Essay plans!

• ‘Inclusivism is the most persuasive position in theology of religions’ Discuss.

  • Christianity is the one true religion but it is possible for non-Christians to be saved through other religions

  1. It is faithful to biblical evidence
  2. There is support in Christian tradition for the teaching

  Overall is the most persuasive
• It is faithful biblical evidence.


  John 14:2, ‘In my fathers house there are many rooms’ - Predestination is not needed - Romans 2, God ”will repay each person according to what they’ve done” - we can deserve heaven through our own efforts

  John 14:6 only claims that it is through Jesus that people are saved - Jesus is the mechanism - belief in him is not required

  Parable of the sheep and the goats, ‘Whatever you did for one the least of these brothers and sister of mine, you did for me’ - supports unlimited elections - those who are saved by their good acts - not their faith
• It is not faithful Biblical evidence

  • John 14:6, ‘I am the way the truth and the life’ - exclusivism - Jesus is ‘truth’ - other religions are false
  • John 3:18, ‘Whoever believes in is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned’ - Jesus is a requirement for salvation
• There is support in Christian tradition for the teaching

  Raher used Aquinas’ Votum Ecclesia - wanting to be a member of the Church e.g. died on the way to Church was ok - Ecclesia ab Abel, ancient church tradition of treating the Jewish tradition as before Christ as forming a proto

  2nd Vatican council teaching - stated Nostra Aetat (other religions can have rays of truth) - Lumen Gentium, ‘Those also can attain salvation who through no fault of their own do not know the Gospel of Christ or His Church’

  Pelagius found the doctrine of original sin very unfair - contradictory to niceness
• There is not support in Christian Traditions

  Saint Cyril - ‘Let us shun those from whom God turns away’ - Extra Ecclesia Nulla Salus, Outside the Church there is not foundation

  Christian tradition that humanity is sinful - Augustine genesis story - need Gods grace to be salvific for salvation