Theology of Religions

By Fr. Christopher Wilvaraj SoosaipillaiFrom Church of the Good Shepherd, Setapak, Kuala Lumpur.

On 4 April 2019.

Introduction1. Situating the Course - The recent years have witnessed a greater threat to the composite and

pluralistic culture of India.- Ideologies that promote homogenization of culture, language and religion

have been gaining ground leading to intolerance and religious fundamentalism.

- Politicization of religion and self-centred economic interests have led to an upsurge in communal violence in different parts of the country leading to increasing polarization of religious communities.

- The reality of religious pluralism and the various threats to harmonious interreligious living call us to reflect on the phenomenon of religion and religious pluralism from a Christian faith perspective.

2. The Objective of the Course- helping the students reflect on the phenomenon of religion and the

plurality of religions from a Christian faith perspective with a view to understand the place of other religions in God’s plan.

- view other religions in a more positive way and enable us to engagein interreligious dialogue and efforts towards harmony.

- more objective study of the Christian scriptures and traditions in their historical and socio-cultural contexts could open up possibilities of a more positive view of other religions.

3. The Meaning and Scope of Theology of Religions- A Christian theology of religion seeks to understand and interpret the

phenomenon of religion and religious experience in the light of Christian faith. (NO COMPARISON)

- Christian theology of religions tries to understand and interpret the place of various religious traditions in the light of Christian faith.

- The two focuses on the reality of religious pluralism and how Christian faith understands and responds to this reality.

Table of Contents

Introduction ..................................................................................................... 4 Chapter 1: The Pluralistic Context of India ........................................................ 6 Chapter 2: Understanding Religion - True and False Religion.............................16 Chapter 3: Biblical Views on Other Religions......................................................24 Chapter 4: The Church Fathers and Other Religions ..........................................31 Chapter 5: Development in the History of Christianity .....................................35 Chapter 6: Some Issues in the Theology of Religions ........................................46 Questions for Study and Reflection ...................................................................57 For Further Reading ..........................................................................................58

Question and Reflection …

I wrote this on 9 March 2019 at Facebook…

Good morning everyone. All religions in side of God is EQUAL and Beautiful. Why? Its’s because it comes from GOD not men. Where do we get all this is from the Holy Scriptures.

So I encourage and humbly request everyone including ALL in Malaysia to stand for GOD in truth, justice, harmony and not by our own selfish reasons. Remember GOD is our judge when we complete our mission here on earth.

Remember humanity, God is our judge. God will see and act but He is always merciful. Blessed Lent everyone. Love you all.

RELIGION

1. What do you understand with this word, RELIGION”?

2. What is your stand with your “OWN” RELIGION?

3. What is your stand with “OTHER” RELIGION?

1. Sociological Approach &2. Psychological Approach &3. Philosophical Approach.

AMEIA - Archdiocesan Ministry of Ecumenical and Inter-religious Affairs. – AEID - Archdiocesan Ecumenical Inter- Religious

Dialogue

PMEIA - Parish Ministry of Ecumenical and Inter-religious Affairs.

CFM - Christian Federation of MalaysiaCatholics (Malaysian Bishops)

Christian Council of Churches (CCM) National Evangelical Christian Fellowship Malaysia (NECF)

MCCBCHT - The Majlis - Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism

Beside water and food, RELIGION for man – has been his comforter, his prop, his reason-for-being. This is common thread has united the peoples of the globe throughout the ages. It doesn’t take a philosopher’s intellect to work out why faith in a god has played such a vital role. Life in inevitably followed by death, and then, who knows? Man desires to place order amid chaos and perceive with certainty why particular events happen in life and what occurs beyond the barrier of death. So the prospect of a hidden deity imposing his structured will on earth is an appealing one. Man steals back a modicum of control through appeasement of the god or gods via prayers, sacrifices, peity and charity.

Religion comes naturally to most of us. If has been the inspiration for wonderful music and fabulous works of art. Themes of good and evil, right and wrong and strength through faith have been the meat of literature.

Before religion can work, reason and rationality must be suspended.

