“Is Christianity the only true religion?” (Hick 1998)

Introduction

Christians disagree about whether salvation is restricted to Christianity and how other religions should be understood.

Exclusivism claims that only one religion is true and salvation is only possible through that religion.

Inclusivism claims that salvation is only through Christ, but non-Christians may receive its benefits without explicitly knowing or believing in him.

Pluralism claims that many or all religions are genuine paths to salvation and are equally true insofar as they express or respond to the same ultimate divine reality.

The history of the dispute

Early Christianity contained the foundations of both exclusivism and inclusivism. The New Testament makes strong claims about salvation through Christ, while Justin Martyr argued that the divine Logos had also given partial truth to people outside Christianity.

Augustine developed a stricter approach through original sin, grace and predestination, helping lay the foundations for later Protestant forms of narrow exclusivism.

Aquinas retained Christ’s unique necessity for salvation but allowed a broader exclusivism, accepting that non-Christians could possess genuine virtue and that God might exceptionally reveal saving faith to them.

The Reformation strengthened strict exclusivism in some Protestant traditions, particularly through sola fide and later doctrines of predestination.

Modernity saw increasing contact between religions through migration, globalisation and communication, together with growing emphasis on equality and individual responsibility, made the fate of sincere non-Christians an increasingly important problem.

The Second Vatican Council developed Catholic inclusivism, affirming that non-Christians may receive salvation through Christ and that other religions can contain genuine truth.

Some modern theologians went further towards pluralism, arguing that it is unfair to make salvation depend upon accidents of birth and that religious diversity may reflect different cultural responses to the same divine reality.

Today

Catholicism is broadly inclusivist, maintaining Christ’s unique role while allowing salvation outside explicit Christianity.

Conservative Protestant traditions tend towards exclusivism, although they disagree over how strictly explicit faith is required.

Liberal Christians are more likely to adopt inclusivist or pluralist approaches, particularly in response to religious diversity and concerns about the fairness of exclusivism.