RELIGIOUS PLURALISM

By-TSW
Introduction
The theological and missiological concern in religious ideological pluralism is a discussing
topic on every religious aspect: such as creeds, beliefs, and philosophical notions to
understand every one’s religious ideas. The world has been always plural. Religiously and
culturally this plurality is quite evident. Here the presenter discusses on the following tables
on content:
1. Definition of Religious Pluralism than it deals about
2. The Religious Pluralistic situation
3. Attitude towards Religious Pluralism
3.1. Exclusivism.
3.2. Inclusivism.
3.3. Pluralism
4. Christian Response towards Religious Pluralism
4.1. Contextualisation.
5. Missiological Implication

1. Definition of Religious Pluralism

The terminology and the concept of “Religious Pluralism” is an institute of religions of the
world which has structured different notions, perceptions, and responses to the one ultimate
and mysterious divine reality.”1 According to Lesslie Newbigin, “Pluralism is conceived to
be a proper characteristic of the secular society, a society in which there is no officially
approved pattern of belief or conduct.” 2 Furthermore, S.J. Samartha also states “Religious
Pluralism is a part of the larger plurality of races, peoples and cultures, of social structures,
economic systems and political patterns of languages and systems, all of which are part of the
total human heritage.”3 Therefore, Religious Pluralism is a worldwide experience, and is a
universal phenomenon. It is diversity in religious practices and beliefs.
2. The pluralistic situation

1
T. Swami Raju, Christian Responses to Plurality of Religion (Bangalore: BTESSC/SATHRI, 2006),
36.
2
LesslieNewbigin, Gospel in a Pluralistic Society (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing
Company, 1989), 1.
3
S.J. Samartha, One Christ-Many Religion: Towards a Revised Christology (Maryknoll, New York:
Orbis Books, 2000), 4.

1
Pluralism in a society is the presence of more than one cultural identity among its population.
It can be multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multi-lingual and other multi-cultural identities. It has
been pointed out that, India is the world’s most complex and comprehensive pluralistic
society harbouring a vast variety of races, castes, communities, languages, customs and living
styles.
In a pluralistic situation it is possible for people either to build spiritual walls within which
they may live in isolation from one another or to follow the path of aggression with a view to
dominating others. Needless to say both these are not healthy attitudes. The only creative way
out for humankind in the modern context of pluralism is; “for each religion, culture and
ideology to recognize that people are in a situation of dialogical existence, and to explore the
possibility of cooperation and pro-existence, without in the process losing its own ultimate
spiritual basis.”4
4. Attitude towards Religious Pluralism
From the early church till date, Christians have discussed and approached different attitude
towards the people of other faiths. In Christian academic theology there is a tendency to
distinguish theological religious pluralism from exclusivism, inclusivism, and, pluralism, thus
creating a typology of models of inter-religious attitudes.5
4.1 Exclusivism
Exclusivism maintains a clear emphasis on Jesus Christ as the full final revelation of God.
There is no other means of salvation, and hence salvation cannot be experienced outside of
Christ.6There is the denial of the possibility of salvation being available through any others
“saviours” or ways to salvation as claimed by other religion. Exclusivism means to claim
truth value and efficiency for one’s own religion only, denying it to other religions. 7In other
words they do not respect the faith of others and do not see any value in other religious
traditions.8Historically, most of the church has stood by an exclusive position, as it takes the
bible seriously. Until the 19th century most Protestant and Roman Catholic Churches would
have accepted that they were ‘exclusivist’ believing this to be the historical tradition of the
early church as recorded in the bible.9Theologians like Karl Barth, Hendrik Kraemer
followed “exclusivistic” attitude towards non-Christian religions by saying “there is no
4
M.M. Thomas, Risking Christ for the sake of Christ (Delhi: ISPCK, 1999), 3.
5
Marianne Moyaert, Fragile Identities : Towards a Theology of Interreligious Hospitality (New York:
Rodopi, Armsterdam, 2011), 144.
6
Ken Gnanakan, Proclaiming Christ in a Pluralistic Context (Bangalore: Theological Book Trust,
2000), 23.
7
Raju,Christian Responses to Plurality of Religion, 30.
8
M. Stephen, A new Mission Agenda: Dialogue, Diakonia and Discipling (Delhi: ISPCK, 2007), 7.
9
Gnanakan, Proclaiming Christ in a Pluralistic Context, 24.

