Grace & Redemption

(Originally written April 16, 2007 in Book 15)

"Recognizing that salvation cannot come through other religions is not the same thing as saying that salvation cannot come despite or perhaps along side other religions" (Corduan, 135).

There are a number of ways for posing this question:
1) Epistemologically - Is Christianity alone true?
2) Metaphysically - Do the effects of Christ's atonement extend only to those who believe in him?
3) Ethically - Is a human being required to express faith in Christ in order to be eligible for salvation.
4) Subjectively - Is it possible to have faith in Christ without consciously knowing it?
5) Theologically - Does God's saving love extend to those who do not know of Christ?
6) Socially - Are those who have never heard of the gospel without hope of salvation?

Some Basic Categories and Their Examples

Three basic positions:

1) Exclusivist: (Restrictivist/particularist) holds that salvation only comes to those who hold explicit faith in Jesus Christ
2) Pluralist: All ways are equally legitimate roads to salvation
3) Inclusivist: all forms of salvation within any given religion are just part of the paradigmatic one.

Exclusivism: Ronald Nash

Nash holds that "no personal faith in Jesus - no salvation"

Pluralism: John Hick

Hick concerns himself primarily with the religions that began in the 6th century B.C.

This "axial age" produced religions aimed at humans having a correct way of relating to an ultimate reality (The Real).

He maintains that no religion holds an edge on each other in accomplishing this.

All religions claim that their ultimate reality is beyond human words and concepts.

Hick holds all religions as true because each is a way of relating to the Real.

Inclusivism: Karl Rahner

The Jesuit theologian Karl Rahner claimed most people have an implicit faith in God which is sufficient for salvation.

Human nature in making moral judgment makes an implicit reference to God.

The two most important features of being human is knowing and deciding are grounded in God's grace.

God in Christ assumed human nature in general, not a specific human nature.