Religious pluralism is the belief that multiple religions can coexist peacefully and that no single religion has an exclusive claim to absolute truth. According to religious pluralism, all religions contain some measure of truth, but no one religion contains the whole truth. Religious pluralists believe that human understanding of the divine is limited and no one perspective fully captures absolute reality. As such, religious pluralists argue that followers of different religions should respect each other’s beliefs and practices without necessarily accepting the validity of those beliefs.
The Bible does not explicitly endorse a pluralistic perspective, but it does contain teachings that are relevant to the discussion of religious diversity. The overarching biblical narrative depicts God as desiring relationship with all people and offering salvation to the world through Christ. This could be interpreted as affirming the possibility that God is revealed through multiple religious traditions. However, the Bible also makes particular claims about the person and work of Jesus Christ that imply the uniqueness and decisiveness of his life, death, and resurrection for human salvation. Christians have wrestled with how to hold these affirmations in tension.
Old Testament Teachings on One God and Plural Peoples
The Old Testament depicts God choosing a particular people, Israel, to be in covenant relationship with him and to serve as a light to the nations (Isaiah 42:6). However, the prophets also envision God as ruler over all peoples and affirm that proper worship and morality please God, not only from Israelites but from any nation (e.g., Amos 9:7; Isaiah 19:19-25). The book of Jonah famously narrates God calling the reluctant prophet Jonah to preach repentance and salvation to the people of the foreign city of Nineveh. God rebukes Jonah’s anger when the Ninevites do repent, teaching that he cares about all peoples.
These Old Testament themes could be marshaled to argue for openness to God being revealed through a plurality of religious traditions. However, the Old Testament is also emphatic about the oneness of God, particularly in contrast to the polytheism of surrounding ancient Near Eastern religions (Deuteronomy 6:4). So while the Old Testament leaves room for God to work among all nations in some manner, it rejects outright the worship of other gods.
New Testament Teachings on Christ and Salvation
In the New Testament, the particularity of salvation through Christ comes to the fore. Jesus proclaims that “no one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). The apostles preach faith in Christ as the sole means of salvation (Acts 4:12). And the apostle Paul writes of the universal sinfulness of humankind and the uniqueness of Christ’s atoning sacrifice for sin (Romans 3:21-26). Such New Testament texts seem to point away from pluralism and toward the uniqueness, decisiveness, and finality of Christ for salvation.
However, the New Testament also contains hints of a more inclusive perspective on salvation. Jesus sometimes commends the faith of those outside Israel, such as the Roman centurion (Matthew 8:10). The apostle Peter comes to realize that God desires Gentiles to be included in the people of God and not only Jews (Acts 10). And Paul looks forward to a day when “every knee should bow” in worship of Jesus, “in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (Philippians 2:10). Such verses leave room for debate about whether and how God may work in the lives of religious others.
Biblical Emphasis on Faithfulness and the Great Commission
While the Bible does not explicitly endorse religious pluralism, it does emphasize faithfulness to God’s mission. Christians believe they are called to make Christ known to all peoples, based on Jesus’ command at his ascension: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). At the same time, the means of doing so is through proclamation and persuasion, not coercion. Christians are to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15) and put their hope in the convincing work of the Holy Spirit, not forceful argumentation (1 Corinthians 2:4-5).
This provides parameters for how Christians can engage diverse religious traditions. Christians can be confident in Jesus Christ and in the truth of the biblical witness, while also listening to and learning from those of other faiths. Christians maintain the hope that others will come to saving knowledge of Christ, while also recognizing that only God can bring about heart-change. Christians uphold values like humility, patience and charity while sharing the gospel.
Historical Christian Perspectives on Religious Pluralism
Throughout church history, Christians have interacted with and formulated perspectives on other religions in various ways. Early Christians rejected pagan polytheism but sometimes utilized concepts and language from Greek philosophy to communicate their faith. During the European colonization of the Americas, Africa, and Asia, Christians adopted contrasting approaches to existing indigenous religions, with both accommodation and conquest.
In the modern era, Protestant theologians like Karl Barth, Hendrik Kraemer, and John Hick have produced substantial literature on relating Christianity to other religions. Vatican II brought increased interreligious dialogue for Catholics. Certain liberation theologies incorporate concepts from local indigenous religion. Models like inclusivism, pluralism, and exclusivism have been used to categorize perspectives. While debate continues, overall Christians across traditions take more open postures toward interreligious relationship than in previous eras.
Key Biblical Principles Regarding Religious Pluralism
In summary, while the Bible does not give definitive guidance about religious pluralism, key relevant principles can be discerned:
- There is one true God who desires relationship with all human beings (1 Timothy 2:4; Acts 17:26-27).
- Due to human finitude, no one perspective fully captures God; human knowledge of the divine has limitations (Deuteronomy 29:29; 1 Corinthians 13:12).
- God at times revealed truth to those outside Israel for his purposes (examples like Melchizedek in Genesis 14:18-20 or the Magi in Matthew 2:1-12).
- Jesus Christ is the full revelation of God and only means of salvation (John 1:14-18; Acts 4:12).
- Not all who profess Christ truly know him; God knows people’s hearts (Matthew 7:22-23; 2 Timothy 2:19).
- Christians should share the gospel with humility, respect, and love (Colossians 4:5-6; 1 Peter 3:15-16).
- Salvation depends fully on the grace of God; Christians should not judge who is “in” or “out” (Romans 14:4; James 4:12).
In the midst of plurality, Christians can ground themselves in the particular witness of the Bible while also displaying openness, charity, truth, and justice when relating to diverse neighbors and communities. Practicing thoughtful, Spirit-led engagement and avoiding extremes of naïve relativism or close-minded rejection of all outside perspectives allows Christians to live out biblical faith in a pluralistic world.
Religious pluralism presents theological and ethical challenges. But Christians need not feel threatened by the reality of diversity. Though firmly rooted in the biblical revelation, Christians should approach religious others with humility and grace, recognizing that only God fully knows the human heart. Christians can continue to be faithful to the uniqueness of Jesus Christ while also engaging in fruitful interreligious dialogue and cooperation for the common good.