Church Faith and Religious Belief: A Reading of Dominus Iesus

Abstract

Dominus Iesus has sparked a wave of criticism for its exclusivistic message that salvation is available only through the Church. Although many Catholic theologians downplay the meaning or importance of the document and stress its inclusivistic language, a close reading shows that the text is in fact much less inclusivistic than it appears on the surface. Although there are various rhetorical nods toward inclusivism, the text not only undercuts inclusivism in its detail, but in substance reverts back to pre-Vatican II Catholic exclusivism. This dual nature of the text reflects the deep struggle within the Church as it tries to position itself in the twenty-first century.