Pluralism and the Religions - the theological and political dimensions

Pluralism and the Religions:
the theological and political dimensions
Edited by John D'Arcy May
Cassell. 99 pages
ISBN 0 304 70259 5

This short book is a collection of papers given at a significant gathering of theological scholars from Asia, Europe and America.
The conference was called to discuss various issues arising from religious pluralism in the modern world, particularly as this relates to the ecumenical movement, politics and mission. It is instructive to note that all the contributors but one are from the Roman Catholic tradition and their thinking reflects the impact of the Second Vatican Council on contemporary Catholicism. At this council in 1965, the Vatican declared a more inclusivist approach to the world religions and that 'the Catholic Church rejects nothing which is true and holy in these religions'. Beware, most of the contributors either adopt an inclusivist or an even more radical theology.
A paper by S. Wesley Ariarajah, a Methodist, assesses the way inter-religious dialogue has shaped the ecumenical movement. In particular, it decries the World Council of Churches (WCC) for, until recently, maintaining the centrality of Christ and the importance of evangelism. He describes a new religious consciousness that has taken root in the WCC as a result of dialogue with other religions. This new consciousness reflects the tenor of Vatican II. A stimulating piece by Gavin D'Costa uses the doctrine of the trinity as a key to interpreting other religious perspectives. Ursula King considers the relative absence of women in the interfaith movement. Paul Knitter argues for a radical pluralism where all religions assent to a common morality and, instead of trying to convert one another, work for the common good of the planet. Two inter-religious education projects are profiled and commended in papers by J. Rosario Narchison and Pia Gyger.
Neither the ecumenical nor the interfaith movements are theologically neutral. On the contrary, within these movements there is a particular kind of theology being developed, contested and promoted. This collection provides evidence that the theology is mostly 'pluralist' (in the theoretical sense) and assumes a final, universal salvation in the end. A recurring theme is that of evolutionary optimism.
The theory of evolution is applied to the world religions as an explanation of both their origins and their destination in 'the birth of a new humanity' (Gyger, p.95). King describes the human race as having 'reached a new historical threshold in the history of the species which includes the emergence of a new 'critical corporate consciousness' around the globe' (p.41). Given these assumptions, it is no surprise that mission is redefined not as seeking conversion but as 'creating a new social awareness . . . a new culture which is not exploitative' (Narchison, p.65).
If these are the implications of inter-religious dialogue for the church, then one may wonder what future Christianity has left within the interfaith movement. In this sense, it is not surprising Narchison should boast: 'In the campus of the Ecumenical Christian Centre . . . no single 'conversion' to Christianity has taken place during the 32 years of its existence and the majority of its employees are practising Hindus' (p.65). Read this provocative book as a revealing insight into the worldview of contemporary Roman Catholicism and the theological presuppositions of the interfaith movement.

Dr. Chris Sinkinson
Bath

© Evangelicals Now - September 1998
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