Book Cover 1
Imprint 4
Contents 7
Preface to the English Edition 13
Preface 15
1. Introduction 19
October 27, 1986 – September 11, 2001 19
Interreligious Encounter and the Emergence of Pluralism 20
An Outline of the Argument 26
Part I: The Need for a Christian and Pluralist Theology of Religions 29
2. Theology of Religions: What’s It About? 31
The Dual Question Addressed by the Theology of Religions 31
The Dogmatic Problem 34
The Practical Problem 36
The Criteriological Problem 41
The Hermeneutical Problem 50
The Apologetic Problem 55
3. Classifying the Options 58
The Tripartite Classification 58
A Logically Comprehensive Classification 60
Clarification of Terms 67
A Discussion of Some Objections 69
Comparative Theology as an Alternative? 80
4. A Critique of Christian Exclusivism 88
Forms of Exclusivism 88
Exclusivism in the History of Theology: An Overview 91
Recent Developments 98
Critical Discussion 104
The Question of Salvation 104
The Question of Interreligious Parallels 111
5. A Critique of Christian Inclusivism 116
Inclusivism in the History of Th eology: An Overview 117
Recent Developments 124
Post-Conciliar Doctrinal Developments in the Roman Catholic Church 124
Pluralizing Inclusivism: Mark Heim and Jacques Dupuis 125
Critical Discussion 136
Evaluating Religious Diversity 137
Insuffi cient Empirical Evidence 140
Dogmatic Evidence? 144
6. Religious Pluralism 147
Pluralism in the History of Theology: An Overview 147
Pluralist Approaches in Other Religions 154
Clarifications and Distinctions 158
Polycentric Pluralism? 158
Pluralism and the Ability to Dialogue 161
Pluralism and Religious Tolerance 162
Problems of a Pluralist Theology of Religions 164
On the Theoretical Status of a Pluralist Theology of Religions 165
Philosophical Consistency? 168
Theological Consistency? 170
Pluralism — a Christian Option 170
Part II: Presuppositions of a Christianand Pluralist Theology of Religions 173
7. Belief in a Transcendent Reality 175
The Concept of Transcendent Reality 175
The Inconceivability of Transcendent Reality 179
The Relevance of Transcendent Reality 187
8. Revelation and Experience 190
Revelation as Divine Self-Disclosure 190
Receiving Revelation via Religious Experience 194
Experience and Interpretation 197
The Perspectivity of Religious Experience 200
9. Religious Language and Experience 203
How and Why We Must Speak about God 203
A Logical Reason and the „via negativa“ 204
A Semantic Reason and the „via eminentiae“ 206
A Spiritual Reason and the „via affirmativa“ 209
Consequences for a Pluralist Theology of Religions 212
John Hick’s Hermeneutics of Religious Language 212
Contradictory Truth Claims? On the Consistency of the Pluralist Solution 218
10. Revelation, Salvation, and Religion 222
What Does “Salvation” Mean? 222
Salvation as the Purpose of Revelation 227
The Salvific Significance of the Religions 228
Faith, Relationship to God, and Religion 228
The Universal Possibility of Salvation 232
The Chance of Salvation and the Salvific Situation 233
Soteriocentrism 235
11. Revelation, Incarnation, and the Mediation of Salvation 239
Jesus as Revealer 239
Jesus as Mediator of Salvation 243
Jesus as Incarnation 251
How to Interpret Chalcedon? 252
Incarnation as a Singularity or Basic Feature of Divine Immanence? 258
The Doctrine of the Trinity in Pluralist Perspective 262
Potential Pluralism — and Nothing More? 267
Part III: Testing a Christian and Pluralist Theology of Religions in Interreligious Encounter 271
12. Christianity and Judaism 273
Christian Anti-Judaism 273
Historical Overview 273
Theological Roots of Christian Anti-Judaism 278
Inclusivist Openings 281
The Unrevoked Covenant 281
The Issue of Missionizing the Jews 286
Pluralizing Developments or an Inclusivist Alliance? 289
Rosemary Radford Ruether 292
Pluralist Perspectives 299
On the Christian “Yes” and the Jewish “No” to Jesus 299
Election and the Plurality of Religions 305
13. Christianity and Islam 310
Historical Burdens 310
Who is Surpassing Whom? Conquests, Reconquests, and their Religious Background 310
Islam from a Christian Exclusivist Perspective 315
Inclusivist Openings 323
The Significance of the Second Vatican Council 323
Muhammad and Jesus in the Writings of Kenneth Cragg 327
Wilfred Cantwell Smith 334
Pluralist Perspectives 338
Incarnation and Trinity 338
Muhammad and Jesus 340
Pluralist Islam 348
14. Christianity and Hinduism 352
Colonialism and Neo-Hinduism 352
The Beginnings of Indian Christianity 352
Christian Mission under Portuguese and British Rule 353
The Neo-Hindu Response 356
Inclusivist Openings 359
“The Crown of Hinduism” 360
Catholic Inclusivism aft er the Second Vatican Council 363
Raimon Panikkar 366
Pluralist Perspectives 371
Mutual Enrichment 371
A Pluralist Theology of Religions and the Question of Caste 376
Repressive Tolerance? 380
15. Christianity and Buddhism 383
On the History of Christian-Buddhist Encounter 383
An Explosive Pre-History? 383
Historical Burdens 386
Mutual Exclusivism 390
Inclusivist Openings 397
Lynn A. de Silva 402
Pluralist Perspectives 407
Christian-Buddhist Complementarity 407
Christian-Buddhist Relativization 412
16. Steps to the Future 422
A Plausible Theological Hypothesis 422
Practical Consequences 424
Toward a World Theology 429
Interreligious Spirituality 432
Bibliography 438
Index of Names 474