Table of Contents

Outline

Introduction: Christian Theology of Religions As a Theological Discipline

Part 1: Biblical Perspectives: The Ambiguity and Promise of the Biblical Testimony
1. The Overview of Biblical Testimony
2. The Old Testament
3. The New Testament
4. Religion(s) in the Bible

Part 2: Historical Developments
5. Limited Openness to Other Religions Among Some Early Church Fathers
6. "Outside the Church No Salvation": The Consolidation of the Exclusive Attitude
7. The Meaning of Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus for the Contemporary Church
8. Positive Attitudes Toward Other Religions After the Early Fathers
9. The Radical Challenge of the Enlightenment and Classical Liberalism
10. The Fulfillment Theory of Religions

Part 3: The Current Scene: Ecclesiastical Approaches
11. The Response of the Roman Catholic Church
12. The Response of the Anglican and Episcopalian Churches
13. The Response of Mainline Protestant Churches
14. The Response of the Free Churches
15. The Response of the Evangelical Movement
16. The Response of the Ecumenical Movement

Part 4: The Current Scene: Theologians' Interpretations
17. Orientation to the Study of Theologians of Religions
Ecclesiocentrism: Early Approaches
18. Karl Barth: Religion as Unbelief
19. Hendrik Kraemer: Jesus Christ as the Way, the Truth, and the Life
20. Paul Althaus: "Original Revelation" in Religions
Christocentrism 1: Roman Catholics
21. Karl Rahner: "Anonymous Christians"
22. Hans Küng: Religions as the "Ordinary Way of Salvation"
23. Jacques Dupuis: "Toward a Christian Theology of Religious Pluralism"
24. Gavin D'Costa: Trinitarian Theology of Religions
Christocentrism 2: Mainline Protestants
25. Paul Tillich: The Dynamic-Typological Approach to Religions
26. Wolfhart Pannenberg: Religions Competing for the Universal Truth
27. Lesslie Newbigin: The Gospel as Public Truth
28. M. M. Thomas: "Risking Christ for Christ's Sake"
Christocentrism 3: Evangelicals
29. Sir Norman Anderson: Unique Savior but Nonexclusive Salvation
30. Clark Pinnock: A Wideness in God's Mercy
31. Amos Yong: A Pneumatological Theology of Religions
Theocentrism
32. John Hick: The Copernican Revolution of Religions
33. Stanley J. Samartha: One Christ, Many Religions
34. Raimundo Panikkar: The Unknown Christ of Hinduism
35. Paul F. Knitter: Jesus and the Other Names
Ecclesiocentrism: Contemporary Approaches
The Proliferation of Ecclesiocentric Approaches Among Evangelicals
36. Millard J. Erickson: No Other Name
37. Harold Netland: The Enigma of Pluralism
38. Vinoth Ramachandra: The Recovery of Mission
39. The Current Scene: Critical Reflections and Questions

Epilogue: The Way Forward

Bibliography

Indexes

About the Author

Veli-Matti Käkkäinen is professor of systematic theology at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. He has published numerous articles in international journals of theology. His books include Pneumatology (Baker), Christology (Baker), Toward a Pneumatological Theology (UPA), An Introduction to Ecclesiology (InterVarsity Press), Trinity and Religious Pluralism (Ashgate), The Doctrine of God (Baker) and One with God (Liturgical Press).

Reviews

Anyone, whether pastor or teacher, student or scholar, interested in gaining a good working knowledge of one of the most challenging but stimulating fields of study among the theological disciplines will assuredly benefit froma reading of this book. It may be particularly well-adaptable as a college or seminary textbook.
*Tony Richie, Pneuma Review, Spring 2007*