Pluralism, Inclusivism, and Exclusivism

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In terms of modern practices, religions may seem outdated in the mindset of the general Western population, where scientific knowledge domineers. Some people may find religious rituals barbaric due to the influence of the modern skepticism agenda. It does not nullify the great impact religions still have on people. Religion is a complex concept, constantly changing, adapting according to time demands, and gathering followers. Nevertheless, it does not mean that all modernizations within religions go without any hindrance and that all religions are ready to face diverse modernity. In some of them, variety and pluralism are embraced, which in turn leads to inclusivity. Others struggle with reality and thereby causing radicalism and exclusivism.

Under the word pluralism, the general population understands diversity in the sense of the religions’ variety. According to Netland, this fact was not evident before 1492. The Western world was Christian, and homogeneous in terms of beliefs.¹ In the modern world, however, religious pluralism is an axiom not hidden by distances between countries. It manifests itself in languages before anything else. The English term ‘religion’ entails different meanings and connotations in other languages. Netland states, “The Sanskrit term normally used in these contexts is “dharma,” which can be translated into English as “truth,” “duty,” “law,” “order,” or “right”.”² Pluralism of opinions is evident even in the existence of different interpretations of one word.

Another concept, inclusivism, entails some old customs evasion for the sake of greater integration. In some religions, the such attitude was more distributed than in others. However, it always requires study and deep integration from a new member. Nevertheless, there are particular circumstances and interpretations of inclusivism in some beliefs. For example, Christianity implies that there is another path to salvation apart from the extolment of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection.³ People who proclaim this view on the Christian faith are called inclusivists, and they face strong resistance from other factions. As many can see, inclusivism can imply free integrity, regardless of members’ upbringing and their potential involvement in the fundamental idea of the religion.

Exclusivism is a delicate matter in modern society because, in most cases, it implies discrimination and radicalization based on aberration from the religious norm. It can entail only one God’s complete faith or demand strict adherence to all religious standards. Sometimes, exclusivism tends to exclude only people who do not share the general ideas of the religion. Undoubtedly, it also means that a member of one religion cannot always be a member of the other one because their teachings are often mutually exclusive.⁴ Although, in the modern Western world, diversity and variety of opinions and beliefs are implicit, it does not extend to religions, where a person can only be a follower of one faith in most cases.

Some religious practices and rules can be set in stone, including rejection of people who do not share the same faith as the group and closed nature for the third party. Various religions exist in the world, and although people can observe pluralism, it does not mean that it extends to personal faith. Although some religions allow interpretations of their teaching and are inclusive in that sense, others are stricter and less lenient. Most religions are also mutually exclusive, meaning that a person cannot simultaneously be a follower of two or more religions. Albeit evolving, religions stay a cornerstone in our society, still having the power to either unite people or divide them based.

Bibliography

Harold Netland. Christianity and Religious Diversity: Clarifying Christian Commitments in a Globalizing Age. Ada: Baker Academic, 2015.

Todd Miles. A God of Many Understandings?: The Gospel and Theology of Religions. Nashville: B&H Academic, 2010.

Winfried Corduan. Neighboring Faiths: A Christian Introduction to World Religions. Westmont: InterVarsity Press, 2013.

Footnotes

Harold Netland, Christianity and Religious Diversity: Clarifying Christian Commitments in a Globalizing Age (Ada: Baker Academic, 2015), 9.
Netland, 13.
Todd Miles, A God of Many Understandings?: The Gospel and Theology of Religions (Nashville: B&H Academic, 2010), 17.
Winfried Corduan, Neighboring Faiths: A Christian Introduction to World Religions (Westmont: InterVarsity Press, 2013), 54.

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Pluralism, Inclusivism, and Exclusivism

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