Religious Pluralism

The Issue

The central question is how to understand the confession that "Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation" in a society where many religions coexist.

Three Positions

• Exclusivism: Salvation is given only through faith in Jesus Christ. "No man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6); "there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). This is the position of most Korean churches and the basis for missions.
• Inclusivism: Salvation is accomplished only through Christ, but his grace may also reach those who have never heard the gospel. This is the position of the Catholic Church since the Second Vatican Council and of some Protestant theologians.
• Pluralism: The various religions are different paths leading to the same ultimate reality. Because this view relativizes the uniqueness of Christ, most churches reject it.

Controversy in the Korean Church

In 1992 the Korean Methodist Church brought two professors of Methodist Theological Seminary, Byun Sun-hwan and Hong Jung-soo, before a church trial and excommunicated them on the grounds that they had taught religious pluralism and postmodern theology. The case was long debated as a conflict between theological freedom and a denomination's defense of its doctrine. Controversy also continued over whether the interreligious dialogue of the World Council of Churches amounts to pluralism (see WCC controversy).

Distinctions

• Living peacefully with people of other religions, engaging in dialogue with them, and cooperating with them on social issues (interreligious dialogue and cooperation) is different from holding that salvation is found in all religions (soteriological pluralism). Many hold that the former is possible even from an exclusivist position.
• Even within exclusivism, there are various answers to the question of the salvation of those who die without hearing the gospel and of young children.
• In Korea, where Buddhist and Confucian culture runs deep, each incident in which the facilities or symbols of other religions are damaged raises anew the question of whether confessing the uniqueness of Christ and showing respect toward neighboring religions can go together.