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Christian Witness in Interreligious Context Approaches to Interreligious Dialogue Inauguraldissertation Zur Erlangung der Würde eines Doktors Der Katholisch-Theologischen Fakultät Der Ludwig-Maximillians-Universität München Vorgelegt von P. Peter Mendonsa OP München 2006 Preface Jesus speaks of God the Father in terms of His love for all, “for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Mt.5:45). It is His saving love that brings the whole human race into one universe. The universal salvific will of God, in 1 Tim 2:4-6, bases on the universal mediation of salvation by Jesus: “God…desires all humans to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, the testimony to which was borne at the proper time.” Christian witness in interreligious context: Approaches to interreligious dialogue highlights the relationship of Christians to other believers. It is our belief that God of love has recourse to all differently and saves all. Through love and service a Christian ought to dialogue with other believers. Living with people of other faiths in India has inspired me to study the relationship of Christians to other believers and the Christian witness in interreligious context. I am deeply grateful to Prof. Dr. Ludwig Mödl who encouraged me to explore this possibility. It is because of his guidance and timely suggestions that I have been able to complete my work. I express my gratitude and appreciation to Prof. Dr. Armin Kreiner for his helpful suggestions. On 20th November 2006 I successfully completed the doctor-exam conducted by Prof. Dr. Ludwig Mödl – Pastoral Theology, Prof. Dr. Armin Kreiner – Fundamental Theology and Prof. Dr. Josef Wehrle – Old Testament. I am grateful to the professors for their contribution to my doctoral studies. My gratitude extends to my Dominican Brethren of both Indian and South-German Province. My family and friends have given to me their continuous encouragement, guidance and spiritual support. May God protect and bless them always. And as to my doctoral theme I wish and pray that all believers – Christians and others – may find goodness and peace in one another and serve One God of love. P. Peter Mendonsa OP München, November 2006 1 Contents General Introduction 12 Chapter One: Exclusivist Approach to Other Religions 21 Biblical – Historical and Theological Perspective 1.1 Exclusivism: terminology and meaning 21 1.2 Biblical evidence for Exclusivism 22 1.2.1 Exclusivist understanding of the O.T 23 1.2.1.1 Yahweh alone is the God of Israel 23 1.2.1.2 Response from Israel 25 1.2.2 Exclusivist understanding of the N.T 28 1.2.2.1 Jesus as the fulfilment of the law and the prophets 28 1.2.2.2 Jesus as the only saviour of the world 29 1.3 Exclusivism in the Teachings of the Fathers 29 1.3.1 Introduction 29 1.3.2 The Greek Fathers 30 1.3.2.1 Ignatius of Antioch 30 1.3.2.2 Irenaeus 31 1.3.2.3 Origen 31 1.3.2.4 Clement of Alexandria 32 1.3.2.5 Gregory of Nyssa 32 1.3.3 The Latin Fathers 33 1.3.3.1 Tertullian 33 1.3.3.2 Cyprian of Carthage 34 1.3.3.3 Ambrose 35 1.3.3.4 Jerome 36 1.3.3.5 Augustine 36 1.3.3.6 Gregory the Great 38 1.3.4 Conclusion on exclusivist attitudes of Early Christian Fathers 38 2 1.4 Karl Barth and The Revelation of Jesus Christ 39 1.4.1 About Karl Barth and Church Dogmatics 39 1.4.2 Revelation of God in Jesus Christ – a guiding principle 40 1.4.3 Radical separation between ‘revelation’ and ‘religion’ 43 1.4.4 Elements in Revelation that show religion as unbelief 46 1.4.5 Solely the Gospel of Jesus Christ judges other faiths 47 1.4.6 Conclusion 48 1.5 Leonard Feeney and ‘Outside the Church no Salvation’ 50 1.5.1 Introduction to Feeney: Faith, Excommunication, Reconciliation 50 1.5.2 Defender of the doctrine ‘no salvation outside the Church’ 52 1.5.2.1 Rigorous stance on the doctrine 52 1.5.2.2 Effect of Baptism of desire: Justification 53 1.5.2.3 No Salvation without Baptism of water 54 1.5.2.4 Condemnation of unbaptised into hell 55 1.5.3 Conclusion 56 Chapter Two: Inclusivist Approach to Other Religions 58 Biblical – Historical and Theological Perspective 2.1 Inclusivism: terminology and meaning 58 2.2 Inclusivism in the Bible 59 2.2.1 Positive attitudes of non-Jewish traditions in the O.T 60 2.2.1.1 Covenant with human race 60 2.2.1.2 The ‘Pagan Saints’ of the O.T 61 2.2.1.2.1 The faith and righteousness of Abel 62 2.2.1.2.2 The faith of Enoch 62 2.2.1.2.3 The faith of Noah 62 2.2.1.2.4 Job and Melchizedek 63 2.2.1.2.5 Conclusion 64 2.2.2 Positive attitudes towards the non-Jews in the N.T 64 2.2.2.1 The New Covenant extends to ‘gentiles’ or ‘nations’ 64 2.2.2.2 Jesus and the faith of the Pagans 65 2.2.2.2.1 The faith of the Centurion 65 3 2.2.2.2.2 The Canaanite woman 65 