RELIGIONS IN MALAYSIATHE SCRIPTURES

ISLAM – QURAN & HADITH.Buddhism – BUDDHA WAYS.

Christianity – BIBLE & TEACHINGS / TRADITIONS.Hinduism – VEDAS (LITURGY) & UPANISHADS (PHILOSOPHY

& OTHERS).Sikhism – ADI GRANTH OR GURU GRANTH SAHIB.

Taoism – TAO TE CHING OR THE BOOK OF THE WAY AND OF VIRTURE.

What is allowed in our study …1. Learning on any religion.2. Respecting the thoughts of any religion.3. Understanding according to my own religion.4. Accepting the good in any religion.

What is NOT allowed in our study …1. Comparisons of my own religion with other religion.2. Condemnation of other religion.3. To judge religion as false.

Chapter 1The Pluralistic Context of India- The great poet of undivided India, Iqbal, in his soulful song “Sarejahan se Acha.” compared Indian society to a ‘guldasta’ i.e. a bouquet of different flowers. - National anthem - the great cultural and linguistic diversity of India.- National flag - symbol of the religious and geographical diversity of the country. - The pluralistic context of India can be divided into three major parts:1) The tradition of pluralism within the Hindu tradition 2) Inter-religious pluralism in relation to the major religions in India 3) The present context of inter-religious dialogue and living in India

1. Pluralism within the Hindu Tradition1.1 Plurality of Gods, Cults and Sects- Rig Vedic saying “Ekam Sat Viprah Bahudha Vadanti” (The Real is one but

sages speak of it in different ways) - assertion of the need to articulate the foundational Unity of the universe in manifold ways, and enter into the dynamics of the One and the many that governs the existence and movement of the universe.

- The Vedas speak of the Divinity a) Aksharam (indestructible, eternal)b) Ekam (the One)c) Tat Sat (the Ultimate Reality)d) Brahman (The all-pervading Divine Essence)e) Atman (the Supreme Self) f) Om (the Ultimate Being)

- The One Being manifests as devas (gods) and is called ‘Many in One’- ‘Vishve Devah’(All Ye Gods!), - ‘Vishvadeva’ or God of the universe (RV.V.82.7).- Concept of the “ekam sat viprah bahudha vadanti” does not belong to

a casual statement in the first Mandala of the Rig Veda but “is a persistent idea throughout the Veda.”

- The three sects – Vaishnavism, Shaivism and Shaktism - have their own sacred literature called the Agamas which are placed side by side with the Vedas and given importance akin to that of the Vedas.

1.2 Plurality of Theological Articulation

- Arul Nandi and Sripati Pandita Acharya - make strong claims, by use of reason, about Shiva as the God of gods, the comprehensive source, savior and foundation of the world.

- Vaishnava theologians Vedanta Desika and others - reasoning and interpretation of the scriptures make equally strong claims about Narayana as the Lord of the universe and the source of everything.

- Vedanta proposed Knowledge as the means to liberation.- Mimamsakas spoke of Abhyudaya (prosperity) as the goal of actions. - Vedanta spoke of Nishreyas (Supreme human goal).

2. Inter-Religious Pluralism 2.1 The Sramana Religions and Hinduism - Historically Sramanas are the wandering ascetics - found in North-

Eastern India - 6th century BCE.- Buddhism and Jainism - most important representatives of this

tradition. - Traditions resulted - awareness of the all-pervasiveness of suffering

(Dukha) which became a key issue in later Indian philosophy. - The Sramanic traditions - negativities in life more conspicuous than

the world-affirming spirit of the Vedas and responded to these negativities by a spirit of renunciation.

How did Hinduism react to Buddhism? - Chandragupta Maurya (321-296 B.C), Buddhists were persecuted,

monasteries destroyed and monks exiled from the kingdom. - Shankara was vehement in his attack of the Buddhist theories such as

the Theory of Momentariness (Kshnabhangavada), the subjective idealism of the Vijnanavada, and Shunyavada.

- Even though Shankara criticizes Buddhism, there is much in common between his understanding of Brahman and that of the Buddhist concept of Shunyata – to the extent that the opponents of Shankara did not hesitate to call him a Buddhist!

