Christian Theology of Religions Assignment
docx
keyboard_arrow_up
School
Liberty University *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
525
Subject
Philosophy
Date
Dec 6, 2023
Type
docx
Pages
24
Uploaded by BaronWaterPenguin11
Christian Theology of Religions Assignment
Pluralism
Arrie Elizabeth Harlan
APOL 525: Pluralism and World Religions
October 8, 2023
Contents
I.
Introduction
........................................................................................................................
1
II. Pluralism
.............................................................................................................................
2
III.
The Growth of Pluralism
.................................................................................................
4
IV. Proponents of Pluralism
...................................................................................................
6
V.
Arguments Against Pluralism
........................................................................................
10
VI.
A Christian Apologetic Response to Pluralism
.............................................................
12
VII.
Conclusion
.......................................................................................................................
20
VIII. Bibliography
...................................................................................................................
22
ii
1
I.
Introduction
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, with a population of more than 332 million, the United States is the third largest country in the world. In addition to Indigenous Americans who were already living on the continent, the population of the United States was built on immigration from other countries. A new immigrant moves to the United States every 666 seconds. Because of this, the United States is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world. Nearly every known religion is practiced in the United States, which was founded on the basis of religious freedom. About 70% of Americans identify themselves as Christians, according
to information gathered by the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan research group, in 2017.
1
The
research also found that about 23% had no religious affiliation at all, and around 6% of the population is made up of non-Christian religions. The number of people who identify with no religion seems to be decreasing. According to the Pew Research Center, this category is expected
to drop from 16% in 2015 to 13% in 2060.
2
It is necessary that Christians use this new world to try and formulate a relationship with others in order to bring people closer to Jesus and have them step into the light of God in a productive way. This paper will address pluralism as a religious position by defining it, identifying and presenting its fundamental core beliefs as viewed by theologians and scholars in the study of the Christian religion, and then respond to its foundation from a Christian apologetic
point of view.
1 “Religious Landscape Study,” Pew Research Center, Washington, D.C., Copywrite 2023, https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/religious-landscape-study/.
2
Michael Lipka and David McClendon, “Why people with no religion are projected to decline as a share of the world’s population,” Pew Research Center, Washington, D.C., April 7, 2017, https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2017/04/07/why-people-with-no-religion-are-
projected-to-decline-as-a-share-of-the-worlds-population/
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
2
II. Pluralism
There has been a lot of talk about religion, and a lot of ink has been spilled. This is because even though religion has been around since creation, every now and then, it changes. With the growth of cultural diversity in the United States, there is also a growth in various schools of human and divine thought. One such school of thought is modern pluralism. According to Corduan, "Pluralism is the view that all religions are equally true."
3
It alleges numerous routes leading to God and goes beyond essential tolerance, in contrast to "exclusivism," which argues that there is only one true way to God. Definitions of religious diversity that focus on comparable principles or reaching the same conclusions regarding specific
social issues are much more constrained. At the philosophical level, religious pluralism is a claim
that diverse religious standpoints on an issue are “equally valid and at par.”
4
Todd Miles writes, “
At the popular level, pluralism is best understood by the notion, ‘All roads lead to God.’ To the pluralist, Christ’s life and death on the cross are powerful examples of a life committed to God, but there are no universal or ontological implications of Christ’s life and
ministry.”
5
Religious diversity frequently acknowledges the existence of various schools of human and divine thought. Religious pluralism acknowledges numerous routes leading to God as feasible. It goes beyond essential tolerance, in contrast to "exclusivism," which argues that there 3 Winfried Corduan, Neighboring Faiths: A Christian Introduction to World Religions, Second Edition (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2012), 54.
4
Vibha Chaturvedi, “Philosophical Implications of Religious Pluralism.” Journal of Indian Council of Philosophical Research
33, no. 1 (January 1, 2016): 43–59. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40961-015-0040-8
.
5 Todd Miles, A God of Many Understandings?: The Gospel and a Theology of Religions
(Nashville, TN: B&H, 2010), 17.
6
Harold A. Netland, Christianity & Religious Diversity: Clarifying Christian Commitments in a Globalizing Age (Grand Rapids, MI: BakerAcademic, 2015), 65.
3
is only one authentic (true) way to God. Definitions of religious diversity that focus on comparable principles or reaching the same conclusions regarding specific social issues are much
more constrained.
