Wilfred Cantwell Smith: The Theological Necessity of Pluralism

Abstract

One of the most pressing theological and cultural problems of our day is pluralism. It is an especially difficult conundrum for contemporary Christian theology because most early modern and neo-orthodox theological systems have generally not addressed pluralism seriously, if they have noted it at all. Many Christian missiologists of the 19th and early 20th centuries hoped that the world could be converted entirely to Christianity, which would make the question of pluralism in a religious sense merely transitory. There were other faith communities, but they would, in due time, cease to exist as they became Christian. Hence, at least for• most theologians, the question of religious pluralism was vexing but certainly not central to their endeavours.