2.2 Hinduism’s Encounter with Christianity - The Hindu-Christian encounter in India began with the establishment and gradual growth of the St. Thomas Christian community in South India from the earliest centuries of Christianity. - St. Francis Xavier and other Jesuit missionaries pursued vigorous

evangelization and thousands were baptized, mainly in the coastal regions.

- His efforts to have a Seminary with Sanskrit as a medium of did not succeed, but he was able to construct a church in the Indian style as well as to coin terms from local languages and Sanskrit to meet the needs of Christian theology.

2.3 Renaissance Hinduism and Christianity - Raja Ram Mohan Roy (1772-1833), the Father of Indian Renaissance,

founded Brahmo Samaj to spearhead reforms such as the abolition of the inhuman practice of Sati within Hinduism.

- Keshub Chandra Sen (1838-1884) was a thinker who was so much attracted to the life and teachings of Jesus that many considered him a Christian.

- Vivekananda (1863-1902), a disciple of the great sage Ramakrishna who himself had great respect for all religions, found the apex of human search in Vedanta.

- Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) has often been acclaimed as being more Christian than most Christians. Gandhi’s passionate search as Satyagrahi or seeker of truth brought him to the core of the message of Jesus Christ.

2.4 Hinduism and Islam

- The early Muslim community known as the Mappilas adopted the local customs and language and had much in common with their Hindu and Christian neighbours.

- Akbar, the great emperor (1542-1605) had Hindu scholars and Jesuit priests in his Darbar to have inter-religious discussions, and the emperor even envisioned a religion which combined the good in all religions.

- The Sufi mystical tradition adopted many aspects of Hindu spirituality and symbols. Sufi poet-saint Chandvardai wrote the mystical work Padmavati using the relationship between Krishna and Radha to symbolically illustrate the union between God and human soul.

3. Problems and Challenges of Pluralism

- Fundamentalism is the extreme and absolutist affirmation of one’s own faith and belief as the only truth.

- Hindu fundamentalism is epitomized by the extremist organizations-the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (R.S.S), the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (V.H.P) and the Bhajrang Dal. V.D.Savarkar, K.B.Hegdewar and other Hindu nationalist leaders believed that India is the land of the Hindus.

- Religious communalism uses the emotional power of religious faith to achieve political and economic goals.

- Here the other believers become enemies- infidels and kafirs, and their annihilation becomes a religious act.

Chapter 2Understanding Religion – True and False Religion1. What is religion?- Encyclopedia Britanica defines religion as “Human being’s - holy,

sacred, spiritual or divine.” - The study of religion will be concerned with human’s religious

behaviour in relation to the transcendent, to God or gods and whatever else is regarded as sacred or holy.

- It also will be concerned with what humans’ relations with the divine demands in terms of their relationship with other beings and the cosmos.

2. What Characterize Religion? Characteristics as common to most religions

a) Experience of the Holy/Sacred/Transcendentb) Myths and Symbolsc) Sacred Actionsd) Concept of Salvation/Liberatione) Sacred Places and Objectsf) Sacred Community

3. Various Approaches to Religion

a) Sociological Approach to Religion – Situation of place and people brought about a religion that was a call to sacred (Emile Durkheim), a form of knowledge and answers to problems face by the people (Max Weber n n n ), an opium (Karl Max).b) Psychological Approach to Religion – on religious experience. Religion is born of man – a sense of security (Sigmund Freud) … c) Philosophical Approach to Religion – on practical reasoning – on the question of morality.

4. Christian Understanding of Religion

- A multi-disciplinary discussion on religion reveals to us rich insights regarding the origin, nature and relevance of religion for humanity. - A Christian approach to religion differs from such discourses in that it

places the faith experience of a people as the foundation and source of religion.

- The Old Testament of the Bible revolves around the foundational experience of the Israelites - the Exodus – the God who walked with them, liberated them from their oppressors and gave them a land as their own.