Pluralism maintains that all avenues leading to a perception of God ultimately lead to the same place. The exclusivist perspective, which holds that there is only one path that typically leads to Jesus, is significantly dissimilar to this and holds that Christianity itself is the one true path. Acknowledging that our commitments and way of life only represent one of many imaginable scenarios, some of which appear just as plausible as ours. Quoting Peter Berger, who maintains that “modernity pluralizes the lifeworlds of individuals and consequently undermines all taken-for-granted certainties.”
6
In order to further explain this position, Harold Netland goes even further. By maintaining that the major religions are equal in terms of truth and soteriological efficacy and affirming that each religion has access to soteriology, according to his
concept of religious pluralism, Netland elaborates that pluralism removes the competitiveness and sets all religions on equal footing.
7
Although many of the assumptions regarding the pluralist perspective may seem straightforward, they have all been disproven. The first assumption that merits attention is that "plurality" is a term used to describe pluralism. This is incorrect because pluralism speaks to differences between religious relativism and religious pluralism, which is the claim that no religious belief is true. “That question reveals sensitivity to people in other cultures and could lead to a conclusion that is—at least on the surface—a long way from dogmatic relativism.”
8
Contrarily, pluralism is based on the idea that some fundamental religious truths are expressed in many cultural ways in a wide range of religious belief systems. Corduan posits “We 6
7 Ibid., 70
8 Corduan, Neighboring Faiths, 141.
4
might conceivably hold that all religions are equally beneficial to their adherents, but even then not only does such a subjective assertion seem to be highly dubious, it also would be impossible to verify.”
9
In general, religious pluralism asserts that various faiths are equally valid routes to the same transcendent reality.
10
Many people today reject and view as erroneous the exclusivity claim that there is just one road to God, thus raising the question of what spurred the recent campaign for diversity and the loosening of the hold of any religion's exclusive claim, particularly Christianity.
III.
The Growth of Pluralism While a precise date for the emergence of pluralism into the global scene is impossible to pinpoint, significant occurrences can be seen that contributed to the need for this perspective to be taken more seriously. The events that pushed for the acceptance of religious diversity are: A. The Protestant Reformation – started by Martin Luther when he nailed his Ninety-Five
theses, a collection of criticisms of the Catholic Church, to the doors of All Saint's Church in Wittenberg.
11
B. Union of Utrecht (the Eighty Year's War)
12
C. Edict of Nantes (prompted by the French Wars of Religion)
9 Ibid., 55
10 Ibid., 55.
11 Michael Barnes, "Religious pluralism." In Routledge Religion Companions: The Routledge Companion to the Study of Religion, edited by John R. Hinnells. 2nd ed. (Routledge, 2010), 225.
12 Ibid., 228.
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
5
D. Age of Enlightenment (People first understood that religious tolerance can create religious peace rather than prejudice throughout the Enlightenment movement.)
13
The issue of religion has become a very contentious topic in the contemporary globalized
world and a subject of debate for people with different religious beliefs and backgrounds. The religious dispute can best be described by the correlation of people who are told stories that have not been proven to be true or false easily. In such a case, a person’s capacity to distinguish the truth from fiction can be swayed by any number of variables, all of which cannot be blamed or credited for the final decision of any person in the group. Our free will as humans allows us to make our own choices. Our supposed freedom can also make us more Our alleged freedom also makes us unrestricted to deny and/or question everything that does not bring us comfort. With people from a variety of backgrounds, the truth is highly subjective. Trying to convince someone
that only one religion is true can be difficult because religious faith is based on conviction. So fact and fiction are construed differently according to the environment in which a person has lived. It is impossible to discuss religion in an attempt to witness because religion depends on things that defy logic. In these prevailing conditions, it is difficult for most people to figure out which religion is true, let alone convince another person to follow a religion. Determining the validity of a religion or a religious belief is founded on three concepts that utilize three patterns that classify the promise of salvation and the truth of another religion, whether exclusivism, inclusivism, or pluralism. Many Christian scholars have argued about the contradiction created by each position. For instance, pluralism contradicts exclusivity from a Christian perspective despite a section of Christian scholars' attempts and contentions against this fact.
13 Yonas Tesema Amaya, Amaya, Yonas Tesema "A Short History of Religious Pluralism
and Tolerance." Historical Research Letter 39 (2017).
6
IV. Proponents of Pluralism Carson writes, “Probably the best-known exponent of consistent religious pluralism is John Hick. Hick’s many articles and books condemn the Christian “monopoly of saving truth,” insisting that any sense of superiority is guilty of generating “the paradox of a God of universal love who has ordained that only the Christian minority of the human race can be saved.”
