Customer Reviews

Toward a Christian Theology of Religious Pluralism

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True to most Catholic scholars, Jaques Dupuis has taken a subject and slowly and carefully worked through the history, the theology and the present state of the issue, this being the intersection of thew Christian faith with other religions.

Make no mistake, this book is no easy read; moreover, I personally had some issues with Dupuis perspectives. For example, I think he was unfair to label Barth as "pessimistic"; in fact, many say that Barth was a universalist since there is no possibility for ANY religions (Christianity included) to bring salvation to anyone.

It is clear that Dupuis has a desire to be deeply orthodox, yet be sensitive to the depth and beauty in other religions. Indeed, he does accept that God is *somehow* working in other faiths too, but Jesus is somehow there. The problem is that on the on hand, Dupuis expresses an orthodox belief of Jesus' uniqueness, yet, in virtually the same breath, changes the definition of uniqueness as he continually tries to avoid the mistakes of exclusivism. In doing so, it is not clear what the solution is. He fully appreciates the pitfalls of relativistic pluralism (a la Hick) but does not want to see jesus' uniqueness in terms of historical finality. In support of his statements, however, he also wrestles wonderfully with many biblical passages that make this topic equally less clear than many people think. <This is a wonderful exploration of this issue, unparalleled in anything I have read. And while I do not fully agree with his methods, I deeply respect his perspective. For example, he likes to use the motif of the Trinity to see God working throughout history, through the Word, the Spirit and as God Himself. What he ends up doing is coming dangerously close to modalism. Even more, he uses a doctrine, formulated originally for one purpose (i.e., to address the Arian heresy) and applies it to history, perhaps a place where the Trinity answers the wrong questions. That is, it maybe should not be used for this purpose.

Dupuis also wonderfully explores the writings of Hick, Knitter, D'Costa and Rahner, among many others, as well as Vatican II, to truly teach the depth of this issue. For that I applaud him.

Dupuis' work demonstrates a great mastery of the topic: theology of religions. He has apparently gotten into some trouble with Roman hierarchy for his views, but if you read this book, you'll see that, despite Dupuis' enormous knowledge of and respect for the various religious traditions of the world (Dupuis is strongest when dealing with Indian religion), he is still toeing the Catholic post-Vatican II inclusivist line.

If you're a faithful Catholic, there is, of course, absolutely nothing wrong with this. Even we pluralists have to admit that you have to be honest about your own faith and where it leads you. Dupuis' perspective is eminently honest, and should be respected for its earnestness and sincerity.

But if you're an impatient pluralist along the lines of John Hick, as I am (or even along the lines of a Mark Heim), then Dupuis' arguments, cogent though they be, can never truly resonate with you.

I give the book a fairly high rating for being an articulate, well-thought-out presentation of the Catholic view on religious diversity. However, I cannot rate it more than 4 stars because I feel that religious exclusivism and inclusivism are temperaments that can only retard human growth and flourishing as we begin our journey through the 21st century. No viewpoint can escape the perils of arrogance, but religious pluralism, in all its various forms, strikes me as the best road out of the quagmire.

Father Dupuis' magisterial work gives the reader virtually everything s/he needs to know about the subject from Old Testament times through Vatican II to the latest announcements by the Magisterium and contemporary theologians of ecumenism. While this book is hardly for beginners, it will be embraced happily by educated clerics and lay people alike. With so much just now about pluralism (we see what wealth is now coming from the late Isaiah Berlin), this work is a timely survey (for us Christians) of how Christianity has theologically responded and is responding to the world's great religions in a spirit of confidence, listening and learning. If there are still some who doubt the Church's mission to non-Christians and/or doubt what that mission is and/or ought to be (based on Conciliar and Papal directives), then this is the book for you. Although this scholarly work with many references and footnotes is not an "easy read," the wealth of theological, philosophical, and historical detail presents a cogent view of how we should apply Christian theology within a religiously pluralistic society. If indeed this is the "Age of Ecumenism," then Fr. Dupuis' book should become the vademecum of all missionaries and apostles, all who would take Christ to pagans and non&#61485;Christians. A message to those of you who, like me, are/were reluctant to purchase this book after you noticed that the publisher was the infamous Orbis, the publishing branch of the heterodox Maryknoll Missionaries. There is absolutely nothing here that is unorthodox, all quotations being taken from Church records and translated with the utmost integrity. This is one book from Orbis that doesn't try to make you lose you faith! Fr. Dupuis has done us and the Church a gargantuan service.

In this book the author approaches the Christian Catholic Theology about salvation based on biblical passages and recent documents of the Catholic Church. The author works on the edge of a daring Catholic theology about the universality of salvation. His ideas does not represent the official teaching of the Catholic Church but the book has been authorized after a long debate with the Vatican Congregation of Faith and Doctrine. The reader must be aware that this is not a book to read and keep his or her own standing point. José Contreras Landeros.

JNT biased in favour of Professor Dupuis, with Joseph Neuner s.j. Dupuis follows in tradition that began with Ricci and de Nobili, continued by, in 20th century, Pere Johanns and Jules Monchanin and Henri LeSaux (Abhishiktananda). Universality of Christ's redemption coupled with the grace of the Holy Spirit leads to the 'baptism of desire' recognized in modern Catholic liturgy by the inclusion of "all who have done your will througout the ages". The primacy of conscience, emphasized by Aquinas and Newman, among others, leads Catholics to recognize activity of grace of Holy Spirit in all people, hence universal salvific activity of Christ active in other spiritualities and traditions. Jesus Christ not co-terminous with visible Church (cf. Vatican II & "Evangelii Nuntiandi" of Paul VI, among other documents. Catholics can ne enriched by riches from spiritual approaches of other religious traditions, hence religious pluralism while retaining uniqueness of Christ, Verbum Incarnaturm, Redemptor omnium populorum. FDanger of fideism (the weak spot of modernism), Ronnie Knox's "funny inside feeling" [FIF] (cf. Knox's "Enthusiasm"). Dupuis, aaamong others, emphasizes that the Catholic Church, and its spirituality, can be enriched by drawing on the traditions of other faith where the grace of the Holy Spirit is at work. One example: the Hebrew tradition of the Psalms forms the foundation of much Catholic prayer. Insights of Kabir, Chandidas, the Upanishads (cf. the works of Monchanin and Abhishektananda, among others) are consonant with the ultimate foundations of Christianity (and Christology, as Dupuis sees it). The failure of Balasuriya to recognize the universality of Chrit's redemption, has clouded isues. Also clouding issues are the tension between Augustinianism (the <<contuitio>> of self and the Creator. Very complex issues that cannot be encompassed in a thousand words. These are just a few issues raised by Dupuis in the tradition of the encounter of Christianity and other religions. One must allow them a validity through the work of the Holy Spirit. Openness to other religious heritages does not limit, but rather broadens, the Christian (and Christological) vision. I Timothy tells us of the universal salvific will. Dupuis and his predecessors try to put this in terms of modern theology.