Religious pluralism and society

Overview

Recall questions on multi-faith Britain, the responses of the Catholic Church in Redemptoris Missio and the Church of England in Sharing the Gospel of Salvation, inter-faith dialogue and its aims, the scriptural reasoning movement, social cohesion, and whether Christians should seek to convert others.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   What is meant by a multi-faith society, and how did Britain become one?

   Model answer

   A multi-faith society is one in which several religions are practised by substantial numbers of citizens, none simply assumed as the default. Britain became one chiefly through migration: arrivals from the Caribbean, South Asia and East Africa after the Second World War, later movements from Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and the settlement of refugees. Other factors matter too - global travel and communication, the falling numbers identifying as Christian, and legislation protecting religious freedom and prohibiting discrimination.

2. 2

   Besides migration, what else has helped produce societies in which many faiths are practised?

   Model answer

   Globalisation and instant communication, which make religious ideas available everywhere; the growth of higher education and travel, which expose people to other traditions; the decline of automatic Christian affiliation, which leaves religious identity as something chosen; legal frameworks that guarantee freedom of belief and equal treatment; and conversion and intermarriage. The result is not simply several communities side by side but populations in which many people have personal ties across religious boundaries.

3. 3

   How has the Catholic Church responded to the presence of other faiths?

   Model answer

   Its modern position combines respect with continued mission. The Second Vatican Council taught that the Church rejects nothing true and holy in other religions while continuing to proclaim Christ, and the later encyclical Redemptoris Missio set out how dialogue and evangelisation relate: dialogue is genuine and to be pursued for its own sake, yet it belongs within the Church's mission rather than replacing it, and Catholics are not to abandon the conviction that salvation comes through Christ. Critics call this having it both ways; supporters call it honesty.

4. 4

   How has the Church of England approached relations with people of other faiths?

   Model answer

   Its report Sharing the Gospel of Salvation addressed the question directly, insisting that Anglicans in a multi-faith country should neither abandon witness to Christ nor treat their neighbours as targets, and that respectful dialogue and honest sharing of faith belong together. In practice its parishes have built local interfaith relationships, and as the established Church it often convenes gatherings involving several traditions - a role some welcome as service to the whole community and others criticise as blurring its message.

5. 5

   What is inter-faith dialogue, and what forms does it take?

   Model answer

   It is organised engagement between people of different religions aimed at understanding rather than debate victory. It takes several forms: the dialogue of ordinary life, where neighbours share a community; the dialogue of action, where traditions cooperate on food banks, refugee support or campaigning; the dialogue of theological exchange, where specialists examine one another's doctrines; and the dialogue of religious experience, where participants share prayer and spiritual practice. Different Christians are comfortable with different levels.

6. 6

   What are the aims of inter-faith dialogue?

   Model answer

   To replace caricature with accurate understanding; to build the trust that keeps communities together under strain; to identify common ground for practical cooperation on poverty, the environment and conflict; to defend religious freedom jointly; and, for many participants, to understand their own tradition better by seeing it through another's eyes. Notably, the usual aim is not agreement or merger, and most participants regard the search for a lowest common denominator as a mistake.

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