Theology of Religions

The theology of religions is the branch of theology that asks how ones own religious tradition should understand and evaluate other religions. It addresses questions such as: Do other religions contain genuine revelation? Can their adherents be saved? What is the theological significance of religious diversity? This lesson examines the dominant taxonomies for classifying theological approaches to other religions — particularly Gavin DCostas influential taxonomy — George Lindbecks cultural-linguistic model of religion, and the emerging discipline of comparative theology as developed by Francis X. Clooney.

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DCostas Taxonomy

Gavin D`Costa (b. 1958), Professor of Catholic Theology at the University of Bristol, has been one of the most influential figures in the theology of religions. His work has shaped the way the field is structured and debated.

The Threefold Typology

D`Costa initially popularised the threefold typology of exclusivism, inclusivism, and pluralism — the framework that has dominated the theology of religions since the 1980s. This typology, originally proposed by Alan Race in Christians and Religious Pluralism (1983), classifies Christian attitudes to other religions according to their soteriological claims: