Exclusive, Inclusive, and Pluralist
In addressing the question of the exclusivity of Christianity, I have always been drawn to the writings of Lesslie Newbigin, one the most influential ecumenical and missionary theologians of the twentieth century. His many years of work as a missionary in India coupled with his extensive engagement with the global church enabled him to articulate a missionary theology that is deeply attentive to the interactions between the gospel, culture, mission, and religion. He suggests that Christian faith may be viewed as exclusive, inclusive, and pluralist. It is exclusive in the sense of affirming the unique nature of the revelation of God in Jesus Christ, but not in the sense of denying the possibility of salvation to those outside of the Christian faith. It is inclusive in the sense of refusing to limit the saving grace of God to Christians, but not in the sense of viewing other religions as salvific. It is pluralist in the sense of acknowledging the gracious work of God in the lives of all human beings, but not in the sense of denying the unique and decisive nature of what God has done in Jesus Christ.
From the perspective of Newbigin, the exclusivity of the Christian faith does not rest on the idea that only Christians will receive the benefits of salvation, but rather on the confession of the unique nature of Jesus Christ. The focal point of the diverse witness of Christian history is Jesus Christ, who is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). This commitment to Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life affirms that it is he who shows us who God is and how God acts in the world, and the unique nature and character of the divine mission. All roads do not lead to God. The way of Jesus is not simply about the inwardly focused or otherworldly spirituality so common in our culture, or the social activism that is often viewed as its alternative. Rather, it is the way of humility and self-denial for the sake of others as a faithful witness to the love of God. “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him (1 John 4:7-9).” The way of love is the way of life.
This focus on the unique character of Jesus also leads to the affirmation that ultimate truth is not finally to be found in abstract notions or theories, but rather in the person of Jesus Christ, the unique Son of God and the living embodiment of truth. In this way Jesus is categorically different from all other prophets, witnesses, and messengers from God. He is presented as the all-encompassing truth of God, a truth that is personal, active, relational, and gracious. This affirmation that Jesus is the truth is a stark challenge to the abstract ideas of truth we commonly hold. As noted above, in Jesus we discover that truth is not merely intellectual or even moral, but personal and relational.
But notice, none of these aspects of the unique nature of Jesus leads to the conclusion that only Christians are the recipients of the blessings of God made known in Jesus. Further, they may actually point away from the notion that one must be an adherent of a particular religion in order to participate in and experience the way, the truth, and the life. It is not the practice of a particular religious tradition that leads to salvation. It is Jesus who brings salvation to the world, not religion. It is the very exclusivity of the Christian confession concerning the unique nature of Jesus that leads to an inclusiveness that refuses to limit the saving grace of God only to Christians. The genuine significance of the church in the economy of God does not in any way imply that the church has been fully entrusted with authority or given control over the dispensation of grace in the world. These belong to God and God alone.
The witness of the Christian community to the revelation of God in the world has produced a pluralist community. While we often speak glibly of the Christian tradition, even a cursory glance at the history of the church should make us aware that at the end of the day we can speak only of the multiplicity of Christian traditions that make up what we refer to as the Christian tradition. Think of the different traditions that make up Christianity: Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican, Wesleyan, Mennonite, Baptist, and Pentecostal among others. Considerable plurality marks each of these traditions. Diversity from within has always characterized Roman Catholicism and the Orthodox Church. Protestantism knew plurality in the first generation of the Reformation.
The list of contested questions and proposed answers goes on and on. In addition, most of the standard accounts of Christian history have been focused on the concerns of the Western church, with little emphasis on the history of Christianity as a world movement. Expanding the focus of Christian history leads to a widening of diversity and plurality both in the past and the present. Faithful Christians in different contexts and settings ask questions that have not been formed by the experience of the Western church. They consider the Bible, theology, and the church with philosophical and worldview assumptions that are different from those of Greco-Roman, Franco-Germanic, and Anglo-American settings. Indeed, many of the conversations and controversies that have shaped the Western church are of little significance in other parts of the world. The plurality and diversity of the church is an inescapable reality.
Thinking about the pluralist character of Christianity might well assist the church in addressing the pressing concerns raised by religious pluralism. Indeed, we may wonder whether we can effectively address the reality of religious pluralism from a Christian perspective if we have not adequately thought through the realities of pluralism in the church. Perhaps the plurality of the Christian community is suggestive of the benefits of interreligious dialogue as a means of better understanding the way, the truth, and the life made known in Jesus.
"In addition, most of the standard accounts of Christian history have been focused on the concerns of the Western church, with little emphasis on the history of Christianity as a world movement."
Spot on, and keeping this in mind would ease some of my angst over American evangelicalism.
"In addition, most of the standard accounts of Christian history have been focused on the concerns of the Western church, with little emphasis on the history of Christianity as a world movement."
Spot on, and keeping this in mind would ease some of my angst over American evangelicalism.
"In addition, most of the standard accounts of Christian history have been focused on the concerns of the Western church, with little emphasis on the history of Christianity as a world movement."
Spot on, and keeping this in mind would ease some of my angst over American evangelicalism.
Whoops, you forgot pragmatist. 😉
Whoops, you forgot pragmatist. 😉
Whoops, you forgot pragmatist. 😉
How does the saving grace of God extend to someone who is not a Christian? (someone who is outside of Christ and his work of propitiation and redemption on the cross?). How does this square with the verse "there is no other name ..by which we must be saved". And Jesus statement that " no man comes to the father except through me?"
How does the saving grace of God extend to someone who is not a Christian? (someone who is outside of Christ and his work of propitiation and redemption on the cross?). How does this square with the verse "there is no other name ..by which we must be saved". And Jesus statement that " no man comes to the father except through me?"
How does the saving grace of God extend to someone who is not a Christian? (someone who is outside of Christ and his work of propitiation and redemption on the cross?). How does this square with the verse "there is no other name ..by which we must be saved". And Jesus statement that " no man comes to the father except through me?"
David, I don't think that John is saying that they are saved through any other name or means, simply that God can work towards the salvation of others even if the church is not reaching those people.
David, I don't think that John is saying that they are saved through any other name or means, simply that God can work towards the salvation of others even if the church is not reaching those people.
David, I don't think that John is saying that they are saved through any other name or means, simply that God can work towards the salvation of others even if the church is not reaching those people.