5. Hindu Understanding of Religion - The early Vedas speak of a religious experience emanating from the

contemplation of the power and splendour of nature and creation leading to an awareness of the presence of the divine in various phenomena of nature.

- Vedic hymns (mantras) came out from an inner urge to praise the gods or the divine powers behind various elements of nature.

- Sacrifice or ritualism, and along with it Brahmins (priests) who performed sacrifice, gained supremacy.

- Yajna was considered as the naval of the universe and powerful enough not only to control gods but also to maintain and regulate ‘Rta’ or cosmic order –“Yajnovai bhuvanasya nabhi”.

- Dharma or religion was identified with sacrifice. - The Bhagavad Gita unfolded an integrated view of the three paths to

liberation – action, devotion and knowledge, devotion and ritualism retained their relevance in religion.

Chapter 3 Biblical Views on Other Religions The Old Testament - Exhibits a strong monotheistic faith articulated by the ‘Shema Israel’

“Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one. - You shall love your God with all your heart and with all your soul and

with all your might” (Deu. 6:4). - This implied that Yahweh alone is God and there shall be no other God –“You shall have no other God before me” (Ex.20:3). - The experience of Exodus and the covenant with God affirms the faith of Israel in one God and the gods of other people are seen either as non-existent or inferior.

1. Condemnation of Other Religionsa) Their Gods are false/ there is only one God

- Yahweh is greater than other gods (Ex. 18:11) - Yahweh is a jealous God (Ex.34:14) - ...the Lord is God, there is none beside Him (Deut. 4:35) - Before me no God was formed, no shall there be any after me (Is.43: 10) - I am the first and I am the last; beside me there is no god (Isaiah 44:6) - I am the Lord, there is no other (Isaiah 45:5)- Why are you faithless, profaning the covenant (Malachi 2: 10) - Yahweh is greater than other gods (Psalm 86:8) - You alone are God (Psalm 86:10)

b) Against Idol Worship- You shall not make a carved image.... (Exodus 20: 1-15) - All who fashion idols are nothing.... (Isaiah 44: 6-20) - They make their gold and silver into a god… they fall down and worship it!

(Is.46:6-10) - Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field... (Jer.10: 2-5) - They sacrifice to demons that were no gods (Deut.32:17) - You shall not make idols or erect an image or pillar (Leviticus 26:1) - Their idols are silver and gold...they have mouths but do not speak; eyes but

do not see... (Psalm 115:4-8) - Amos 5:26; Hos.8:4-8; Jer.2: 26-28; Jer.3: 6-13; 10:1-16

c) Why the Negative Approach? i) The OT monotheism results from Israel’s experience of Yahweh. - They experience Yahweh as a God who is close to them, walks with them and owns them and loves them as His own. - According to Karl Rahner, “the basic form of OT monotheism is not “One

God exists” but “Yahweh is the unique God”.

ii) The condemnation of idols and Gods of other religions - The covenant binds Israel to Yahweh and Yahweh alone. - The covenant imposes a commitment to shun other gods.- Denial of other gods and affirmation of one God is to be understood in the context of the prophets’ fury at Israel’s turning away from Yahweh and the insistence on fidelity and faithfulness to the covenant. - Thus, it is more a condemnation of Israel’s infidelity than condemnation of other gods.

2. Inclusive and Positive Themes and References a) The Cosmic Covenants Include People of All Religions- Covenant is a fee, personal, gratuitous intervention of God in the history of a

people.b) Some Pre-Israelite Figures are Declared ‘Righteous’ and Models of Faith- Some of the OT figures who lived outside the dispensation of the ‘chosen people’ are presented as persons who please God and as models of faith.c) Saintly Non-Jewish Figures- The OT shows many non-Jewish figures in positive light, as saintly figures, wise or dear to God. d) Terms that Point to the Universality of God’s Presence and Action- Three terms referring to God in the OT – the Word, the Wisdom and the Spirit -are important pointers to the fact that divine presence and action are universal.