14
Jesus said that he is “the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). The Apostle Peter echoed this theme, proclaiming that “there is no other name under heaven given to me by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). These biblical verses and others point to the uniqueness of Christ. They teach that Christ is the one and only, exclusive means by which sinful men can know God. Other religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism, cannot lead a person to the truth about God or into a relationship with God. But nothing is more offensive to contemporary thought than this claim to the exclusivity of Jesus Christ. This ideology in modern culture is religious pluralism. This is the view that all roads to God, that each religion is equally valid; that no one religion can or should claim to be the only legitimate way to God. As pluralist John Hick states, “There is not merely one way but a plurality of ways of salvation . . .taking place in different ways within the contexts
of all the great religious traditions.”
15
In his “Critical Evaluation of John Hick,” Sinkinson asserts, “Hick comments that every religious tradition should re-evaluate itself in the light of the pluralist proposal, ‘It is for the adherents of each of the great traditions to look critically at their own dogmas in the light of their
new experience within a religiously plural Hick’s philosophy theological reflection. The “as an 14 D. A. Carson, The Gagging of God: Christianity Confronts Pluralism
(Grand Rapids, MI: HarperCollins Christian Publishing, 2002), 59.
15 John Hick, Problems of Religious Pluralism (New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press, 1985), 34.
7
all-inclusive interpretation” it cannot be prevented from life of believers. No religious tradition is
left untouched.”
16
Continuing his discussion on Hick, Sinkinson says, ”
The Buddhist, Muslim, and Christian may continue their personal cultural practices, but they must reinterpret the meaning of
their faith in the light of Hick’s philosophical insights. Thus for Christians it is their commitment
to the uniqueness or superiority of Christ that must be reformed in the light of pluralism.”
17
Religious pluralism posits that there is more than one way to obtain salvation and more than one way to God. John Hick proposed that “there is an ultimate reality beyond the natural world, but not necessarily God.”
18
The “Real” is referred to as this reality by Hick. Hick maintains that we cannot understand what the “Real” is. He suggests that what we believe to be God is merely what we have experienced in our practices. According to Hick, “No religion or individual has access to supernatural reality as it is in itself, but only the phenomenological experience of the Real.”
19
It would seem then that every religion has its ultimate reality. It is through that reality that they can receive salvation. Each one of these religions, as Hick discusses, has its legitimate path to the ultimate truth that they follow and which will eventually lead them to the ultimate good.
20
16 Christopher Sinkinson, John Hick and the Universe of Faiths: A Critical Evaluation of the Life and Thought of John Hick (Milton Keynes, England: Authentic Media, 2016), 59. 17 Ibid., 59.
18 Paul M. Gould, Travis Dickinson, and R. Keith Loftin, Stand Firm: Apologetics and the Brilliance of the Gospel (Nashville, TN: B & H Academic, 2018) 133.
19 Gould, Stand Firm,
133.
20 Arrie Elizabeth Harlan, “Pluralism” (class paper submitted in APOL 500 at Liberty University, Lynchburg, Winter 2023).
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
8
Quoting David Basinger, another proponent of religious plurality is Wilfred Cantwell Smith, who argues, “Except at the cost of insensitivity or delinquency, it is morally not possible actually to go out into the world and say to devout, intelligent fellow human beings that we believe that we know God and we are right; you believe that you know God, and you are totally wrong.”
21
And when Runzo claims that exclusivism can be “highly presumptive” and “Morally repugnant”
22
or John Hick maintains that exclusivists often manifest a sort of arbitrariness or arrogance, they too appear to be challenging the moral character of those who attempt to convert others to their perspective.”
23
Basinger continues, “
Salvific pluralists, however, find such reasoning no more convincing than that offered by exclusivists. Inclusivists are correct, and pluralists grant, to say that individuals need not necessarily know of or fulfill specific requirements normally specified in a given religion to attain salvation. But inclusivists, like exclusivists, are wrong to argue that this salvation is possible only because of certain conditions or events described in the one true religion. Therefore, there is no one true religion and no single path to eternal existence with God.”
24
Hick argues for salvific pluralism on what might best be called metaphysical or epistemological grounds. Other philosophers, however, have attempted to make a moral case for salvific pluralism (or at least against salvific exclusivism.) For instance, Kenneth Himma has 21 David Basinger, 2020, “Religious Diversity (Pluralism, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
(Winter 2020 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <
https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2020/entries/religious diversity (pluralism) /
>.
