the:shiverian

The Fulfillment Model : Gavin D-Costa - Pt.1

The next paradigm for Christianity-s engagement with other religions is what Knitter terms the fulfillment model. We begin by taking a look at the work of Gavin D-Costa, a Catholic scholar born in India and now teaching in England. Before we can fully turn to his work, we must at least have a rudimentary understanding of the work D-Costa seeks to build upon, that of Karl Rahner.

Rahner, a Jesuit professor until his death in 1984, is most famously known for his concept of -anonymous Christians.- Rahner claimed that God-s grace has to always be embodied, that is grace has to take some kind of physical and material form (Knitter, 70). One of the major ways in which God chooses to embody this grace is through other religions. In clear and powerful language, Rahner declared that other religions could therefore be -ways of salvation.- Rahner is careful to take this a step farther, however, and affirm, -all grace is Christ-s grace- (Ibid, 72).

Rahner wants to make clear that in the end, Christ is the ultimate and final source of all grace and salvation. This, however, does not mean that Christ is the -efficient- cause of salvation in this life. This is a major departure point from those in the Replacement models. Salvation, while ultimately coming through Christ, can be experienced by those who don-t exactly know what it is they are experiencing. Since all grace ultimately comes from Christ, those in other religions who are experiencing the grace of God are linked to Christ. They are encountering salvation through that grace and are thus Christians without knowing about Christ. It is from this argument that Rahner coins the phrase -Anonymous Christian.-

Knitter, a student of Rahner, sums up Rahner-s view of other religions as being like that of John the Baptist. They prepare the way for the ultimate revelation found in Jesus Christ, the -only- of Rahner-s proposal. The religions that prepare the way must eventually step aside and be fulfilled by Christ, the final source of salvation. Rahner proposed a model that came to be called inclusivism as somewhat of a middle way between the extremes of excluvism and pluralism.

D-Costa follows Rahner-s proposal and seeks to stress the Trinitarian aspect of the Christian religion. Within the Trinity, D-Costa emphasizes the Spirit-s work of grace in other religions. If this is true, Christians must be interested in engaging these religions in dialogue in order to fully understand God-s work in the world as well as the character of God. If Christians fail to listen to other religions, they are being inattentive to God (D-Costa, The Meeting, 114).

Starting from the inclusivist paradigm, D-Costa-s most important contributions to the wider discussion of Christianity-s relationship with other religions is his proposals concerning methods for this dialogue he feels is essential to faithful Christianity. In dialogue, Christians are being obedient to God-s call to love one another. This love necessitates an absence of manipulation that often accompanies Christian participation in mission and evangelism. D-Costa writes,
Consequently, manipulation of the partner is inadmissible; i.e., either seeing the
partner solely as an object for conversion (the pluralist fear), or solely as an object
to increase social cooperation and well-being (the inclusivist fear). (D-Costa, Towards a Christian Theology of Religions, 120)
D-Costa calls Christians to honest dialogue that does not see the other as a means to an end but as one whom the Christian sincerely desires and expects to learn from. This does not mean leaving behind controversial beliefs or ignoring key differences of opinion but openly sharing these differences -from one open-hearted person to another open-hearted person- (D-Costa quoting Buber, 121).

This type of genuine dialogue inevitably places one-s own beliefs at risk. D-Costa claims, -one cannot trustingly and openly learn, witness and share with a partner, without ultimately putting one-s own beliefs at stake- (Ibid). In a similar claim to that of Newbigin, D-Costa argues that true dialogue involves the possibility of being converted to the other-s belief system and abandoning one-s own. While this may be the extreme, open dialogue almost always leads to a deeper understanding of the Christian-s own religion and even allows those -anonymous Christians- inside the Church to truly encounter Christ for the first time. Thus, dialogue brings about conversion, whether that is conversion away from the church or continual conversion (cf. Guder) of the Christian-s own faith.

D-Costa goes on to argue that this form of dialogue is the means by which -Christianity itself becomes fulfilled- (124). Instead of considering dialogue as only a means by which other religions ultimately find their fulfillment in Christ, D-Costa wants to affirm that Christianity itself also becomes fulfilled in this conversation. Thus, Christians should really speak of a Mutual Fulfillment Model as all religions represented in the dialogue are constantly growing and changing. The Spirit who is at work in all religions is at work in dialogue to help each religion grow and convert.

Finally, D-Costa wants to add the notion of discontinuity to this model of fulfillment. In order to honor the -complexity of Christianity-s relation to other religions,- there may often require in the light of dialogue a -radically questioning and reconstructing of previous self-understanding- (125). Fulfillment can at times mean -destruction and purgation- as practices and beliefs are seen in new light as the result of open and honest dialogue.

Gavin D-Costa, in following the inclusivist proposals of Rahner, affirms the work of the Spirit in the other religions of the world. D-Costa calls, therefore, for open and honest dialogue with other religions as a way in which to bring fulfillment to all involved. This mutual fulfillment means that when open dialogue really occurs, all parties will be converted to fuller embodiments of the Spirit-s grace. These claims do not mean giving up the unique Christian claim to Christ as the ultimate source of all salvation but foes mean that through dialogue the Christian understanding of Christ will be deepened and enriched. Open dialogue then, is imperative to a growing and developing Christianity.

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Posted by mark at 2:59 PM | | perm