3. Jesus and Other Religionsa) His healing mission- Jesus does not discriminate against non-Jews in his healing mission.b) His appreciation of the gentiles- Jesus expresses tremendous appreciation for gentiles and non-Jews.c) The Kingdom Jesus preached is universal- The Kingdom of God does not belong to a particular people or religion nor is it a privilege of the few.

d) Jesus reaches out to the outcastes and the marginalized- In his ministry Jesus shows a clear preference for people who are sidelinedand excluded.e) Jesus transcends religious barriers- Preaching the reign of God is the primary mission of Jesus. He is not partial toward any religion.f) Jesus never condemns the gentiles- Jesus’ condemnation of the practice of religion is directed only to his own fellow Jews.

4. The Apostolic Church and Other Religions - In the apostolic kerygma - “God has made him both Lord and Christ, this

Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:36). - In spite of the positive and generous picture of other religions one gets in

Paul, we also find strong condemnation of pagan religions who “exchange the glory of the immortal God for images resembling a mortal human being or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles” (Rom.1:23).

- According to Dupuis, in Paul and in New Testament as whole, there is a tension between “yes to other religions” and “no to other religions”.

- This is due to the fundamental perspective of the New Testament, i.e. the definitive victorious character of salvation in the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is more an affirmation of the experience of salvation in Jesus than a denial of the worth of other religions.

Chapter 4 The Church Fathers and Other Religions1. Negative approaches a) St. Ignatius of Antioch, an early Father of the Church… - was convinced that the Church and salvation are interrelated.- confronted with schismatics who wanted to break away from the

Church, Ignatius took a firm and strong position that there is no salvation outside the church.

b) St. Irenaeus - confronted the Gnostics who claimed a superior knowledge than the Church and insisted that the Church holds superior knowledge because the Church has the Holy Spirit. He said, “where the Church is, there is the Spirit of God, and where the Spirit of God is, there is the Church.”

c) Origen – commenting on the Book of Joshua … on the question of acceptance..- “if any one wishes to be saved, let that one come into this house, of her who

once was a prostitute.- Even if someone belonging to that people (the Hebrews) wishes to be saved,

let such a one come into this house…let no one deceive oneself outside this house, that is outside the church, no one is saved”

d) St. Cyprian – “outside the church no salvation”- “let them not think that the way of salvation exists for them if they have

refused to obey the bishops or the priests…- the proud and the insolent are killed by the sword of the Spirit, for they

cannot live outside…and there can be no salvation for anyone outside the Church”

- “You cannot have God as Father if you do not have the Church as Mother”- “if anyone does not believe in Christ, he defrauds himself…just as someone

were to shut out the rays of the sun by closing one’s window.”

e) St. John Chrysostom - He does not show any sympathy for the pagans - “Do not say “how is it that

God has neglected that sincere and honest pagan”?...for now the name of God is proclaimed to all nations, the truth is now clearer than the sun…and the religion of the pagans have been proved false”.

f) St. Augustine- He says, salvation is possible only in the Church. Outside the Church one

have everything. He can have honour, he can have sacraments, he can sing Alleluia, he can resound with Amen….he can have everything except salvation.

- Nowhere else than in the Catholic Church can he find salvation.- All those who entered the ark were saved, the same way all who enter the

Church are saved, he compared the Church to Noah’s ark.

Why the negative approach? From the above..

The axiom ‘outside the church no salvation’ needs to be understood in it s context. The time of the early Fathers of the Church was a time when the Christianity was trying to survive in an atmosphere of emperor worship and other religions around. In such an atmosphere exclusive positions were aimed at defending the Church from external threat.

Secondly, most of the Church Fathers spoke of salvation only in the Church in the context of schisms and heresies within the Church. The Church needed to be defended from split and divisions.

Thirdly, The Church Fathers’ knowledge of the world, geography, other cultures and religions were indeed limited.

2. Some Positive Approaches from the Fathers

a) St. Justin- He brought forth creation and continues to manifest Himself to the world. - In Justin’s view, the seed of the Word (Sperma tou logou) was implanted in the

whole human race.- Justin insists that the Christian doctrine surpasses all human teaching because we

have the Word in its entirety in Christ.

