundamentally different. Each of them differs | | | | experience of commitment to Christ that one |
| from the rest in its view of God, sin, salvation, death, | | | | receives assurance of salvation. The non-believers |
| and eternity. Obviously, the pantheistic notion of the | | | | cannot receive such assurance since they are neither |
| world as God and the monotheistic notion of the | | | | aware of the uniqueness of Christ neither do they |
| world as creation of God are not the same. The only | | | | acknowledge His lordship. The exclusivist begins with |
| way to call them same is by jettisoning the notion of | | | | the Bible as the source of all knowledge about |
| absolute truth itself; however, that would mean that | | | | spirituality and salvation. The Bible is the criterion of all |
| no absolute statements about anything can be made, | | | | religious truth. The Bible relates the history of |
| including the statement that all religions are the same. | | | | redemption, gives a foundation to personal faith, is a |
| Another point against pluralism is the counterfeit | | | | guidebook of the Christian community, and tells us of |
| posture it assumes. Pluralism contends that it is | | | | the future of the world that links up all history, life, |
| different from exclusivism in that it accepts the | | | | and service with meaning and purpose. Exclusivism, |
| validity of all religions. Thus, truth is both relativized | | | | thus, establishes the uniqueness and identity of |
| and pluralized. However, one basic feature of truth is | | | | Christianity among world religions. Such exclusivism |
| exclusivity. Truth by nature excludes everything else | | | | can take either an extremist or a moderate |
| contrary to it. Thus, every statement in order to be | | | | viewpoint. The extremist view regards all |
| meaningful must exclude all its opposite. Thus, | | | | non-Christian religions as demonic and enemies of |
| pluralism by contending the validity of all religions | | | | Christian truth. On the other hand, the moderate |
| against the segregated contention of each to validity | | | | view sees some non-Christian religions as containing |
| excludes all other views contrary to it. For example, it | | | | elements whereby a dialogue with them can be |
| excludes the view that ‘all religions are not true.' | | | | initiated. However, all exclusivists in general agree that |
| Therefore, though assuming the form of pluralism, it | | | | salvation is exclusively only through Christ and |
| is none other than a variant of exclusivism itself. | | | | received by a personal commitment to the Lord. |
| 2. Inclusivism | | | | An exclusivist view is inevitable in any dialogue of |
| Inclusivism is the belief that God is present in | | | | truth. As has been seen, neither the pluralist nor the |
| non-Christian religions to save the adherents through | | | | inclusivist could avoid being exclusivist at some point. |
| Christ. The inclusivist view has given rise to the | | | | Truth by nature is exclusive and any claim to truth is |
| concept of the anonymous Christian by which is | | | | exclusive. The only way to deny exclusiveness of |
| understood an adherent of a particular religion whom | | | | Christ is to deny the veracity of the Bible. The |
| God saves through Christ, but who personally neither | | | | exclusivist view rightly sees the exclusiveness of the |
| knows the Christ of the Bible nor has converted to | | | | Bible in its proclamation of Christ as the only way of |
| Biblical Christianity. This position was popularized by | | | | salvation. However, at the same time, it must be |
| the Roman Catholic theologian, Karl Rahner (b. 1904). | | | | affirmed that the Bible also speaks of God involved in |
| One important issue that Rahner raises is about the | | | | the history of the nations. Therefore, it must not be |
| salvation of those who have never had the | | | | thought non-Christian religions are totally devoid of |
| opportunity to listen to the gospel Jesus Christ. To | | | | virtue. Thus, though being very vociferous in his |
| Rahner, then, people can be saved apart from | | | | attacks on Hinduism, Nehemiah Goreh could say that |
| allegiance to the Christian church. It is God in Christ | | | | ‘Most erroneous as is the teaching of such |
| who reaches out to the individual in his own personal | | | | books as the Bhagvadgita, the Bhagvata, etc., yet |
| religious history to same him. Rahner used the term | | | | they have taught us something of ananyabhakti |
| ‘anonymous' to denote people who experience | | | | (undivided devotedness to God), of vairagya (giving |
| the grace of God in Christ regardless to what religion | | | | up the world), of namrata (humility), of ksama |
| they belong to. Inclusivism is based on two axioms: | | | | (forbearance), etc., which enables us to appreciate |
| the first is that salvation is through Christ alone, the | | | | the precepts of Christianity.' |
| second is that God wills the whole world to be saved. | | | | Thus, of the various schools of approach to the |
| Consequently, God saves people through Christ alone; | | | | study of religion, theologically speaking, moderate |
| however, he makes this possible through ways that | | | | exclusivism proves to be the best, since it neither |
| extend to all humanity. | | | | distorts the meaning of truth, as pluralism does, nor |
| To Rahner, a non-Christian religion is a lawful religion | | | | forces itself over the other religions, as inclusivism |
| for until its followers have a Christian witness it is a | | | | does, but remains true to its source of doctrine, viz. |
| means by which non-Christians gain a right relationship | | | | the Bible. |
| with God. Also, the religion is included in God's plan of | | | | |