Pluralism and Particularity in Religious Belief

Challenging commonly held assumptions in the field of religious studies, the author argues that religious pluralism as a paradigm of religious belief is deeply flawed. This work focuses particularly on the foundations of John Hick's influential articulation of religious pluralism, and suggests its consonance with postmodernist criticism. The critique of pluralism is followed by a defense of Christian exclusivism, and its moral viability as a style of religious belief. The comprehensive reference bibliography records the major works in the study of religious pluralism.

Table of Contents:
Preface: Pluralism--From Phenomenon to Conviction Acknowledgments Philosophical Aspects of Religious Pluralism Ethical Aspects of Religious Pluralism The Postmodern Parallel The Meaning of Christian Exclusivism Bibliography Index

About the Author :
BRAD STETSON serves as Director of the David Institute, a social research organization./e He holds a Ph.D. in religious studies and social ethics from the University of Southern California. He has taught at USC and Concordia University, and is coauthor of Challenging the Civil Rights Establishment: Profiles of a New Black Vanguard (Praeger, 1993).

Review :
"Within the current climate of unguarded enthusiasm for religious pluralism, the thesis of Christian exclusivism deserves serious reexamination. This book is a model of balanced discussion along these lines. Stetson combines a tolerance for other perspectives with an intellectually responsible search for religious truth and reality, which may not conform in all respects to our vaunted preferences."-R. Douglas Geivett, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Philosophy Talbot School of Theology, Biola University ?this is amuch-needed corrective to the almost universal pluralism of present day religious studies. It offers the mental health professional a carefully-reasoned, tolerant, alternative model for use in cross-cultural counseling with clients of differing religious traditions.?-Journal of Psychology and Christianity ?In the Christian theology-of-other-religions debate, John Hick's pluralist hypothesis dominates the field. According to Hick, all religions are equally salvific; we are all taking different routes up the same mountain....Yet the hypothesis is problematic: little things, like Truth and the Incarnation, have to go. Brad Stetson, in this well-written and elegant book, has set out to expose the difficulties in the pluralism hypothesis....a superb analysis and critique of a highly influential position. For that we whould be grateful.?-First Things ?This brief but wide-ranging work is a powerful polemic in the ongoing debate over the destiny of non-Christians. This work will be valued by those looking for a conservative Protestant review of the scholarship of religious pluralism. If Stetson's work does not effectively overturn the principle of the "anonymous Christian," it certainly calls for measured articulation of it.?- Social Justice Review ?This essay provides a brief introduction to an ongoing debate that is significant for contemporary American intellectual life and society.?-Choice "this is amuch-needed corrective to the almost universal pluralism of present day religious studies. It offers the mental health professional a carefully-reasoned, tolerant, alternative model for use in cross-cultural counseling with clients of differing religious traditions."-Journal of Psychology and Christianity "This brief but wide-ranging work is a powerful polemic in the ongoing debate over the destiny of non-Christians. This work will be valued by those looking for a conservative Protestant review of the scholarship of religious pluralism. If Stetson's work does not effectively overturn the principle of the "anonymous Christian," it certainly calls for measured articulation of it."- Social Justice Review "This essay provides a brief introduction to an ongoing debate that is significant for contemporary American intellectual life and society."-Choice "In the Christian theology-of-other-religions debate, John Hick's pluralist hypothesis dominates the field. According to Hick, all religions are equally salvific; we are all taking different routes up the same mountain....Yet the hypothesis is problematic: little things, like Truth and the Incarnation, have to go. Brad Stetson, in this well-written and elegant book, has set out to expose the difficulties in the pluralism hypothesis....a superb analysis and critique of a highly influential position. For that we whould be grateful."-First Things