I figured i should back up to define what are the historical choices that are available when we talk about religious conversation(specifically in the area of salvation/truth) Aka Religious dialogue.
1) exclusivism- One holds in an exclusive way to an absolute truth. All people must learn this truth to be "saved." this calls for Explicit acceptance. This has been the traditional position of the Christian church for 1000 years.
2) inclusivism- same as exculsivism in so far as Christ is essential for salvation, but it allows for an implicit faith. What Rahner calls "anonymous Christians," people who have faith in God but they don't realize or recognize this god as Jesus. This theory relies on the hypostatic union. Everyone who has faith is still saved by Christ and is moving toward "Christian" ends.
3) Pluralism- recognizes inclusivism as a mode of conquering the "other;" Imperialism (Hans Kuhn). Pluralism comes in many shapes, pluralism itself is plural. What is common in pluralism is a respect and tolerance for the other. Currently all of these modes are Christian modes, instead of religious modes.
There are 5 types of pluralism.
1) phenominalist pluralism- (Hick, Knitter)all religions have the same ultimate reality (noumenal in the terms of Kant) but each religion represents a phenomenal way of responding to the same ultimate. They are different due to their historicity.
2) Universalist Pluralism- We can have a universal theology by using each religions philosophical understanding and finding common threads running throughout each religion.
3) Ethical Soteriological pluralism- Different religions while different maintain a similarity when it comes to morality. Each religion is working toward a liberation and recognition of Justice. This theory recognizes diversity of religion but looks toward moral connectedness.
4) Ontological Pluralism- (Plantikar) Pluralism is not just our own perspective of reality (pluralism of perspective as seen in #1)the reality shows irreducibly different dimensions in every religion (and human). Each is irreducibly different . Plantikar uses the theological idea of trinity to explain this perspective. There is an irreducible difference of religions, including salvations and morality.
5) confessional pluralism- (Kuhn, Cobb, et al.) Each religion is a confessional community within a historical understanding. Thus each confession is different. We must recognize the difference between the confessions and recognize them as not reducible. This idea wants to preserve the particularity of each religion and what they mean in the historical context of their confessional identity.
having expressed these, it is important to note that pluralism does not mean we leave our religion. It does not mean loosing our commitment or a watering down of our own confession(although conversion does happen). It does mean we should learn form other religions. "we should live in the permanent light and shadow of the other"(Min). Pluralism is not relativism you must remain in the tension between your commitment to you confession and the truth of the confession of the others. Or said differently the willingness to allow for other possibilities. The Goal of this dialogue is Truth; a deeper, broader, and greater understanding of the Truth and revelation of God. Truth is something that judges us, it calls for our obedience, our testimony, and our affirmation. we are in dialogue to share our truth and to hear the truth of the other. it allows us to recognize the illumination of a common human reality. through religions dialogue we are searching together from our different vantage points. (john cobb)
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