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salvation outside the church.”10Exclusivist, teach that their system of belief/teaching is the
only way to salvation and to religious truth, and some of them would even argue that it is
necessary to suppress the falsehoods taught by other religions.11
4.2 Inclusivism
Inclusivism, as the name suggests, attempts to include all religions under the redemptive
influence of Jesus Christ.12Inclusivism means to acknowledge a restricted, derivative truth
value and salvific efficacy for other religions, not on their own terms, but inasmuch as they
reflect the truths of one’s own religion. 13 It also view that one’s own religious tradition
contains the whole truth, and also acknowledges, that this truth is however incompletely
reflected in other traditions. It also means that Salvation is possible as per Christian faith, by
the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ to non-Christians also.
Raimundo Panikkar argues for the mutual fecundation of religious-interpenetration. He holds
a holds a very inclusive way to the religions, “A proud isolation without care for others
would be impious selfishness and cause the ruin of one’s own religion.” S.J. Samartha goes
on to say that, ‘an exclusive claim is like a bit of rock in a handful of peanuts. It may break a
few teeth but will never provide nourishment to the body.” According to Ariarajah, cited by
Stephen,“Samartha refuses to believe that the Church’s mission is God’s only mission. He
feels that the missionary theology has had the effect of limiting the activity of God.”14
4.3 Pluralism
Pluralism is the position that rejects any unique, final or decisive claims of the revelation of
God in Jesus Christ; it argues for equal validity for the claims of all religion. 15Pluralism is the
idea that the beliefs of other religions are true on their own terms, and that their adherents
may achieve salvation in some sense of the word. It also holds variety of experiences with
mutual trust and confidence among the different faith that exists without any suspicion. As
each one should accept, respect and tolerate the other. 16 According to CH. Srinivasa Rao,
‘Pluralism is the view that the great world faiths embody different perceptions and
conceptions of and correspondingly different responses of the Real or the Ultimate from
within the major variant cultural ways of being human; and that within each of them, the

10
Raju, Christian Responses to Plurality of Religion, 32.
11
Wikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia,“ReligiousPluralism,”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religttpious_pluralism ( accessed on 08th’ Octubar2020).
12
Gnanakan, Proclaiming Christ in a Pluralistic Context. 39.
13
Marianne Moyaert, Fragile Identities. New York: Rodopi, Armsterdam, 149.
14
Stephen, A new Mission Agenda, 37.
15
Gnanakan, Proclaiming Christ in a Pluralistic Context,53.
16
Stephen, A new Mission Agenda, 9.

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transformation of human existence from self-centeredness to reality-centeredness is
manifestly taking place, so far as human observation can tell.’17
The pluralistic atmosphere brings relationships between multi-religious and multi-cultural
situation which develops life and connections between people. There is a question in the
midst of the scholars that, how can they relate their faith to other faith for the reason of
meaningful togetherness? One of the scholars like Raimundo Panikkar responded to this
question as “Christ can be seen in other religions too.” He brought a concept that, ‘hidden
Christ’ among the other faiths that which can be traced in his well-known book “The
Unknown Christ of the Hinduism.”18
5. Christian Response towards Religious Pluralism
Christians are to bring changes in their way of approaches and implement some
approaches as given in below which can help two different religious people to have mutual
understanding and knowing each other better.
5.1 Contextualization
Paul made the gospel relevant to each of the people in their culture. He made not only the
message but also himself relevant to the people with whom he communicated the gospel
(1Corinthians 9:20-22). So did in a world of plurality, a missionary is demanded to share the
Gospel in a contextualized form. There are many areas where contextualization is needed.
There is a need in the area of mission, in theological understanding, educating the people of
other faith, etc… In recent era it is proved that many of the leaders are supportive to the
aspects of Pluralism, but one thing has to be kept in mind, not to go astray from the biblical
principles. The method is to establish a common ground or a communicational bridge so the
people of other faiths can be convinced of the truth of the Biblical Gospel and to teach the
Scriptures to those who are so convinced. The anticipated results are the spiritual
transformation of those who place their faith in Christ and the disciplining of the nation. 19
6. Missiological Implication
Religious pluralism in Indian context is often used as synonym for religious tolerance,
although the two concepts have distinct meanings. “Religious tolerance implies that each
person is entitled to their own set of beliefs without judgment or conformity to some cultural

