Andy Naselli

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Harold Netland on Religious Pluralism

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The fifth CCI esssay is now available: Harold A. Netland, “One Lord and Savior for All? Jesus Christ and Religious Diversity.” Netland, who studied under John Hick, authored Encountering Religious Pluralism: The Challenge to Christian Faith and Mission (Downers Grove: IVP, 2001).

Here’s an outline of his 37-page essay:

1. Religious Diversity and Christian Faith

  1. Traditional Christianity: Religious Exclusivism
  2. Religious Inclusivism
  3. Religious Pluralism

2. Religious Pluralism: Clarifying the Issues

  1. Religious Diversity Exists
  2. Religious Diversity Should Be Legally Accepted
  3. Religious Diversity Should Be Socially Accepted
  4. All Major Religions Are Equally  True and Legitimate

3. John Hick’s Model of Religious Pluralism

4. Religions and Religious Beliefs

  1. What Is the Nature of the Religious Ultimate?
  2. What Is the Nature of the Human Predicament?
  3. What Is the Nature of and the Conditions for Attaining Salvation/Liberation/Enlightenment?

5. The Problem of Conflicting Truth Claims

6. Religious Exclusivism

7. Problems with Religious Pluralism

  1. Some Truth Claims Cannot Both Be True
  2. Ineffability Is Incoherent

8. Does God Exist?

9. Who Is Jesus?

  1. The Relation Between Jesus and History in  Christianity Is Different from the Relation  Between History and Other Religious Leaders
  2. Jesus, Unlike Some Religious Leaders, Was a Monotheist
  3. Jesus Identifies the Root Problem Confronting  Humankind As Sin; Others, Such as Gautama,  Locate the Problem with Ignorance
  4. The New Testament Presents Jesus Christ  as God Incarnate, Fully Man and Fully God
  5. Jesus Does Not Merely Teach the Way to  Reconciliation with God—He Claims That  He Himself Is the Way to Salvation

10. An Evangelical Theology of Religions

  1. Creation and General Revelation
  2. Sin
  3. Demonic Influence

11. Salvation: What About Those  Who Never Hear About Jesus?

12. Living Among Religious Others

  1. The Great Commission: Make Disciples
  2. The Great Commandment: Love God and Your Neighbor

Annotated Bibliography

Related: See Justin Taylor’s post “ESV Study Bible: The Bible and World Religions, and An Interview with Harold Netland.” It links to a couple of helpful resources:

  1. “The Bible and World Religions” from the ESV Study Bible (includes an article by Netland on world religions)
  2. Owen Strachan’s interview with Harold Netland on religious pluralism
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