An introduction to the theology of religions : biblical, historical, and contemporary perspectives

How does Christianity relate to other religions? Beginning with a consideration of the biblical perspective, Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen offers a detailed and comprehensive survey of the diverse explanations proposed by teachers of the church down through the ages. This indispensable guide is for anyone seeking to grasp Christianity?s relationship to world religions. Contents 5 Outline 9 Introduction 17 PART ONE—BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVES 31 1 Overview of Biblical Testimony 33 2 The Old Testament 36 3 The New Testament 41 4 Religion(s) in the Bible 47 PART TWO—HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS 53 5 Limited Openness to Other Religions Among Some Early Church Fathers 55 6 “Outside the Church No Salvation”: 63 7 The Meaning of Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus for the Contemporary Church 78 for the Contemporary Church 78 8 Positive Attitudes Toward Other Religions After the Early Fathers 82 9 The Radical Challenge of the Enlightenment and Classical Liberalism 90 10 The Fulfillment Theory of Religions 103 PART THREE—THE CURRENT SCENE: Ecclesiastical Approaches 109 11 The Response of the Roman Catholic Church 111 12 The Response of the Anglican and Episcopalian Churches 123 13 The Response of Mainline Protestant Churches 127 14 The Response of the Free Churches 135 15 The Response of the Evangelical Movement 144 16 The Response of the Ecumenical Movement 151 PART FOUR—THE CURRENT SCENE: Theologians’ Interpretations 163 17 Orientation to the Study of Theologians of Religion 165 ECCLESIOCENTRISM: EARLY APPROACHES 174 18 Karl Barth: Religion as Unbelief 174 19 Hendrik Kraemer: Jesus Christ as the Way, the Truth and the Life 181 20 Paul Althaus: “Original Revelation” in Religions 187 CHRISTOCENTRISM 1: ROMAN CATHOLICS 190 21 Karl Rahner: “Anonymous Christians” 190 22 Hans Küng: Religions as the “Ordinary Way of Salvation” 197 23 Jacques Dupuis: “Toward a Christian Theology of Religious Pluralism” 205 24 Gavin D’Costa: Trinitarian Theology of Religions 216 CHRISTOCENTRISM 2: MAINLINE PROTESTANTS 224 25 Paul Tillich: The Dynamic-Typological Approach to Religions 224 26 Wolfhart Pannenberg: Religions Competing for the Universal Truth 235 27 Lesslie Newbigin: The Gospel as Public Truth 245 28 M. M. Thomas: “Risking Christ for Christ’s Sake” 256 CHRISTOCENTRISM 3: EVANGELICALS 261 29 Sir Norman Anderson: Unique Savior but Nonexclusive Salvation 261 30 Clark Pinnock: A Wideness in God’s Mercy 269 31 Amos Yong: A Pneumatological Theology of Religions 277 THEOCENTRISM 282 32 John Hick: The Copernican Revolution of Religions 282 33 Stanley J. Samartha: One Christ, Many Religions 294 34 Raimundo Panikkar: The Unknown Christ of Hinduism 302 35 Paul F. Knitter: Jesus and the Other Names 309 ECCLESIOCENTRISM: CONTEMPORARY (EVANGELICAL) APPROACHES 318 36 Millard J. Erickson: No Other Name 318 37 Harold Netland: The Enigma of Pluralism 324 38 Vinoth Ramachandra: The Recovery of Mission 333 39 The Current Scene: Critical Reflections and Questions 342 Epilogue 353 Bibliography 356 An,Introduction,to,the,Theology,of,Religions: Introduction : Christian theology of religions as a theological discipline -- Pt. 1. Biblical perspectives : the ambiguity and promise of the biblical testimony. Overview of biblical testimony -- The Old Testament -- The New Testament -- Religion(s) in the Bible -- pt. 2. Historical developments. Limited openness to other religions among some early church fathers -- "Outside the church no salvation" : the consolidation of the exclusive attitude -- The meaning of extra ecclesiam nulla salus for the contemporary church -- Positive attitudes toward other religions after the early fathers -- The radical challenge of the Enlightenment and classical liberalism -- The fulfillment theory of religions -- pt. 3. The current scene : ecclesiastical approaches. The response of the Roman Catholic church -- The response of the Anglican and Episcopalian churches -- The response of the mainline Protestant churches -- The response of the Free churches -- The response of the evangelical movement -- The response of the ecumenical movement -- pt. 4. The current scene. Theologians' interpretations. Orientation to the study of theologians of religion. Ecclesiocentrism : early approaches. Religion as belief / Karl Barth -- Jesus Christ as the way, the truth and the life / Hendrik Kraemer -- "Original revelation" in religions / Paul Althaus -- Christocentrism 1 : Roman Catholics. "Anonymous Christians" / Karl Rahner -- Religions as the "ordinary way of salvation" / Hans Kuśng -- "Toward a Christian theology of religious pluralism" / Jacques Dupuis -- Trinitarian theology of religions / Gavin D'Costa -- Christocentrism 2 : Mainline Protestants. The dynamic-typological approach to religions / Paul Tillich -- Religions competing for the universal truth / Wolfhart Pannenberg -- The gospel as public truth / Lesslie Newbigin -- "Risking Christ for Christ's sake" / M.M. Thomas -- Christocentrism 3 : evangelicals. Unique Savior