| This study is an attempt to find a way out to meet the challenge of religious pluralism in the Asian context. The writer has some reservations with the common paradigms that have been proposed to solve the issue, such as: pluralism, inclusivism, and particularism. Therefore, a new alternative is put forward which is called open particularism. It is particular for it is faithful to the biblical message which affirms the particularity of God's revelation in Jesus Christ. At the same time, it is open to the possibility of God's grace working through general revelation. Moreover, the phrase open particularism also points to its methodology which is believed to be the most preferable way to approach the issue of religious plurality in the present-day context.; Thus, the whole project is designed to defend the view here set forth. After a brief introduction in chapter 1, the second chapter will present a brief historical survey on the attitude of Christians toward other religions, both in the West and in Asia. In order to have a clearer focus on how each paradigm approaches the issue of religious plurality, three Asian theologians have been chosen to be the representative models: Stanley Samartha from India, Ajith Fernando from Sri Lanka, and Choan-Seng Song from Taiwan. Chapter 3 will examine their theology of religions in general, and chapter 4 will discuss their methodology. The view of open particularism will be presented at the end of each chapter. As an evangelical, chapters 5 and 6 may be the most crucial ones. Here theological issues as well as some key passages related to the subject will be taken into consideration. The writer will turn to practical considerations in chapter 7. Four themes will be covered in this chapter: the Asian context of religious plurality, the issue of religious truth, tolerance, and dialogue. Finally the conclusion will summarize the proposed view and give some direction for Asian evangelicals in the future debate of religious pluralism. |
