A theological evaluation of “revelation” in
other religions
Ratzinger, Joseph, “The Unity and
Diversity of Religions: The Place of Christianity in the History of Religions,”
in Truth and Tolerance. Christian Belief
and World Religions, San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2004.
Comprehension questions
1.
Why
does Cardinal Ratzinger think that “a phenomenological investigation [of
religions] which would not straightaway concern itself with the value of these
religions for eternity… needs to precede such theological judgments about other
religions” (p. 18)?
Answer:
Because this is a critical study of investigating /studying/ religions':
ü inner development and
spiritual structure
ü continuous historical
development
ü Recognition of any
basic type
ü Relationship with one
another
ü alternatives they hold
in themselves as for reflection philosophically and theologically.
2.
Name
two possible attitudes towards other religions in the light of the Christian
conviction that Christ is the only Saviour and salvation of man?
Answer:
Ø Preparatory to
Christianity (It prepares them for the new reality, Christ), and
Ø It gains for the a
positive value if they accept this new reality to develop in his way, and life.
3.
What
does the Christian rejection of gods signify? How is it viewed by the
secularised man of today?
Answer:
Here comes the misunderstanding
of the concept of human freedom, putting oneself on the choice of the rebel,
who for the sake of his conscience dares to break free from what is accustomed
in a religion. Thinking that he/she is not part of the history/in a religion/,
which is not correct.
4.
What
is the concept of religion held by “the man of today”?
Answer:
ü Considering all
religions as one and the same thing with all their varied multiplicity of forms
and manifestations!
ü Then as the end coming
with the conclusion that "No" to a particular religion's claim to be
true, and simply focusing on relativity / as there is no absolutely actual
truth in any of them/ and dependence on the claim that "There are many
religions" without knowing identity of none of them!
5.
What
is the “future for religions” according to the thinking of Radhakrishnan?
Answer:
Their
fundamental unity with the most varied differentiations.
The Place of Christianity in the History of Religion
6.
What
is the first perception of the man of today when he looks at the plurality of
religions? What is the next impression?
Answer
ü First impression:
Truth seems to him/her "illusory"
ü Second impression: As
the first impression gives a way to this it becomes easy when he or she cannot
find truth to "that of the hidden identity of the religious world."
7.
“This
mystical interpretation of religion forms the background of the idea of
religion of man today.” Elaborate on this statement.
Answer
ü As it can be
understood from the text: Mystical interpretation of religion is a pavement for
the idea of religion of people today. First of all what is mystical
interpretation? It views God purely passive
in relation to human beings and the content of religion can only consist
of man plunging into God. God doesn't act. Then
human beings cannot identify themselves with a particular religion, religions
are all the same, sinking into the ocean of all-one. And this brings about the
two impressions of the people of today; illusion /inability to find truth/ and
inability to seek and find out the hidden identity of the religious world/no
experience of identity/.
8.
According
to the mystical interpretation of religion, what is “first hand religion” and
what is “second hand religion”?
Answer:
This is a mystical idea that
ü All religion is said to be based in the final analysis on the experience
of the mystic, who alone can be able to make direct access/contact/ with the
divine, and who alone is able to pass something of this contact to the many is
considered as firsthand religion (so
this is the type of religion between the mystic and the divine).
ü And the indirect form of knowledge
of only passed on from the mystic (to the many), is referred to as second-hand religion (a passed on
religion via the mystic).
9.
Name
and explain the stages of development history of religion.
Answer:
Ø The first stage is the
primitive religion: this is Primitive Experience of the Divine through powers
of nature; like, cloud, moon, sun, visions, dreams .... etc
Ø The second stage is
Mythical religion: this is the stage of development of religion via creativity
of people for the satisfactory identity of their religion; like parables,
stories, symbols..... etc. It is the transition from the scattered experiences
of the primitive stage to large-scale myth. It is a decisive step of growth for
present day religion.
Ø then further
development followed by mysticism, monotheism, and enlightenment.
10.
What
are the three ways of moving beyond the myth of religions?
Answer:
1. Mysticism: Characterized by:
ü Here the myth are
merely symbolic form
ü is stripped of its
illusion and the absolute value of an unmentionable experience is set up, and
ü Conservative of myth.