but nonexclusive salvation / Sir Norman Anderson -- A wideness in God's mercy / Clark Pinnock -- A pneumatological theology of religions / Amos Young -- Theocentrism. The Copernican revolution of religions / John Hick -- One Christ, many religions / Stanley J. Samartha -- The unknown Christ of Hinduism / Raimundo Panikkar -- Jesus and the other names / Paul F. Knitter -- Ecclesiocentrism : contemporary (evangelical) approaches. No other name / Millard J. Erickson -- The enigma of pluralism / Harold Netland -- The recovery of mission / Vinoth Ramachandra -- The current scene : critical reflections and questions -- Epilogue : The way forward Early in the nineteenth century Ernst Troeltsch, the great German liberal thinker, published the influential essay "The Place of Christianity Among the World Religions." The question of the relation of Christianity to other religions is every bit as relevant as and perhaps even more urgent today than it was then. Beginning with a consideration of the biblical perspective, Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen surveys the variety of diverse answers proposed by teachers of the church down through the ages. His reviews include the writings of Justin Martyr, Irenaeus and Clement of Alexandria, as well as those of Augustine, Luther, Calvin, and a broad selection of later Protestant and Catholic thinkers. He completes the historical section with an astute look at the radical challenges of Enlightenment and classical liberalism and the emergence of the fulfillment theory of religions. The bulk of Kärkkäinen's work provides a detailed and comprehensive survey of major confessional movements and theologians' opinions on the contemporary scene. Kärkkäinen provides succinct and trenchant descriptions of a wide diversity of theologians, including Karl Barth, Hendrik Kraemer, Paul Althaus, Karl Rahner, Hans Küng, Jacques Dupuis, Gavin D'Costa, Paul Tillich, Wolfhart Pannenberg, Lesslie Newbigin and M. M. Thomas, as well as Sir Norman Anderson, Clark Pinnock, Amos Yong, John Hick, Stanley Samartha, Raimundo Panikkar, Paul Knitter, Millard Erickson, Harold Netland and Vinoth Ramachandra. An Introduction to the Theology of Religions is an indispensable guide for anyone seeking to grasp and work their way through the full range of alternatives offered in answer to the question, What is the relation of Christianity to other religions? Cover Title page Copyright Contents Outline Introduction PART ONE 1:Overview of Biblical Testimony 2: The Old Testament 3: The New Testament 4: Religion(s) in the Bible PART TWO 5: Limited Openness to Other Religions Among Some Early Church Fathers 6: ""Outside the Church No Salvation"" 7: The Meaning of ""Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus"" for the Contemporary Church 8: Positive Attitudes Toward Other Religions After the Early Fathers 9: The Radical Challenge of the Enlightenment and Classical Liberalism 10: The Fulfillment Theory of Religions PART THREE. 11: The Response of the Roman Catholic Church12: The Response of Anglican and Episcopalian Churches 13: The Response of Mainline Protestant Churches 14: The Response of the Free Churches 15: The Response of the Evangelical Movement The Response of the Ecumenical Movement PART FOUR 17: Orientation to the Study of Theologians of Religions ECLESIOCENTRISM: Early Approaches 18: Karl Barth 19: Hendrik Kraemer 20: Paul Althaus CHRISTOCENTRISM 1 21: Karl Rahner 22: Hans Küng 23: Jacques Dupuis 24: Gavin D'Costa CHRISTOCENTRISM 2 25: Paul Tillich 26: Wolfhart Pannenberg. 27: Lesslie NewbiginM. M. Thomas CHRISTOCENTRISM 3 29: Sir Norman Anderson 30: Clark Pinnock 31: Amos Yong THEOCENTRISM 32: John Hick 33: Stanley J. Samartha 34: Raimundo Panikkar 35: Paul F. Knitter ECCLESIOCENTRISM 36: Millard J. Erickson 37: Harold Netland 38: Vinoth Ramachandra 39: The Current Scene Epilogue Bibliography Author Index Subject Index Finding the Textbook You Need.

Early in the nineteenth century Ernst Troeltsch, the great German liberal thinker, published the influential essay The Place of Christianity Among the World Religions. The question of the relation of Christianity to other religions is every bit as relevant and perhaps even more urgent today than it was then. Beginning with a consideration of the biblical perspective, Veli-Matti Karkkainen surveys the variety of diverse answers proposed by teachers of the church down through the ages. His reviews include the writings of Justin Martyr, Irenaeus and Clement of Alexandria, as well as those of Augustine, Luther, Calvin, and a broad selection of later Protestant and Catholic thinkers. He completes the historical section with an astute look at the radical challenges of Enlightenment and classical liberalism and the emergence of the fulfillment theory of religions.

How does Christianity relate to other religions? Beginning with a consideration of the biblical perspective, Veli-Matti Karkkainen offers a detailed and comprehensive survey of the diverse explanations proposed by teachers of the church down through the ages. This indispensable guide is for anyone seeking to grasp Christianity?s relationship to world religions.