Inclusivism

• What is inclusivism?

  The view that one’s religion is the ‘final’ way to salvation, but there are other religion which have partial or complete truth which can be included in salvation too
• other religions may have aspects of belief that are compatible to Christianity e.g…?

  ‘there is neither jew nor gentlie, slave nor free for you are all one in Christ Jesus’
• Christianity is the normative means of salvation BUT…?

  ‘Anonymous Christians’ can also be saved - because, whilst Christianity is the truth, aspects of its truth can be found in other religion - seen in the similarities between religions e.g. moral teachings about helping others
• Jesus died for everyone BUT not everyone knows this therefore…?

  a devout follower of another, similar religion can still achieve salvation, because they’re an ‘anonymous Christian‘
• who‘s concept is the idea of anonymous Christian’s?

  Karl Rahner
• what does Rahner say?

  ’anonymous Christianity means that a person lives in the grace of God and attains salvation outside of explicitly constituted Christianity‘
• for anonymous Christian’s, Jesus is still..?

  the sole source of salvation, but it is not only Christian’s who can be saved by him
• explain Rahner’s ‘anonymous Christian’s‘

  an anonymous Christian is a person who is connected with God through Jesus, without realising it, through being a member of another religion
• (anonymous Christian’s) the church is not confined to the visible institution of the church BUT…?

  is comprised of those who’s behaviour and values reflect those of a Christian
• a closed approach to inclusivism is:

  you have to be a Christian, but all the denominations will reach salvation
• an open approach to inclusivism is:

  John Hick’s universalist approach
• a quote from scripture that supports inclusivism?

  ‘[God] is not far from any one of us, for in him we live and move and have our being’
• another quote from scripture that supports inclusivism - then Peter began to speak…?

  ‘I now realise how true it is that god does not show favouritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right’
• (s) what is inclusivism more consistent with?

  God’s omnibenevolence, it means those who, through no fault of their own, have not heard about Jesus can still be saved (otherwise many people e.g. those who lived before Jesus would be unfairly excluded from salvation)
• (s) what is inclusivism consistent with?

  the parable of the sheep and the goats - Jesus teaches that salvation is based on the performance of good works, followers who perform these good works can be regarded as ‘anonymous Christians’ because they are following Jesus’ teachings, even if they don’t see themselves as Christian’s
• (w) it may be seen as patronising to…?

  say somebody is an ‘anonymous christian’
• (w) why might it be patronising to say somebody is an ‘anonymous Christian’?

  it undermined their own beliefs and maintains that Christianity is the ‘truth’ - in contrast, Hick promotes pluralism and says that all religions are equally valid truths
• (w) what does inclusivism devalue?

  Christian doctrines such as the trinity, exclusivists would criticise inclusivism for devaluing the importance of Christian doctrines e.g. the trinity
• (w) what does inclusivism diminish?

  the importance of Christian practices which are unique to the religion, Jesus said ‘nobody comes to the father except through me‘