2. Monotheistic Revolution
ü The myth is rejected
as man-made and lacks authority.
ü The actual nature of
the divine call issued through the prophet is maintained
3. Enlightenment: This stage is characterized by-
ü outgrowing of the myth
as a pre-scientific form of knowledge
ü Rational knowledge is
set up as the absolute value
ü Religion and Religious
values became meaningless
ü Still going on in its
full or semi form, and probably will continue in the real future before it.
Mysticism and belief
11.
What
is the Christian approach to “mysticism” in religions?
Answer:
Ø understood in a more
radical sense
Ø one path in the
history of religion with an attitude that does not tolerate any other element superior
to itself, rather, considered the imageless, unmetaphorical, and mysterious
experience of the mystic as the only determinative and ultimate reality in the
realm of religion.
12.
Why
is the monotheism of Israel a sort of “revolution” in the history of religion?
Answer:
Because it is a separate
development in the history of religion achieved by the revolutionary act of a
few people who were filled with a new religious awareness and who shattered the
myths and overthrew the gods of whom the myths spoke.
13.
How
is the monotheism of Israel different from that of Hinduism (of) ATR?
Answer:
It differs in two ways:
1)
It is not directed towards mysticism; the creator God
intervenes in the history of human life.
2)
It arose through revolution, not evolution!
14.
How
does monotheism and mysticism differ from each other radically? What is the
core of their difference?
Answer
Mysticism
|
Monotheism
|
ü Inwardness ( interest
in feelings and emotions rather than in the world around
ü God is purely
passive in relation to humanity (God does not act, there is only the
mysticism of human beings.
ü gradual ascent to
union through the mystic endeavour
ü No revelation (No
self-communication of God)
|
ü Man is the passive
element upon whom God acts
ü Focuses on the call
from God
ü Human beings open
themselves to salvation through obedience to the call from God.
ü Revelation of God
exists
|
The structure of the two great ways of Religion
15.
What
does Jean Daniélou say about Christianity in contrast to the great non-Christian
religions?
Answer:
According to him, Christianity, in contrast to the
great non-Christian religions, is essentially faith in an event.
16.
Mention
the obvious difference between the patriarchs and prophets of Israel and the
great founders of East Asian religions. What does this say about the structure
of the way of mysticism and belief in one God?
The patriarchs and
prophets of Israel
|
Founders of East
Asian religions
|
ü quite mediocre and pathetic
(poor), pitiful
ü God is experienced and seen
ü They seek out God
ü mysticism of images
ü No revelation, contemplation by
man
ü Discovery of some truth
ü Salvation through human effort
|
ü they are rough, earthy, uncouth
ü God is experienced as one who acts
and remains (for the inner and for the outer eye) in the dark
ü God seeks out them (God coming
into human relationship)
ü mysticism of words (revelation of
God)
ü No discovery, God himself making
history
ü God is the one who acts, and
brings salvation to human kind
|
17.
Why
does Christianity not recognise the distinction between “first hand religion”
and the “second hand religion” as viewed by mysticism?
Answer:
Because, for Christianity, all are believers, whatever level of
inwardness they have achieved. A little child and an overworked workman, if
they believe, they are at a higher level than the greatest ascetics (Lk. 2:28).
This is because, for Christianity, the decisive thing is not one's own
religious experience, but the divine call, and everyone who believes in that
call is in the same situation, for each is being called in the same situation.
In this way there is no such an explanation that the mystic is the firsthand,
and the believer is second-hand religion. Only God alone deals at firsthand. We
are all believers and servants of the Divine Call. However, this doesn't have
anything to do with the different hierarchy in the Christian Church!
18.
In
brief, what is the place of Christianity in the history of religions?
Answer
Christianity puts itself as a part of single history
that in many different fashions on the way toward God. For the Christian faith,
the history of religions is not a circle of what is endlessly the same (not
routine), never touching the essential things , which itself remains outside of
history, rather it holds that the history of religions is genuine history, a
path whose direction we call progress and whose attitude we call hope. Then the
service we give should be the service of someone who hopes.
Thanks a lot!
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