2.2.2.2.3 The Samaritan woman 65 2.2.2.2.4 The good Samaritan 66 2.2.2.3 The attitude of the Apostolic Church toward pagans in the N.T 66 2.2.2.4 Conclusion 67 2.3 Inclusivism in the teachings of the Fathers 68 2.3.1 Introduction 68 2.3.2 The Logos-theology of the Church Fathers 68 2.3.2.1 Saint Justin Martyr: The cosmological function of the Logos 69 2.3.2.2 St. Irenaeus: God’s revealing Word 71 2.3.2.3 Clement of Alexandria: Philosophy to Greeks and Law to Hebrews 73 2.3.2.4 Conclusion 74 2.4 Karl Rahner’s theory of Anonymous Christian 75 2.4.1 Rahner in surrounding theological perspective 75 2.4.1.1 The Fulfilment Theory surrounding Vatican II 75 2.4.1.1.1 Jean Danielou 76 2.4.1.1.2 Henri de Lubac 77 2.4.1.1.3 Hans Urs von Balthasar 78 2.4.1.1.4 Conclusion to fulfilment theory 78 2.4.1.2 Mystery of Christ in the religious traditions 79 2.4.1.2.1 Raimon Panikkar 79 2.4.1.2.2 Hans Küng 80 2.4.1.2.3 Gustave Thils 81 2.4.2 Karl Rahner: Christianity and anonymous Christianity 81 2.4.2.1 Transcendental theological basis 81 2.4.2.2 Christianity as the absolute religion intended for all 83 2.4.2.3 Natural and supernatural elements in a non-Christian religion 84 2.4.2.4 Christianity confronts with non-Christian as anonymous Christian 85 2.4.2.5 Presence of hidden reality outside the visible Church 86 2.4.3 Conclusion 86 4 2.5 Wolfhart Pannenberg’s perspective of other religions 88 2.5.1 Encountering conflicting truth claims 88 2.5.1.1 Truth claims in the history of religions 89 2.5.1.2 The truth claim in the history of Christian religion 90 2.5.2 Pannenberg’s Christian Inclusivism 91 2.5.3 Ecumenism and Dialogue in Pannenberg 93 2.5.4 Conclusion 95 Chapter Three: Pluralistic Approach to Other Religions 96 Biblical – Theological Perspective 3.1 Religious Pluralism: context and meaning 96 3.1.1 Terminology and meaning 96 3.1.2 The context and factors of religious pluralism 98 3.2 The Biblical foundations for Religious Pluralism 99 3.2.1 The universal God 99 3.2.1.1 God’s love for humanity 99 3.2.1.2 The universal salvific will of God 99 3.2.2 Jesus the Saviour 100 3.2.2.1 Salvation in Jesus 100 3.2.2.2 The theocentric Jesus 101 3.2.2.3 Jesus the liberator 102 3.2.3 The Holy Spirit 102 3.2.4 The Kingdom of God 103 3.2.5 Conclusion 104 3.3 John Hick’s Copernican Revolution 105 3.3.1 Background to Hick’s theology of religions 106 3.3.1.1 The starting point of Hick’s pluralistic hypothesis 106 3.3.1.2 Influence of Troeltsch and Smith 107 3.3.2 Arguments for Copernican Revolution 109 3.3.2.1 From tenuous nature of Ptolemaic theology 109 3.3.2.2 From holy people within the non-Christian religions 109 3.3.2.3 From proper understanding of Jesus 110 5 3.3.2.3.1 Jesus from the perspective of world religions 110 3.3.2.3.1.1 From natural tendency to an elevated status 110 3.3.2.3.1.2 From subjective intentionality 110 3.3.2.3.1.3 From psychological to ontological exclusive absolutes 111 3.3.2.3.1.4. From Christian to non-Christian religious experience 111 3.3.2.3.2 Jesus from perspective of divine incarnation 112 3.3.2.3.2.1 Divine incarnation as mythological 112 3.3.2.3.2.2 Jesus Christ among other saviours 113 3.3.2.3.3 Jesus from the perspective of salvation 115 3.3.2.3.3.1 Salvation as actual transformation of human life 115 3.3.2.3.3.2 Ways to Salvation are many and varied 116 3.3.2.4 From nature of religion and religious history 117 3.3.2.5 From Theological and practical benefits 118 3.3.2.6 From the Transcendental Real – The Eternal One 119 3.3.2.7 Summing up the arguments for religious pluralism 121 3.3.3 Conclusion 122 3.4 Paul Knitter’s perspective of Christian Pluralism 123 3.4.1 About Paul Knitter 123 3.4.2 Non-normative Theocentric Christology 124 3.4.2.1 God consciousness of Jesus Christ 125 3.4.2.2 Jesus’ uniqueness revised and reaffirmed 125 3.4.2.2.1 From saving experience of Jesus 126 3.4.2.2.2 Salvation in terms of truly and not only 128 3.4.3 The kingdom of God - perspective from liberation theology 129 3.4.4 Christian Mission revised and reaffirmed 130 3.4.4.1 Through action of love and justice 130 3.4.4.2 Devotion to and following of Jesus 132 3.4.4.3 Mission as dialogue 133 3.4.5 Some Responses to Paul Knitter 134 3.4.5.1 Problem oversimplified 134 3.4.5.2 Inclusivistic structure 134 3.4.5.3 What about Christ’s divinity? 135 3.4.5.4 What about Christian Eschatology? 136 6 3.4.6 Conclusion 136 Chapter Four: Inter-religious Encounter in the Official Teaching of the Catholic Church 138 Theological Perspective of Christian Approach to Other Religions 4.1 Introduction to Vatican II and Post-conciliar Teaching 138 4.1.1 Situating Vatican II in the conciliar history of the Church 138 4.1.2 Post-conciliar Teaching 140 4.2 Unity of all
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