Blind Men, an Elephant, and a King: The Problem of Soteriocentric Pluralism

The rise of immigration in the West has brought to the fore the issue about how the Christian church should relate to those in their midst of faith traditions. The reigning paradigm in Western Christianity for interfaith relations has been pluralism, which is the view that all religions are essentially the same, with similar ends, and are equally valid. This essay seeks to challenge this assumption, examining the presuppositions that fuel this approach, showing how the seemingly neutral stance purported by its advocates is a fallacy. The author offers a different approach that seeks to take seriously the scriptural claims for the uniqueness of Christ, but also suggests a way to meaningfully engage with faith traditions, without compromising what is essentially the foundation of Christianity-Jesus Christ.IMuch has been said about the rise of the global village, and the vast movements of people across oceans and continents have led to an increasing diversity in the populations of our cities around the world. This has led to a greater awareness of the multiplicity of cultures, practices, and faith traditions in what was once the cradle of Christendom in the West. In Canada where I am now living, the projections are that by 2031 almost half of all Canadians aged fifteen and over will have been born in a foreign country or have at least one parent who was foreign-born. This change is also expected to affect the religious affiliation of the population. It is estimated that the number of non-Christians will nearly double from 8 percent in 2006 to 14 percent in 2031, with an expected decline in Christians from 75 percent to 65 percent in the same period of time.1 The rapid pace of demographic change in the West has caused many in the church to ask questions of how we ought to relate to those of faiths. Close encounters with those who are other has led to a revaluation of some of the deeply-held assumptions of Western Christians, including those who are engaged in the work of theology in academic contexts. This has led to the rise of a movement known as within theological circles.A particularly vexing issue is the whole matter of the Christian understanding of salvation, especially in light of the many people who remain outside this faith tradition. The main way in which this question is phrased is, How can the traditional Christian understanding of salvation as being available only to some (whether it be through membership in the church, or through an explicit profession of faith) be reconciled with the vast numbers of people who are of non-Christian religions? In simpler terms, the question is, Who can be saved? Attempts to answer this in the light of faiths have been part of the intra-Christian debate for decades. Most discussions revolve around concerning the nature of historical relativity, the evidence of the New Testament, the coherence of Chalcedon, the nature of God, and many connected matters.2 It is unrealistic to believe that this essay can possibly answer all the thorny issues that surround this matter, so it will therefore confine itself to examining the presuppositions of pluralism. Pluralism has become the reigning paradigm for most contemporary Christians in the West, offering those who want to continue to hold fast to the claim that there is salvation in no one else (Acts 4:12) but Jesus the means to do so on equally rational terms, grounded in the authority of Scripture.The way in which I will address this problem is by first looking at the basis for pluralism and its foundation in relativistic reductionism, which attempts to equalize all faith claims, denying differences in an attempt to bring harmony. I will show that this is not only impossible to do at a practical level, but also ultimately intolerant of different faiths to the point of being just as exclusivistic as Christian approaches. Next, I will endeavor to lay out a case that the Christian account of the human condition requires that divine revelation be the basis on which Christians should base their conceptions of salvation, and that such an approach does not close the door on a meaningful ongoing dialogue and cooperation with those of faith traditions, but rather provides a sound doctrinal basis for doing so. …

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