22 J. Runzo, “God, Commitment, and Other Faiths: Pluralism vs. Relativism,” Faith and Philosophy, 5: 343–364.
23 Basinger, “Religious Diversity”
24 Ibid.
9
argued that moral considerations require the rejection of Christian salvific exclusivism. It follows
both from God’s perfection and conceptual truths about punishment, Himma maintains that “God
would not punish individuals who are not morally culpable for their behavior. But those with non-Christian beliefs are generally not morally culpable for the fact that they hold these beliefs.”
25
Hicks maintains that, Unlike “Satanism, Nazism, the Order of the Solar Temple, etc.,” the
world’s great religions offer paths that lead us away from “hatred, misery, aggression, unkindness, impatience, violence, and lack of self-control” to love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”
26
A better, more honest salvific pluralism is acknowledging that each religion has its own path to salvation that may be similar to
or different from other religions. Hick, on the other hand, seems most concerned with the nature of salvific reality – with what it means to experience salvation – while not denying that there exist in this world distinct ways that remain distinct to access this ultimate reality.
27
V.
Arguments Against Pluralism
Pluralism is all around us, and we must understand that despite what our culture says, it is not an accurate or biblically-founded idea. However, we do not need to fear it because we have a savior who has overcome the world. Educating ourselves on the topic and responding to our culture with biblical truth is essential.
25 Kenneth Himma, 2002, “Finding a High Road: The Moral Case for Salvific Pluralism,” International Journal for Philosophy of Religion, 52: 1– 33. 26 John Hick, “The Possibility of Religious Pluralism: A Reply to Gavin D’Costa,” Religious Studies, 33: 161–16.
27 Basinger, “Religious Diversity (Pluralism).”
10
Looking at how the early church responded to the pluralist society they found themselves in shows us how we can respond to the culture around us today. However, there are some important distinctions to make between the two. In the first and second centuries AD, Christians were a small minority and were confusing to the culture around them. Today, Christianity has provided the basis for much Western civilization, including many foundational ideas that still inform our daily lives.
As Mark Sayers puts it in “Disappearing Church,” people in the West today want the Kingdom without the King. “One of the great mantras of church strategy in the West has been that people liked Jesus, but they did not like church. This was a mantra for many who were seeking to make Christianity relevant. Now, this new atheist church movement has turned this maxim on its head. These people did not like Jesus, but they liked church. They want the benefits
of Christianity without its call to come and die.”
28
This is one of the reasons pluralism can never truly succeed. Making Christianity compatible with pluralism requires casting aside the cross. The cross is the crux of the Gospel message. To set it aside is to abandon the historic Christian faith completely.
While Christians should not embrace pluralism, it is also critical not to withdraw into our Christian communities completely. We must engage with our culture meaningfully for the people
around us without compromising our beliefs. The reality is that Jesus is the savior of the world. In pluralism, this idea is completely lost.
Recognizing someone who is a Christian and someone who claims to be a Christian is sometimes tricky. However, the Bible provides several insights into the problem, primarily living
28 Mark Sayers, Disappearing Church : From Cultural Relevance to Gospel Resilience
(Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2016.), 17. ProQuest Ebook Central
, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/liberty/ detail.action?docID=4904333.
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
11
as Jesus instructed in John 13:34. Jesus gave us one commandment: we love one another as he loved us. Genuine Christians strive to live more like Jesus every day, and even though they will always fail, their Christianity shines through in how they carry on their day-to-day life. “When the Apostle Paul commands prayer for others in 1 Timothy 2:1-4, he was not angling toward prayers of fire and damnation against people. Instead, it was for the sake of people’s salvation as they saw Christians leading a peaceful, quiet, godly, and dignified life. Surely those same ideals should apply to Christians now as we engage in political dialogue, especially with those with whom we disagree.”
Just like most people, Christians will sometimes continue to judge others because it is human nature to do so. But with any luck, as they learn to balance God’s love and justice, they will learn to communicate their truths with grace and humility because Christians are still human
beings, but they trust in God’s perfection and try harder and harder to become like him.
VI.