17
Raju, Christian Responses to Plurality of Religion, 36.
18
Harsha K. Kotian, Christo Normative Pluralism: A Critical Appraisal of the Works of Stanley Jones,
Stanley Samartha and Paul Knitter (Delhi: ISPCK, 2011), 11.
19
David J. Hesselgrave and Edward Rommen, Contextualization (Michigan: Baker Book House, 1989),
156.

4
or societal standard.”20 While religious pluralism includes tolerance, it is a more broad term
that asserts that possible religious truth and value exist in many different doctrines, not solely
that of the particular individual. Today every religious people live in the midst of the other
faith and see firsthand the genuiness of his/her own faith practice and subscribes it to the
position and condemn those people of other faiths destined for damnation. This happens in
multi-religious cultural, context. The diversity of expressions of the Christian faith also
contributes to the pluralistic situation. There has also been a shift taking place in the
conceptual understanding of church, and its mission in the world which is essentially
pluralistic. Churches have understood that the colonial model of “imposition of one belief or
ideology” on all people is no longer feasible. It is all the more applicable in the present socio-
political situation of India. Hence, search for new models of Christian mission activities by
taking seriously the challenges posed by the pluralistic situation of India is felt to be a
pressing need of the time. There is also a need for rearranging our theological concept to
account of God’s work in other religions by listen to each other, learn from each other and do
not simply confute each other. As one must take note of it and give due respect and
consideration.
Conclusion
Living in a society characterized by diverse languages, cultures and religions affords one’s
unique opportunities to live out the gospel of Christ. Not all forms of diversity should be
resisted; some are to be celebrated, some accommodated and others must be challenged so
that justice and righteousness will prevail. One’s duty is to engage their neighbours in
dialogue and seek to persuade them of the wisdom and blessing of living a life of faithfulness
to God. Therefore, Christianity in India need to develop the dialogue culture which will be an
effective way to solve the issues and problems, especially to promote collaboration and
integration among the people of different religions, traditions and customs in the pluralistic
world.

20
JessicaEllis,“WhatisReligiousPluralism?”https://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-religious-pluralism.htm,
(accessed on 09th’ Oct. 2020).

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Bibliography
T. Swami Raju, Christian Responses to Plurality of Religion. Bangalore: BTESSC/SATHRI,
2006.
LesslieNewbigin, Gospel in a Pluralistic Society. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans
Publishing Company, 1989.
S.J. Samartha, One Christ-Many Religion: Towards a Revised Christology. Maryknoll, New
York: Orbis Books, 2000.
M.M. Thomas, Risking Christ for the sake of Christ. Delhi: ISPCK, 1999.
Marianne Moyaert, Fragile Identities : Towards a Theology of Interreligious Hospitality.
New York: Rodopi, Armsterdam, 2011.
Ken Gnanakan, Proclaiming Christ in a Pluralistic Context. Bangalore: Theological Book
Trust, 2000.
M. Stephen, A new Mission Agenda: Dialogue, Diakonia and Discipling. Delhi: ISPCK,
2007.
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia,“ReligiousPluralism,”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religttpious_pluralism ( accessed on 08th’ Octubar2020).
Harsha K. Kotian, Christo Normative Pluralism: A Critical Appraisal of the Works of Stanley
Jones, Stanley Samartha and Paul Knitter. Delhi: ISPCK, 2011.
David J. Hesselgrave and Edward Rommen, Contextualization. Michigan: Baker Book
House, 1989.
JessicaEllis,“WhatisReligiousPluralism?”https://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-religious-
pluralism.htm, (accessed on 09th’ Oct. 2020).