Not all the Church Fathers were negative towards other religions. 3 Fathers can be taken for special mention …

b) St. Irenaeus- All divine manifestations take place through the Logos in a progressive way. - “the Word has revealed the Father”, he was not referring only to the Word

that became flesh in Jesus. But the Word (Jesus words in the bible) was present at every point in time.

- the incarnate Word (Jesus) was already present and at work in history revealing the Father.

- The difference between the Word (Jesus words) at work from the beginning of creation and the Word became flesh in Mary (Jesus himself) is that in the former the Word made visible the Father to the mind, but in the latter he made visible the Father to the eyes of people.

c) St. Clement of Alexandria - the influence of the Logos goes beyond the boundaries of the Judeo-Christian

tradition because the pagan world had its own seers, prophets and philosophers.- In his view philosophy is a covenant made by God with people. - He finds Greek philosophy as a stepping stone to the philosophy of Christ. - The authentic guides of human kind are the ancient philosophers who truly

inspired by God and acted upon by Logos, have taught the nations divine truths.

- Clements views amounts to affirming the presence of Christian truth in the Hindu and Buddhist traditions, a positive significance of these traditions in the history of salvation.

Chapter 5 Development in the History of Christianity 1. Historical Contexts Leading to Exclusivist Theologies by S. Painadth (4 phases)a) 30 AD - 100 AD- influenced by the Jewish notion of the “chosen people”. The Christians saw themselves as

representing the “New Israel” by replacing the old Israel in God’s plan, thereby becoming a privileged people.

b) 100 AD - 430 AD- small Christian communities were surrounded by other religions and the Roman emperor worship.

They were a persecuted community struggling to preserve their fait and bear witness to it. The major Christian concern was fidelity to the person and message of Jesus.

c) 430 - 1000 AD- period of consolidation of the Church – the experience of great persecution. Roman law came into

act, “ follow the religion of the ruler”.d) 1000 AD - 1450 AD … period of the Crusades … - waves of invasions by Islamic forces threatened Christendom.

2. Influence of Barthian Exclusivist Theology Karl Barth’s (1886-1968) - understanding of religion differed radically from the normal Christian understanding of religion. His famous statement “religion is unbelief” was based on his understanding that religion is nothing but a human creation and it places human actions, beliefs, rituals and laws above God’s words and action. Barth’s deep-rooted Protestant faith is echoed in his enunciation of the four-fold assertion: a) We are saved by grace alone b) We are saved by faith alone c) We are saved by Christ alone d) We are saved by Scripture alone

All these four assertions are interrelated. For example, one cannot have grace or faith without Christ. For him this is the essence of what is articulated in the Gospels, in St. Paul and in the Reformers. It is God in Jesus Christ who saves, and it is only by God’s grace in Christ that humans can achieve anything. The truth about God and the message and reality of Jesus are communicated to us in the Bible. Thus God’s grace, faith in Jesus as saviour and belief in the Scripture are all that matter; religions, including Christianity only get in the way of the Divine.

3. Development of Inclusive Theologies a) The “Fulfilment” approach proposed first by Jean Danielou and developed by Henri de Lubac- distinction between Christianity and non-Christian religions by saying that

the latter belong to the order of natural reason while the former belong to the order of supernatural faith

b) Rahner’s concept of the “anonymous Christianity” - theological anthropology which sees humankind in its concrete historical

condition as created by God and is destined to union with God. - phrase sounding similar to that of Rahner yet different in meaning was

coined by Raimundo Panikkar in his first book The Unknown Christ of Hinduism.

c) Jacques Dupuis- most distinguished Catholic theologian of religions , has undertaken the task

of explaining how faith in Jesus Christ can be compatible with a more inclusive dialogue with people of other religions.

- Trinitarian theology Dupuis emphasizes that Jesus Christ must never be thought to replace the Father, though the two cannot be separated.

- The Logos is distinct from Jesus Christ and is operative before and after the event of Jesus Christ.

- In his book The Meeting of Religions and the Trinity, Gavin refuses to call his Trinitarian orientation either pluralist or inclusivist, but both open and faithfully committed to its tradition-specific way of narrating the world.