A Christian Apologetic Response to Pluralism We live in troubling times, but the Bible contains a multitude of assurance for our lives. John 3:16 states, "For God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have life everlasting." This one act convinces us that nothing can ever stand against us. We can do all things through Christ – so long as it is to the glory of God. We can face all kinds of rulers of darkness and principalities boldly because God is
always with us, and that will never change. Matthew Barrett states, "In the most basic sense, inerrancy means that Scripture, in its original manuscripts, does not err in all that the biblical authors assert."
29
29 Matthew Barrett. God's Word Alone---The Authority of Scripture: What the Reformers Taught...and Why It Still Matters
. The Five Solas Series. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2016). https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db =nlebk& AN=1780531&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
12
The very heart of the Christian faith is believing that God is always true and his Word is written as he wanted it to be written. The Bible refers to itself as the "Word of God" 394 times in
the Old Testament. Likewise, the authors of the New Testament quote from the Old Testament, calling it the "Word of God."
Studies into the Bible reveal multiple times that God is the one, true God, and since the Bible is his Word, it must also be truthful. In Numbers 23:19, it says, "God is not a man that he should lie." He does what he says he will do and makes good everything he says. He is a God of good character, and more than 40 authors of the Bible tell us the same stories about him and his plans for salvation. 1 Samuel 15:29, "the Strength of Israel will not lie…." God's true character is
revealed in each book of the Bible.
Just because someone told us the Bible is true does not mean that we have to believe it. Jesus Christ himself believed the Word of God was reliable and trustworthy. He did not hesitate to refer to the Old Testament while he was teaching. Everything God had spoken through his prophets came true in his life, death by crucifixion, and resurrection, and it was all a part of God's plan for redemption. His most inclusive confirmation and approval of the Old Testament was when he declared with finality, "The Scripture cannot be broken" (John 10:35).
DeYoung tells us that "Scripture did not come from the will of man; it came from God. And if it is God's word, then it must all be true, for in him there can be no error or deceit."
30
If we believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God and that he is our Savior, we cannot reject the Bible as the Word of God.
30 Kevin DeYoung, Taking God At His Word: Why the Bible Is Knowable, Necessary, and Enough, and What That Means for You and Me (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2014.)
13
Though Christ is always ready to hear and answer holy desires and prayers, those who ask
amiss, ask and have not. Signs were granted to those who desired them to confirm their faith, as Abraham and Gideon, but denied to those who demanded them to excuse their unbelief. The resurrection of Christ from the dead by his own power, called here the sign of the prophet Jonah, was the great proof of Christ's being the Messiah. As Jonah was three days and three nights in the
whale, and then came out again alive, thus Christ would be so long in the grave, and then rise again. The Ninevites would shame the Jews for not repenting, and the queen of Sheba, for not believing in Christ. And we have no such cares to hinder us, and we come not to Christ upon such uncertainties. This parable represents the case of the Jewish church and nation. It is also applicable to all those who hear the word of God and are in part reformed, but not truly converted. The unclean spirit leaves for a time, but when he returns, he finds Christ is not there to shut him out; the heart is swept by outward reformation, but garnished by preparation to comply with evil suggestions, and the man becomes a more decided enemy of the truth. Every heart is the residence of unclean spirits, except those which are temples of the Holy Ghost, by faith in Christ. If this third view is correct, Jesus' message in Matthew 5:17-19
is that He is the King and greater Moses (see Deut. 18:15-18
), giving new instructions to his followers.
The Bible teaches that God was preparing a people to be holy unto him. Being Holy would separate them from the nations and set them apart from God. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were risen up by God to father what would become Israel. These men were not chosen because they were special, but God bestowed upon them his unmerited favor so God could use them to see his plan to the end to redeem mankind. Until the earthly incarnation of Jesus, God's full plan of redemption was not known. They relied on God's promise to send a savior for them. In Genesis 3:15, God promised a Seed would
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
14
come. He made the same promise to Abraham and said the Seed would be from Abraham's genealogy. (Genesis 15)
"Salvation is of the Lord" (Jonah 2:9), so it was trusting faith—faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob-that brought salvation to the people of Israel prior to the cross.
Having a Christian worldview is not just expressing a personal faith, nor is it just a theory.
The Christian worldview encompasses all aspects of life. According to James Orr, “There is a definite Christian view of things, which has a character, coherence, and unity of its own, and stands in sharp contrast with counter theories and speculations...and that this world-view has the stamp of reason and reality upon itself, and can amply justify itself at the bar both of history and of experience. . .the Christian view of things forms a logical whole which cannot be infringed on,
or accepted or rejected piecemeal, but stands or falls in its integrity, and can only suffer from attempts at amalgamation or compromise with theories which rest on totally distinct bases.”
