lcc liberal arts studies / 2010 volume iii - LCC International University

URSULA GLIENECKE / REACTIONS ON CULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS PLURALISM
Another difficulty with exclusivism is the image of God it creates. Erickson
expresses the problem like this: "If God chooses to save some persons by
providing them with an opportunity to fulfil his conditions by enabling them to hear,
and condemns others who have not fulfilled those conditions or obeyed his
command to believe in his Son, largely because they have not really heard of him,
how can he be termed just? (...) Does God prescribe different standards for us than
what he practices himself?" (Erickson, 1996, p. 24-25, 64). With this Erickson
reminds us that Jesus taught his followers to forgive those who wrong them and to
love not only their friends, but also their enemies. Exclusivism on the contrary
paints an image of a God who “apparently does not love his enemies, who takes
vengeance on them, and eternally so”(Erickson, 1996, p. 25), condemning the
majority of humanity to hell or annihilation.
Finally, exclusivism seems to follow the patterns of Western colonialism.
The colonised people, their cultures and religions – without really knowing them -
were regarded by the Europeans as inferior and therefore in need of a higher
guardianship and a conversion to a “superior religion" (Hick, 1987, p. 20). Millard J.
Erickson points out that "to elevate one's own culture and religion above that of
others is to elevate oneself above the other. As such, Christianity's exclusivism is
just another version of the Western imperialism that considers the Western way the
right way, all others being in need of correction" (Erickson, 1996, p. 25-26).
Evangelical exclusivists do not agree with this point of critique saying that they do
not transport the Western worldview but rather a Scripture and a message given by
God. The answer to this depends, of course, on one's view of the Bible: if it is seen
as word-by-word dictated by God and thus infallible or as conditioned by the
writers' position in time and history and thus in need of discernment; and if literal or
critical interpretation of the texts is applied.
Inclusivism
Inclusivists (or superiorists) are willing to recognise various religions as genuinely
true, yet this truth is of a fragmentary nature, whereas only one religion enjoys the
possession of the full and absolute truth. However, other religions can also be used
by God as means of salvation, even if these religions are only of secondary
importance (Netland, 1991, p.9f).
Inclusivism is most closely associated with the Second Vatican Council.
The following quote from Lumen Gentium § 16 exhibits the typical characteristics of
the Roman Catholic inclusivist way of thought: “Those also can attain everlasting
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