Christianity, migration and pluralism

• Absolutist 


  A position whereby a person believes that there is a right view and a wrong view
• Relativist 


  A position whereby a person believes that the rightness or wrongness of a view depends on where they stand relative to that view
• Braithwaite's view 


  Claims of the world's religions can be addressed by suggesting that different cultures and different religions respond to and interpret 'God' in different ways
• The world's religions are different, but equally valid expressions of ethical intentions
• UK Migration 


  Migrants come to the UK from a variety of countries. There was an estimated 39.5 million passenger arrivals in 2020, and there were 1 million visas granted also in 2020.
• The balance between religious communities is effected by immigration/migration
• Religious pluralism is allowed, and it is illegal to prohibit or restrict the practise of religion
• Issues with religious pluralism and multiculturalism

  Opposing truth claims - multiculturalism assumes no culture is going to claim to be best
• Issues with religious pluralism and multiculturalism


  Could lead to tension and conflict between religious
• Issues with religious pluralism and multiculturalism


  Immigrant communities who isolate themselves could become subject to discrimination
• Issues with religious pluralism and multiculturalism


  People may become afraid to challenge questionable cultural practises that are harmful or illegal because they don't want to be labelled as racist
• Hick's universalist view

  Universalism - The belief that all humans will be saved regardless of their faith
• Hick's universalist view


  Has been challenged by many, including Paul Griffiths. Griffiths questions how the theory deals with religious groups with extremist views. There are also issues with religious groups whose practises go against the norms of society, for example Jahovas witnesses and Mormons
• Hick's universalist view


  If Hick's view was accepted, it would help for unity and relationships between different denominations of Christianity
• Migration 


  People travelling from one part of the world to another
• Multicultural 


  The presence of support for several distinct cultural or ethnic groups within a society
• Pluralism 


  Variety or diversity within a society
• Religious pluralism 


  Variety or diversity of religion within society
• Recap of religion according to the 2011 census


  Christian - decreasing

  Islam - rising

  Non-religious/no religion - rising

  Other religions - rising
• Britain is more multicultural than in the past, some areas are still multicultural - migrant groups tend to settle in particular places where they could find work and the Government specifically settled some groups in certain areas that had the capacity to receive them e.g. Pakistanis in Yorkshire
• Freedom of religion as a human right in European law


  In the UK, freedom of religion and religious expression is enshrined in law. The 1950 European Convention of Human Rights article 9 adopted as a law article 18 of the 1948 UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This grants people "the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion"
• Religious pluralism as a feature of modern secular states


  As a modern secular state (Government independent of religion) and multicultural society, Britain is a country that exhibits religious pluralism. A society in which religious pluralism is embraced is characterised by dialogue and tolerance between different religions. Many have a positive attitude toward this. However, many others would criticise multiculturalism and religious pluralism. Furthermore, cultural practises such as arranged marriages are frowned upon in the UK
• The influence of this context on Christian thought

  The context of religious pluralism will be apparent in what follows in the future. The growth that Christianity has experienced recently is been through the influx of ethnic-minority Christians into the UK.
• Christian attitudes to other faiths: Exclusivism with reference to John 14:6


  Traditional Christianity is exclusivist. Exclusivism is associated with conservative, evangelical and Fundamentalist Christians. The more 'liberal' Christians tend to be inclusivist. Both sets of Christians interpret the Bible in different ways
• Christian attitudes to other faiths: Exclusivism in the Bible


  "If you violate the covenant of the Lord of your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the Lord's anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you" Joshua 23:16
• Christian attitudes to other faiths: Exclusivism in the Bible

  "Jesus answered 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the father except through me" John 14:6
• Christian attitudes to other faiths: Exclusivism in the Bible


  "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven give to mankind by which we must be saved" Acts 4:12
• Christian attitudes towards other faiths

  Karl Rahner - C20th century - Catholic theologian who is associated with the term 'anonymous Christian'. "We might therefore, put it as follows: the 'anonymous Christian' in our sense of the term is pagan after the beginning of the Christian mission'
• Criticisms of exclusivism 


  Exclusivism is seen by liberals as based on a too narrow interpretation of the Bible. They would see it as limiting God's unconditional love and forgiveness and contradicting the general picture of God presented by Jesus.
• Criticisms of inclusivism 


  By contrast, exclusivists would understand inclusivists as departing from traditional Christianity and a faithful interpretation of what the bible actually says. Other liberals such as Hick have criticised Rahner for being 'paternalistic' - providing an approach that is patronising and insulting to other religions
• How Christian denominations view each other

  There has never been uniformity within the Church and there are many different Christian denominations. In 1054, The "Great Schism" split the Western Catholic church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. In the 16th century, the Protestant Church split off further from the Catholic Church in the reformation. Since then, there has been further splits and in the UK there are three main denominations
• How Christian denominations view each other

  The Catholic Church sees itself as the True Church, directly descended from the the first apostles. Liberal Catholics are usually 'closed-inclusivist'

  Protestant evangelical Churches have many sub-denominations, they can sometimes be exclusivist

  The Church of England has lots of diversity within it, but it tends to be liberal and inclusivist
• Pluralism and John Hick


  Hick became a religious pluralist and a universalist. Hick believed that all people will eventually arrive in Heaven. This is seen in his Soul Making Theodicy
• In our society, Christians have the right to believe and to express themselves. However, is religious practises infringe the rights of others or incited hatred they will be punished
• Freedom of religious expression case studies

  Mr and Mrs Bell refused to let a gay couple stay in their hotel

  Mr Lee who runs Ashers baking refused to make a cake with the slogan 'Support gay marriage' in Northern Ireland

  Shirley Chaplin - was forbidden for wearing a cross necklace to work (Nurse)