31
Jesus' great commandment in Matthew 22:36-40 tells us that we are to love God with all our hearts, mind, and soul. In other words, Jesus is referring to complete devotion to God with all
our being. Loving God this way will capture every thought and make it obedient to God. This means thinking and living like Jesus. For Christianity, the sacred books of Judaism, referred to as
the Old Testament, are understood to prepare us for the final revelation that God would make through Christ. That final revelation is included in the books of the New Testament. Judaism's Torah does not speak the name Jesus, but the Old Testament gives us a sneak preview of the Messiah when Jacob provides the future blessings for his sons in Genesis 49. When Jacob comes to Judah, he says: "The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until He comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is His" (Genesis 49:10).
31 James Orr, The Christian View of God and the World as Centering in the Incarnation Being the First Series of Kerr Lectures
. 10th ed. (Edinburgh, England, Andrew Elliot, 1908.)
15
Prophecies about the coming Messiah are many, and other passages in the Old Testament paint a picture of this savior who is to come and to whom the scepter rightfully belongs. The following verses are just a few of the Old Testament prophecies about the coming of the Messiah:
Numbers 24:17,19: "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will
come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel . . . a ruler will come out of Jacob . . ."
Psalm 60:7: "Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet, Judah
my scepter."
Psalm 2:7-9: "You are my Son, today I have become your Father. Ask of me, and I
will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery."
Isaiah 42:1,4: "Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit, on him and he will bring justice to the nations . . . He will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth…"
In Christianity, salvation is a gift from God through the sacrifice of the human Jesus to death on the cross. Christians believe in the teachings and examples given by Jesus, and when they die, they will have life eternal with him, sharing his magnificent resurrection in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Any formulation of a Christian worldview must struggle with the problem of sin. The result of sin refers to the fact that all aspects of our being, including our thinking and emotions, are negatively influenced. "People still do right and good things as viewed by society, but these thoughts and actions, no matter how noble or compassionate, fall short of God's glory (Rom. 3:23). We can affirm that people choose to do good, but a Christian worldview helps us differentiate the good and the ultimate good, which is the goal of pleasing God."
32
32 David S. Dockery, "Shaping a Christian Worldview: An Introduction (Part I) | Article | Teaching | Center for Faculty Development | Union University, a Christian College in Tennessee." Accessed February 3, 2023. https://www.uu.edu/centers/faculty/teaching
16
The Christian worldview knows that every kind of bad behavior, whether it is lying, killing, adultery, pride, or our failure to love one another as Jesus commanded, is tied to our isolation from God. We are all alienated from God. This being said, we know that we have already been judged at the cross of Jesus. Restoration for believers has come from the grace of God so we can have the right sort of relationship with him. The fundamental truth is that the life and death of Jesus Christ exemplified divine love as well as welded influence for good and sacrifice. Through his death, all sinners have received a sinless sacrifice, satisfying divine justice.
He delivered us for our estrangement to full communion and birthright in the family of God.
Having a Christian worldview will motivate us in life, revealing God's plan and purpose. This worldview shapes us, and we no longer see ourselves as estranged sinners. This Christian worldview specifies an agenda for thinking ethically. We acknowledge that humans are made in God's image and are essentially moral beings. We also appreciate that the most complete personification of good, love, holiness, grace, and truth is in Jesus Christ, our Lord, and Savior, the Messiah. (John 1:14-18).
The "justice upon the earth" that Dockery refers to is actually the redemption of sin when Jesus shed His blood at the crucifixion as a sacrifice for all of us, none of whom had never sinned. His death on the cross made Him the great redeemer that Isaiah had prophesied of in the Old Testament. He was the ultimate sacrifice and the completed revelation of God. To say it is not true is to say that the entire Bible is a lie. It states that all of the authors of the Old Testament who wrote all that God revealed to them were liars. It states that Jesus' death on the cross was for
nothing, and for Christians, this means no salvation, no righteousness, and no eternal life in the Kingdom of God. To say it is not true would be the end of Christianity.
/article.cfm?ID=364
.
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
17
John 3:16 tells of God's only "begotten" son. "Begotten" means unique, the only one like it. Jesus is described as being unique in the Scriptures:
He is the Son of God (Matthew 16:16).
He is the Son of Man (Matthew 16:13, 27, 28).
