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Roman Catholicism Soteriology

Peter Kreeft’s accessibilist perspective re: the unevangelized

In Tough Questions Christians Ask, published by Christianity Today in 1989 and then reprinted as a web only article in 2003, Peter Kreeft answers 35 questions about eternity, mostly with regard to heaven. (The few questions about hell are answered interestingly, but it is difficult to tell from those answers alone whether or not Kreeft affirms […]

Categories
Eschatology

William Lane Craig affirms universal revelation accessibilism

“Salvation is truly available to all persons at all times. It all depends upon our free response.” W. L. Craig For years, I have been aware of a gospel exclusivist approach to the salvation of the unevangelized, formulated within a Molinist framework, and enunciated very clearly by William Lane Craig. In a number of publications, […]

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Books Soteriology Theology of religions

The exclusivity of Christ and a Christian theology of religions

            The western world is increasingly diverse religiously, and so it has become more urgent that we have a well formulated understanding of how we should view and relate to the religions of the world and their adherents. This fact has not escaped the attention of either theologians or missiologists, […]

Categories
Mission Soteriology

Acts 2 and 10: gospel exclusivist or accessibilist?

Matthew Barrett examined an “inclusivist” reading of Acts 2 and 10 and found it wanting, in his 2011 ETS paper. He has done good work and his critique deserves consideration and response. Matthew Barrett’s critique of inclusivist readings Barrett studies Acts 2 because he has met inclusivist proposals that “the Spirit poured out on all […]

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Books Theology of religions

D’ Costa’s critique of Strange’s subversive fulfilment interpretation of other religions

Dialogue between Gavin D’Costa and Daniel Strange D’Costa’s response to Strange’s position Gavin D’Costa begins his response to Daniel Strange’s subversive fulfilment approach by enumerating numerous foundational points of agreement, but he is conscious of a Calvinist-Catholic divide that is daunting (145-46). Among points of difference which D’Costa attributes to this divide are: Dan’s rejection […]

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Books Theology of religions

Knitter’s critique of Strange’s subversive fulfilment interpretation of other religions

Dialogue between Paul Knitter and Daniel Strange The largest distance between perspectives in this book exists between Paul Knitter’s unitive pluralist approach and Daniel Strange’s subversive fulfilment approach, so we will begin with their conversation and then take up D`Costa`s critique in another post.   Knitter’s response to Strange Paul Knitter chose to focus on […]

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Books Theology of religions

A “subversive fulfilment” interpretation of other religions

  Daniel Strange gives a third Christian perspective on other religions, in chapter 3 of Only One Way? Three Christian Responses to the Uniqueness of Christ in a Pluralistic World. Daniel Strange’s proposal Since Dan is the only one of the three authors whom I know personally, I am going to switch to referring to […]

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Books Theology of religions

Conversation about D’ Costa’s fulfillment approach

Paul Knitter’s response to D’ Costa Knitter responds to Gavin D’ Costa as a fellow Catholic and a friend, but he asserts that D’ Costa is wrong on a number of critical points: D’ Costa thinks tradition to be “like a wise man living through the centuries, learning to adjust and speak different languages as […]

Categories
Books Theology of religions

A “fulfillment” approach to other religions

The proper Christian approach and attitude to other religions and their adherents is not a new issue for Christianity. The church of the second century faced it squarely. But the ease of world travel, and the increasing diversity of the population in western nations, have made this a pressing issue for us in our time. […]

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Soteriology

Accessibilism and missionary motivation

Gospel exclusivists frequently express grave concern that, if Christians were to believe that God saves some people who do not hear the gospel from a human messenger, they would become unwilling to make the costly sacrifice that the missionary mandate requires of Jesus’ followers. Since reaching accessibilist convictions myself, I have taken that concern seriously […]