4. Development of Pluralist Theologies a) John Hick- provides the foundation for a variety of religious pluralism. - The Uniqueness or divinity of Jesus, in Hick’s understanding of religion, will

be a mythological construct that expresses the literal truth that “God has been encountered through Jesus” which is not an assertion of the unique saving effectiveness in human life, but a particular redemption myth attached to one great historical way of salvation.

- Hick’s model leads to agnosticism where all religious traditions are reduced to the same condition of not being able to make any absolute truth claim.

- Hick’s attempt to accommodate and give equal status to all religions is said to have resulted in his accommodating none since he can accept them only on his own terms and within his own system.

b) Paul Knitter- He perceives in the Church, especially in Asia, a shift from an ecclesio-centric

understanding of mission to a Kingdom-centered one. - Knitter’s understanding of mission leads him to join hands with Asian theologians

such as Aloysius Pieris, Samuel Rayan, Michael Amaladoss and others to articulate a Christian mission for today which takes seriously the “suffering other” and the “religious other”.

- Knitter speaks of the Mutuality Model as a stage in pluralism where Christians open themselves to others in conversation and be ready to be ‘upset’, may be turned around, challenged to replace certain beliefs or practices that they never before questioned.

- Knitter’s regnocentrism does seem to respect the autonomy and otherness of religions.

- Knitter’s contention that suffering and eco-balance are two primary universals and that so much as religions alleviate suffering and tend to the earth’s well-being they are channels of salvation.

5. The Second Vatican Council on Other Religions

- The Council, in its reflection on other religions, chose two focal points- what is common to humanity and what helps in promoting fellowship among religions.

- The Council makes its all important statement on other religions when it declares that “the Catholic Church rejects nothing of what is true and holy in these religions”.

- Nostra Aetate’s - path breaking effort is the call to interreligious dialogue. - Lumen Gentium - dogmatic constitution issued by Vatican II, reiterated the

fact that people of other religions can indeed be saved. - Gaudiem et Spes - important document of Vatican II, called upon the

Christians to appreciate everything that is good, respect those who profess other religions, not to deny religious liberty to minorities and foster everything which is True, Good and Beautiful.

Chapter 6 Some Issues in the Theology of Religions 1. Uniqueness and Universality of Jesus Christ vis-a-vis Other Religions a) Brahmabandhab Upadhyaya- Krishna is a genuine descent of God in human shape- Upadhyaya interprets Krishna’s avatar as a real human being with a real

human personality.- Leaving Krishna as a mere moral exemplar for the Hindus and giving Christ

the unique position of being the Saviour of the World, does not seem to satisfy the Hindu sensibilities.

b) Abhishiktananda- saw his advaitic experience leading him to a Trinitarian experience where the

non-duality revealed to him by the Upanishads led him to the realization of “the interiority of the Spirit who is the “non-duality” of the Father and the Son.”

c) Michael Amaladoss- speaks of Jesus as the “Symbol of God” to express the relationship of Jesus to

other religions: “Christ (Jesus) of history is the symbol of Christ-mystery. - Amaladoss situates his Christology within the salvific plan of God and

affirms the value of other saviour figures within this plan without compromising the uniqueness of Christ.

- His use of ‘symbol’ is aimed at avoiding an exclusive position and to articulate what he means by ‘uniqueness’.

d) M. M. Thomas - builds his Christology around the category of the new humanity in Christ. - For him Jesus Christ is the revelation of God and the meeting point of history

where God fully reveals Himself and where humanity realizes itself fully. e) S. J. Samartha- presbyter of the Church of South India, wants avoid any language of

uniqueness. - His aim is not to deny the validity of the Christian experience of salvation in

Christ for all humankind. - It is to be understood as a faith experience and not as an objective truth claim.

f) Wilfred Felix - meaningful Christology for India cannot start from isolation.- He advocates a Christology which will not require a language of uniqueness;

uniqueness in the sense of possessing superiority over other mediators. - He observes that the different Indian categories used to interpret Jesus such as

guru, satyagrahi and jivanmukta do not require a language of uniqueness. - Wilfred , supported by the findings of the Indian biblical scholar George-

Soares-Prabhu, contends that the relationship among the various Christologiesin the New Testament is such that each one of them has its own validity and internal cohesion, as such reflects the nature and experience of the community from which it stems.