He is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last (Revelation 22:13).
He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).
He is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (Titus 1:4).
Not only is he all of this, but he is also much more. He is the only God-man, fully God and fully man. He was born of a virgin, as no one else has ever been. Jesus is the only person to live on earth as totally sinless. His resurrection is the only permanent one and the only person to ascend into Heaven to reign forever at the right hand of God.
Jesus is also unique as the best teacher ever. He spoke in parables so that his believers could understand the spiritual nature of his kingdom. To help emphasize spiritual concepts, he used conversations with people to highlight spiritual ideas, and his object lessons, such as washing the disciples' feet, helped them understand what service was. Everyone who heard him speak was amazed at his teaching because he taught as one with authority, unlike other teachers (Matthew 7:28-29). Jesus was unique because he lived what he taught.
Jesus also displayed his uniqueness in all of the miracles he performed. He fed thousands with five (5) loaves of bread and two (2) fish. Later he walked on water and made the storm go still. His resurrection from the dead was the culmination of his power as the son of God. More impressive still was that he only used his influence to benefit others. He had the power to prevent
18
or harm those who crucified him, but he died for all humankind and asked his father to forgive his prosecutors. He epitomizes unselfishness, which truly sets him apart as absolutely unique.
"By 1973, Hick was in print claiming that Christians should not regard their religion as the one, true way to God but as one of many active options available today."
33
"Of all the major world religious founders, only Jesus taught that his death would provide the means by which salvation would be available for the world. Jesus taught that his death would
serve as a ransom for human sin, achieving what humans could not (MK. 10:26-27; 10:45). Then
at the Last Supper, Jesus specified that his blood would be shed for many (14:22-25, especially v.
24; cf. Matt. 26:8)."
34
"Neither a single Old Testament prophet nor Muhammad taught anything like their own death paying for sins! Anderson, a Muslim authority, states that the idea of sacrifice "holds no central position in the religion of Islam." Of course, the Jewish sacrificial system was clearly central in the Old Testament. However, the Old Testament concept teaches animal sacrifice and the Book of Hebrews capitalizes on Jesus Christ's death being efficacious and far more valuable and distinctive than the prior practices. The Christian notion of Christ's death as an atonement for
sins remains unique."
35
All Christians should be able to give a defense of the gospel by understanding the fundamentals of Christian apologetics. The Bible is used because it contains facts and logic that have historical details, which have been deemed trustworthy. Other writings that talk of Christ as
33 Christopher Sinkinson. John Hick and the Universe of Faiths: A Critical Evaluation of
the Life and Thought of John Hick
(Crownhill, England: Authentic Media, 2016), 32. ProQuest Ebook Central.
34 Gary R. Habermas, The Uniqueness of Jesus Christ Among the Major World Religions ( Lynchburg, VA: GaryHabermas.com, 2016,) 39.
35 Habermass, The Uniqueness of Jesus,
40.
19
well as the Bible, support his existence. This is the evidence required to demonstrate that pluralism cannot be genuine because Christianity is exclusive and authentic. It is the "complete truth." Some religious leaders within the Christian church have made an effort to defend religious diversity. There will be many people who will try to present the Bible in false ways in order to bolster their personal ideas. Apologetics teaches that this is not the proper way to use the
Bible. The overall context of the Bible must be considered, and not just a few selected passages, but the complete story as it is written. One needs to comprehend what the text is saying, not what
people are saying. God’s Word plainly says that no religion can practice plurality because the only path to God is through a relationship with Jesus Christ, our Savior.
VII.
Conclusion
The definition of pluralism is a viewpoint in religion that claims that all religions lead to God. Consistent with the beliefs and understanding of this term, God acknowledges all faiths because he knows how imperfect we are. We will all sin or make wrong choices at one time or another. Religions with exclusive worldviews have caused numerous wars and conflicts. History has given many reasons to adopt the perspective of religious pluralism. Multiple religions, including Christianity, tried to convert nonbelievers to their ways of thinking in any way they could, sometimes even with force. In light of this, Christians are in a position to present historical and trustworthy evidence proving the Christian faith to be the only authentic religion. It is the only method of reestablishing a relationship with God. Through Jesus of Nazareth, who was born of a virgin Mary, raised in Galilee, ministered in Jerusalem, marched from courtroom to courtroom, crucified on the hill of Golgotha, buried for three days, and risen on the last day to atone for all of our sins, this restoration was accomplished. This event is supported by more extraordinary evidence from the Bible and other sources than any other religion. Overall, the fact
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
20
that many people are aware that, following what the Bible teaches, those who reject Jesus as their
Savior would be doomed for all eternity makes it difficult for them to defend the Christian faith. God values each and every one of us and loves us so much that he will not force us into a relationship with him. God loves every one of us and wants to be with us forever. God loves each
and every part of his creation, from the beautiful flowers and trees to the man and woman. He has made a plan for redemption through our Messiah, Jesus Christ. Everyone needs a Messiah, and accepting the grace he has provided us through his son, Jesus Christ, is all we require for salvation and eternal life. WORD COUNT: 5,297
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
21
VIII.
