exclusivism

• many verses in the Bible support an exclusivist view of Christianity:

  • John 14:6 - "i am the way and truth and life. no one comes to the Father except through me" (Jesus)
  • Acts 4:12 - "salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved"
• taken at face value, John 14:6 suggests that salvation depends on absolute + explicit commitments to Jesus. some exclusivists make exceptions:

  • children who die before they are able to make this commitment can be saved - this is also reflected in the reason that used to be given for the practice of emergency baptisms
  • those who die never having heard about Jesus - will be judged on the conformity of their lives with NML
• fundamentalists adopt a narrower interpretation of John 14:6

  • salvation depends on declared belief in Christ which means evangelism is an absolute priority
  • the belief in God was uniquely revealed in Christ is seen as a central truth of Christianity, which is threatened by any dilution of exclusivism
• before Vatican II, the official view of the Catholic Church was that there is no salvation outside the Church

  • however, Vatican II emphasised the importance of dialogue with other religions, seeking to foster mutual understanding + respect for different faiths: "what unites us is much greater than what divides us"
  • modern Popes such as Pope Francis, advocate for a more inclusivist view of other religions: "every religion is a way to God"