2. Fullness of Revelation in Jesus vis-à-vis Revelation in Other Religions- According to Jacques Dupuis the fullness of revelation in Jesus Christ is much more

than the written word of the New Testament - distinction that the Vatican II document Dei Verbum makes between the fullness of revelation in Jesus and its “transmission”.

- According to Dupuis, Jesus Christ as the fullness of revelation is not a matter of quantity but a matter of quality - the divine revelation reaches its qualitative plenitude in Jesus because no revelation of the mystery of God can match the depth of what occurred when the divine Word incarnated and lived as human, died and rose.

- In the words of J. Dupuis, “the personal experience of the Spirit by the rishis, in as much as, by divine providence, it is a personal overture on the part of God to the nations, and in as much as it has been authentically recorded in their sacred scriptures, is a personal word addressed by God to them through intermediaries of divine choosing”.

3. The Role of the Church in Human Salvation vis-à-vis Other Religions a) Lumen Gentium - calls the Church “the new people of God” with whom God has made a “new

covenant”.- By implication the “old” people of God is the Jewish people and the “new”

people of God are the Church.b) Redemptoris Missio- clarifies that the Church, effectively and concretely, is at the service of the

Kingdom and thus is an instrument of the Kingdom.

4. Mission, Evangelization and Proclamation vis-à-vis Other Religions a) Mission- “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of

the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Mt.28: 19). - The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue brought out two

documents, Dialogue and Mission (DM) and Dialogue and Proclamation (DP).

- Both the documents provide insights into new ways of understanding mission, proclamation and evangelization in the present context of India and the world.

b) Evangelization- Evangelizing mission refers to the mission of the church in its totality. - “It means to bring the good news into all areas of humanity, and through its

impact, to transform that humanity from within, making it new. c) Proclamation - Proclamation is understood as the communication of the gospel message, the

mystery of salvation realized by God for all in Jesus Christ.- It also involves an invitation to become part of the community of believers

through baptism.

Questions for Study and Reflection 1. How does Indian tradition consider pluralism in general and plurality of religions in particular? Is pluralism a gift or a curse? What are the levels of pluralism we find in the religious history of India? 2. What is religion and what are the common characteristics of religion? Explain the sociological, psychological and philosophical approaches to religion. 3. How do various religions understand religion? How does the Bible denounce inauthentic religion and enunciate true and authentic religion? 4. Are all religions part of God’s salvific plan for humankind? If so, how do we understand the strong condemnation of pagan religions and their gods (idols) in the Old Testament? Are there positive themes and references in the OT that point to an inclusive and positive attitude towards other religions?

5. How does Jesus treat people of other religions? Is the attitude of the Apostolic Church towards people of other religions the same as that of Jesus? If not so, why? 6. How do you understand the axiom ‘Outside the Church No salvation’ advocated by the early Fathers of the Church? Do you hear positive voices from the Fathers of the Church towards other religions? 7. How do theologians try to include other religions in the salvific plan of God? Trace the development of inclusivist theologies of religions. 8. Do you agree with a pluralistic theology of religions which says, “all religions are equal and they all lead people to salvation through various paths”. Can you reconcile this view with your Christian faith?

9. How does Vatican II articulate the place of other religions? In which way is the council document Nostra Aetate radical in its openness to the people of other religions? 10. How do you understand the Christian faith statement “There is salvation in no one else” (Acts 4:12) in the multi-religious context of India? If Jesus is the only mediator of salvation how are others saved? Do divine figures of other religions mediate salvation? If so how? 11. Is it necessary to be a member of the Catholic Church to be saved? Can we distinguish the Church and the reign of God? 12. In the context of growing hostility to proselytism and conversion in the recent past how do we put into practice the Christian mandate to preach the gospel? How do various Indian theologians interpret mission, evangelization and proclamation for today?

THANK YOU & GOD BLESS

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