Bibliography
Barnes, Michael "Religious pluralism." In Routledge Religion Companions: The Routledge Companion to the Study of Religion, edited by John R. Hinnells. 2nd ed. Routledge, 2010.
Barrett, Matthew God's Word Alone---The Authority of Scripture: What the Reformers Taught...and Why It Still Matters
. The Five Solas Series. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2016. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db =nlebk& AN=1780531&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
Basinger, David, 2020, “Religious Diversity (Pluralism), Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
(Winter 2020 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <
https://plato.stanford.edu/ archives/spr2020/entries/religious diversity (pluralism) /
>.
Carson, D.A. The Gagging of God: Christianity Confronts Pluralism
Grand Rapids, MI: HarperCollins Christian Publishing, 2002.
Chaturvedi, Vibba “Philosophical Implications of Religious Pluralism.” Journal of Indian Council of Philosophical Research
33, no. 1 (January 1, 2016): https://doi.org/10.1007/s40961-015-0040-8
.
Corduan, Winfried Neighboring Faiths: A Christian Introduction to World Religions, Second Edition Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2012.
DeYoung, Kevin Taking God At His Word: Why the Bible Is Knowable, Necessary, and Enough, and What That Means for You and Me
Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2014.
Dockery, David S. "Shaping a Christian Worldview: An Introduction (Part I) | Article | Teaching |
Center for Faculty Development | Union University, a Christian College in Tennessee." Accessed February 3, 2023. https://www.uu.edu/centers/faculty/teaching /article.cfm?
ID=364
.
Gould, Paul M., Travis Dickinson, and R. Keith Loftin, Stand Firm: Apologetics and the Brilliance of the Gospel (Nashville, TN: B & H Academic, 2018.
Habermas, Gary R. The Uniqueness of Jesus Christ Among the Major World Religions Lynchburg, VA: GaryHabermas.com, 2016.
Harlan, Arrie Elizabeth “Pluralism” (class paper submitted in APOL 500 at Liberty University, Lynchburg, Winter 2023). Hick, John “The Possibility of Religious Pluralism: A Reply to Gavin D’Costa,” Religious Studies, 33: Hick, John Problems of Religious Pluralism New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press, 1985.
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
22
Himma, Kenneth 2002, “Finding a High Road: The Moral Case for Salvific Pluralism,” International Journal for Philosophy of Religion, 52: Lipka, Michael and David McClendon, “Why people with no religion are projected to decline as
a share of the world’s population,” Pew Research Center, Washington, D.C., April 7, 2017, https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2017/04/07/why-people-with-no-religion-
are-projected-to-decline-as-a-share-of-the-worlds-population/
Miles, Todd A God of Many Understandings?: The Gospel and a Theology of Religions
Nashville, TN: B&H, 2010.
Netland, Harold A. Christianity & Religious Diversity: Clarifying Christian Commitments in a Globalizing Age
Grand Rapids, MI: BakerAcademic, 2015.
Orr, James The Christian View of God and the World as Centering in the Incarnation Being the First Series of Kerr Lectures
. 10th ed. Edinburgh, England, Andrew Elliot, 1908.
“Religious Landscape Study,” Pew Research Center, Washington, D.C., Copywrite 2023, https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/religious-landscape-study/
.
Runzo, J. “God, Commitment, and Other Faiths: Pluralism vs. Relativism,” Faith and Philosophy, 5: Sayers, Mark Disappearing Church : From Cultural Relevance to Gospel Resilience
Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2016.
ProQuest Ebook Central
, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/liberty/ detail.action?docID=4904333.
Sinkinson, Christopher John Hick and the Universe of Faiths: A Critical Evaluation of the Life and Thought of John Hick
Crownhill, England: Authentic Media, 2016. ProQuest Ebook Central.
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help