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Title: Toward a Christian Theology of Religious Pluralism by Jacques Dupuis ISBN: 1-57075-264-8 Publisher: Orbis Books Pub. Date: 01 May, 1999 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $30.00

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Average Customer Rating: 4.5 (4 reviews)

Rating: 4
Summary: Fascinating if you're an inclusivist & not a pluralist...
Comment: 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.

Rating: 4
Summary: A towering masterpiece
Comment: 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. 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.

Rating: 5
Summary: "Alle Menchen Verdun Bruder"
Comment: 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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.

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